Monday, June 7, 2010- This editor writes, “It was unbelievable watching Ray Allen hit so many 3 pointers in a row. He was in a zone!!! You know that altered state of consciousness where he was not from or on this planet. Did you see Kobe’s face during the post-game interview? Talk about a guy in a real bad mood. He is such a tremendous competitor. When he couldn’t be better than Allen or Rondo, he got real nasty. He was almost biting his lower lip off. Losing takes a great toll on that kind of athlete. I expect that I might have felt the same way. He reacted to every question from the press as if a nail was being dragged across a chalk board. I did take some relish from all those Hollywood stars with their front row seats going home unhappy.

June 7, 2010 – LR  wrote, “Yes, I think I heard ‘****’ Jack Nicholson out of my mouth for the very first time! Rondo threw Kobe off his game as no else can! No one else! When Rondo is doing what he is supposed to – which has NOT been every game. He was up near 100% last night. It was ALL psychological. It like it when the CELTICS don’t get too far ahead – they lose that killer instinct. They have to fight for EVERY point! That’s what it takes to beat the Lakers. You know Kobe’s gonna hit – almost nothing you can do about it. You gotta make him foul.

June 7, 2010 – This editor writes, “Excellent sports analysis. Maybe you would like to create a sport psychology blog. Getting too far ahead of the Lakers pisses Kobe off. So, he comes back with a fury. The Lakers went on a 25 point run towards the end of the first half and a few minutes into the second half. Just remember the Celtics did not fold. Most teams would have collapsed under the deluge of Laker scoring. This is a positive sign for the Celtics as well as winning the second game after being easily beaten in the first game.

June 7, 2010 – LR writes back: HAHA – I hope you’ll indicate on your blog that I have no expertise whatsoever (any of my readers believe that?) except I love to watch them big gorgeous guys play basketball! Doesn’t Rondo look like an Adonis? Isn’t Big Baby just the cutest things? Doesn’t Ray Allen look like a young Daryl Strawberry? Aren’t Doc Rivers and Pierce handsome? Hmmm maybe not to you…You can look at the cheerleaders, oh wait, there are none. Poor you.

June 7, 2010 – Editor write: There are two assumptions operating here. The first assumption seems to be that I am straight and the second is that you are a straight woman. By the way, the cheerleaders come out during the commercials.

Answer by Paul Schienberg, PhD: Well yes. Here is a thought. Trust your clubs! Somewhere inside your neurological system may exist a belief that unless you swing hard, muscle your shots, swing with a lot of club speed through the ball, you will not get the results you fantasize about. Most of us played baseball as a kid…swung the bat from our heels, as hard as we could and watched the baseball fly over the fence. Or, maybe we watched golf on TV and began to believe that swinging like Tiger Woods would get us his results. I’m suggesting that instead of your body working so hard, let the clubs do the work for you. They were designed by people who know how to build a club that would get the ball where it was intended to go. Try the following mantra: let my club take my ball where I want it to go. Whether it is a driver, long or short iron, or sand-wedge, they are designed correctly. Don’t try to make it happen. Be easy with it. Feel the flow of your body and arms – not the speed of their movements. When we don’t trust our clubs, we put too much effort into our swing. It is the appreciation of the ability already built into those clubs that will make it work. The smooth, tender and sensitive relationship to each club that lets them work as they are designed to work. By the way, it is interesting to watch some women play on the same golf course. They are less likely to fall into the mistake of over-swinging. They don’t think of killing the ball, but they often let their club do the job it was built to do. Do not worry. Your mind is attached to your body. It needs to send a belief message to your body that creates a harmonious relationship – not an over-powering one.

Flying is an equally if not more competitive sport, than golf. There are, I believe organizations that have used a sport psychologist between a Flying instructor and his student. Kindly comment, advise?

