Oy, talk about calling it right. I played like shit my first game the Men’s A bracket racquetball tournament last night. I absolutely could not get loose. It probably wouldn’t have made a difference as the guy was way better than me but it pissed me off to have played so poorly. I didn’t expect to be nervous, and then when it happened, I couldn’t overcome it. I didn’t have the butterflies beforehand, which is almost always the case, whether it’s a sporting competition or giving a speech. Some people vomit when they get a bad case of the butterflies. Others, like me, sometimes get the trots. But last night I didn’t. So I didn’t even bother doing the breathing and relaxation exercises that I sort of know how to do when I get nervous. And for the first ten minutes of the game, I think I was ok. But then he started splatting everything and I couldn’t adjust to it. I started getting behind, and that’s when I think I started tightening up. He got more confident, and I got more hesitant. And instead of using relaxation techniques to get my body loose, I think I just kept trying harder, and of course, this didn’t work.