–
RESPONSE:
I came across a very relevant source of information regarding competitive flying and sport psychology. It is called “Flying Faster and Further.” It can be found by going to the following website address: http://www.gfa.org.au/Docs/sport/flyingfaster.pdf. Part I focuses on Extending the Basics of Cross Country Flying. It is an examination of the knowledge, skills and needs of the new pilot to enhance enjoyment of soaring and improving cross country performance. Part II looks at the physical requirements of competition flying as not being as great as the cerebral aspects of it.

Another source that might prove to be helpful is “The Psychology of Flight Training.” It is written by Ross Telfer and John Biggs, published by Iowa State University Press in 1988. A synopsis of the book is “The Psychology of Flight Training.” It clearly and concisely applies the psychologies of learning and instruction to the process of teaching people to fly, showing that both teaching and learning can be made more effective and efficient. The book promotes application of its principles to development of teaching methods best suited to each instructor’s own personality, students and flight situations.”

Good Luck,

Paul Schienberg, PhD

Editor/Publisher

Response by Editor: It’s coincidental that I was having thoughts about this issue a couple of weekends ago. You might be wondering what I’m referring to. The professional golf tour was in Florida…at the Doral. The last hole was a killer. Tiger Woods was leading by two strokes. I was watching the last round in my easy chair and thinking it’s all over. He will drive it straight and long and probably birdie this hole. He’ll win by three strokes. I get up from my chair and pick up the remote control to turn the set off. I needed to get going to an Oscars party at a friend’s house. With the clicker in hand, I took one more glance at Tiger setting up for his drive. You see I always like watching Tiger set up – it’s like a ballet. He proceeded to go through his swing and drove the shot very close to a large banyan tree on the far right side of the fairway. Now what do I do. Well, I did what any golf addict would do, I sat back down. He started his march towards his golf ball. You could see Tiger was not happy with the shot.

What might be going through your mind if you were in his predicament? Maybe some of the following thoughts: I’m so disgusted. I was so close to winning. I had to hit that shot? My most reliable club and I blew it. What stupid thing am I going to do next? I should have hit a three wood and put myself safely in the fairway. What was I thinking? I’m going to lose $480,000. My wife is going to be a little more than just annoyed at me. I’m so embarrassed. The crowd is making a weird noise. If only the couple before me had finished their second shot faster, I wouldn’t have gotten so much out of kilter. If I hear another soda can opening, I’m going to hit someone with this darn driver. Do these thoughts sound familiar? All these thoughts make your muscles tense, heart race, hands sweat. Just the opposite of what you want.

Notice that all these thoughts focus on the negative events of the past and the potential negative results of the future. Ok? You get the idea.

Now, let’s get back to Tiger. He walks up to the ball, and he starts walking around the area. He’s relaxing. Then, he starts talking to some official. What’s going on? He’s focusing on the situation. Tiger is employing his creative ability to get the best possible result out of his next shot. He’s not berating himself. He’s not mentally back on the tee. He’s figuring something out. The drive he hit to get him there is a long way in the past. Now they are standing over the ball. He’s being allowed a free drop. How’d he come up with that? The rules are in his mind. Again, by being in the moment, his mind let him see an opportunity. So, he drops the ball and it roles closer to the hole. He has to drop again. So, he does and again it goes towards the hole. Tiger saw the land was sloped that way. He figured it would happen. Now, he could just place the ball down. This gave him a perfect lie. Now he had room to swing normally and a ball laying on top of the grass. With that taken care of he would enter his familiar, calming pre-shot routine. Of course, the result was that he put it on the green and allowed himself to puts so he could win by one shot.

Tiger went from an awful drive and a potential disastrous last hole to seeing opportunities to use his creativity and skill to make his wife happy.

How do I transform my mind and body from being troubled about things gone by and things to come? By quieting our minds and loosening our bodies. Try meditation, yoga, anything that works for you. Tiger found his way to his creative and skillful self. He works on it. It is an art and a skill. You can do it. If you can find your way, it will keep your motivation high. It will help you change troubles into opportunities. You will consistently believe in yourself and your ability to meet all situations and challenges on the course with fun and success.

Good Luck,

Paul Schienberg, Ph.D.
Editor/Publisher

questions@psychedonline.org
From: XXXXXX@msn.com
Subject: Meditation
Date: September 17, 2005

I’ve been a billiards player for over 15 years. The game is great. I get to meet some wonderful people. My dad taught me the game and bought me first pool cue stick. Over the past three years, my ability to concentrate and focus and stay calm has been decreasing and so has my quality of play. I ran across an article about a master’s level chess player has used meditation to calm his mind. I wondered if it would be helpful in my sport of choice since it requires similar mental abilities. So, I began to practice meditation and have found myself inconsistent in my sitting. Sometimes I forget to sit and other times I can’t maintain the meditation position. Do you have any thoughts?
Dear XXXXXX@msn.com,

Response: Meditation can be helpful to any athlete playing any sport. Having a calm mind allows for greater focus, connection between mind and body, and entering a zone where performance is at its highest. Let me offer some helpful hints for sustaining your sitting meditation practice:

1. Sit every day, even if it’s for a short period. A few times during the day, establish contact with your body and breath.
2. Remember that everyone wants to be calm, just like you.
3. Practice regularly with a group or a friend.
4. Use inspiring resources such as books or audiotapes of meditation talks.
5. Sign up for a retreat – one day, a weekend, or longer. The experience will deepen the ability to sit.
6. If you miss a day, a week, or a month – simply begin again.
7. If you need guidance, ask for help from an experienced meditator or teacher.

In the next edition of Psyched, we will offer more ideas about meditation.

Good Luck,

Paul Schienberg, Ph.D.
Editor/Publisher

Virtually every pro golfer (or professional athlete of any type) you talk to or read an interview with, plays because they think it is fun. But sports aren’t fun for me. Even though I have some ability and am physically capable, I end up trying so hard that I turn everything (golf, volleyball, speed skating, and track) into work. I’ll go to the range week after week rather than go to the golf course to actually play because I don’t think I belong anywhere near a course. I’ll train and train and train but never run in races because I’m ashamed that I’m not better or afraid that I won’t do well enough. How do I lower my standards so that being an “also ran” is OK? Is that what it takes to have fun? I don’t want to give up trying to do better because I really believe I can. I don’t get mad, I don’t throw clubs, but every bad shot destroys what meager self-confidence. I have. I don’t want to be a touring pro, I just want to play better and be able to have fun and be fun to play with. Right now…I’m not.

Dear XXXXXX@msn.com,

Response: I’d like to offer some thoughts that may be useful. Of course, playing a sport at a higher level can add enjoyment. If you are one of those type A’s who can never do it good enough, enjoyment will not come with better performance.

Here’s one suggestion. Break down a round of golf into single shots. Think of each shot as a round of golf itself. Stop counting number of shots per round or per hole. Let someone else keep track of shots if you need to know at the end of the round how you did. Put each shot taken behind you – whether it is a good one or a bad one. In between shots, look at the scene. Take in the trees, the grass, the shadows, etc. This might sound silly, but it is so important to feel grateful for the day. Maybe you are playing with friends – maybe they are new acquaintances. Connect with the entire experience. When it is time to take a shot, go through your pre-shot routine, take your swing, and go back to the entire circumstances. It is as much a part of the game as the flight of the ball. Experience the gratefulness of having the day.

Also, it is important to look at playing as a learning experience. You’re not supposed to know it all and perform the task perfectly. You play the course to learn to play the course. Confidence is an important attitude to have when coming to play. But, expectations of high performance can make an athlete less resilient to misplays and make recovery more difficult. It becomes more difficult to get these disappointing plays out of your mind when expectations are unreasonable or only positive. In a round of golf where athletes strike the ball somewhere between 70 and 110 times, the expectations of doing everything well, is a set up to lose composure and experience unhappiness. It would be helpful to view training and practice as much a part of the game as playing the round on the golf course. It’s all about learning and growing and part of learning is slipping and falling and picking your self up and trying again. This is the game. This is what it needs to be about for all athletes, professional and amateur alike.

Good Luck,

Paul Schienberg, Ph.D.
Editor/Publisher

Gary wrote:

I have a problem and I hope you can help. Half way through this past varsity baseball season my 16 year old son developed some throwing problems as a catcher. When attempting to throw he would have problems releasing the ball, sometimes double clutching or throwing the ball directly into the ground right in front of him. As I watched these throwing tendencies develop with my son I became very concerned and was reminded of my senior year as a catcher in high school. I played four years of high school varsity baseball but unfortunately I ended my senior year not able to throw the ball 60 feet back to the pitcher. Throwing a baseball is something most take for granted and not many people within baseball circles can relate to this problem. Its very frustrating, humiliating and a lonely feeling for a 16 year boy that previously never gave throwing a baseball a second thought.

I have talked with several people that have struggled with this problem themselves, or had a son with the problem. My son is currently doing throwing drills using a “grading system” but never has the problem during these drills. He only struggles when throwing around the team during practice or game situations. I’m wondering if the focus should be with a psychologist instead of continuing with throwing drills in an isolated environment.

My son and I would greatly appreciate any recommendations or contact information you can provide to help deal with this problem.

I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks, Gary.

TO: XXXXXX@msn.com
FROM: psychedonlineorg@yahoo.com
SUBJECT: RE: Mental Throwing Problem
DATE: Wed, 18 Jun 2004

Hi Gary and son,

I did get a chance to read your email. Here are some thoughts. One. It sounds like the throwing problem has a become a thing in itself. An approach is to shut off the thinking. The world it is focused on the more problematic in can get. Your son has all the anticipatory failure thoughts and visions. The humiliation and shame have become another level of the problem put on top of the original problem. The more problem solving strategies attempted, the more it become ingrained that there is a problem to resolve. It is paradoxical. The approach is more to get the weight off the problem, get away from thoughts. Easier said than done. I would suggest creative visualization approaches. Where he gets to “see” himself in a game situation making the throw he wants to make. He needs to create it himself in all the details possible. There is an article in www.psychedonline.org on creative visualization. I suggest he and you review it. I would be glad to help you on the telephone or on line to create visualizations. He needs to see in his mind what it is like to catch the ball and go through the throwing the ball, seeing it fly and reach the target. The visualization should include all game situations. He needs to practice this visualization before playing, during play and after playing. Remember he might have to make a number of attempts to create a visualization that works for him. There is no right or wrong visualization.

Two. Create a state of mindlessness. There are thought stopping techniques. Again there is an article in Psyched that is specifically targeted to achieving this mindless state.

Three. Relaxation. There are many relaxation techniques that your son can use. He must practice them. Throwing the ball in the ground sounds like his muscles are tightening up at the point of throwing. No athletic attempt is successful when muscles are tight. He has to teach his muscles to relax by practicing relaxation techniques. Then when he is actually playing he needs to use relaxation methods. This is not an issue of skills. He knows how to throw. There is just too much thinking in the way of execution.

Let me know what you think of these ideas and if you need help directly. I will go through the process with him and you if you would like. Also, let me know what progress or lack of progress is made.

Good Luck,

Paul Schienberg, Ph.D.
Editor/Publisher

Dear Psyched:
In the past I was a professional athlete. Today, I am a lawyer who is in trouble. I’ve been let go by a firm without compensation. They did it without any compensation, even though I had a contract that noted it couldn’t be done. So, I filed suit and they have countered with a suit against me. The stress is unbelievable. Participating in sports used to be great release and joy. After a number of weeks of not exercising, I tried to take a run. Usually, I could do 5 miles without blinking. One mile into my run, I began to think of the different aspects of my legal and financial situation and came to a dead halt. I couldn’t run any further. Every time I try to exercise, the same thing happens. I’m about to give up exercising. Can you be of any help?

TO: XXXXXX@msn.com
FROM: questions@psychedonline.org
SUBJECT: RE: Depression and Exercise
DATE: Wed, 12 Nov 2003

Dear Troubled Athlete:
Repetitive exercise can leave a lot of space to think about almost anything. Unwanted thoughts can flood the area. Negative feelings (anxiety, fear, depression, guilt, shame, etc.) have a way of shutting down the motor system. These feelings can act like paralytic agents. Sometimes the body stops moving before the troubled athlete even knows it has occurred. You can’t just not think. Even when we are sleeping we are thinking. Unless, you have energizing thoughts, images, emotions to fuel the mental system, breakdowns surface. Develop these fuels before you go for a run again. Another suggestion is to make sounds when you are running – energizing sounds – like rahhhhhh. Make these sounds over and over again. Maybe trying a sport that requires more mental attention (i.e., tennis) could keep your mind occupied.

Paul Schienberg, Ph.D.
Editor/Publisher

I have a pattern in my golf game that is getting on my nerves. My friends and I play on a 9 hole course. For the first 7 holes, I usually shoot about two to four shot over par…which is pretty good for me and the amount of times I play. The eighth and ninth holes drive me nuts. It’s not that they are particularly difficult. This pattern is so consistent that it’s become a problem in my mind. I anticipate the collapse. Do you have any suggestions?

TO: XXXXXX@hotmail.com
FROM: questions@psychedonline.org
SUBJECT: RE: The Last Holes
DATE: Mon, 26 May 2003

Response: One thought is that you are subconsciously tightening down as you approach the last holes. If that is happening your muscles become stiff and the flow of your stroke is shifting. It is good to make sure that your pre-shot routine does not change. Check your hands when you take the club in your hand. Does it feel soft? Over gripping is a common pattern with stress. You may be gripping too tightly even before the last two holds. If so, your hands may get tired. Keep it loose. Remind yourself to let the club do the work. If you swing evenly, the club will take the ball where it should go. Another thought is not to think about the total score of the round. This could be creating pressure. You might want to try playing a round without scoring at all. Just see the hole that you are playing and the shot that sits in front of you. Muscle relaxation exercises can help starting with your finger tips and proceeding through your arms. Again, check to see if you are doing anything different in the last two holes. Get back to us if you need more ideas.

Paul Schienberg, Ph.D.

After reading your interview with Jeff Torborg, I was wondering … My coach is a very smart and nice man who never gets upset at anything any of our players do – like Torborg seems to be. We have had a losing record for the past two years. I am the star pitcher on the varsity team. It is frustrating. Some of my teammates need to be taken to task. As I was saying, I was wondering whether a manager needs to have a tougher side.

TO: XXXXXX@aol.com
FROM: questions@psychedonline.org
SUBJECT: RE: Managers
DATE: Mon, 21 Apr 2003 22:47 EST

ResponseIt is an interesting question. You must understand that I can only assume that your manager is as you have described him. I recall an episode of Star Trek where Captain Kirk is separated into two parts. One aspect is the kind, empathetic leader who is very thoughtful and appreciative of his staff. He is also very indecisive. He believes that kindness will conquer all troubles. The other part is very aggressive, insensitive, tyrannical, and tough. The theme of this episode was to get the two parts together in the same body. In fact, leaders need to be strong and show the way as well as kind and understand. One of the criticisms of Torborg as a manager was that he tends to over think, question and get too personally involved. Sometimes a team needs to be grabbed by the throat and led to the promised land. It’s very hard to find a manager who has both sides in balance and harmony. Managers have their strengths and weaknesses. Your manager seems to have too much of a good heart and not enough of no nonsense leader.

Paul Schienberg, Ph.D.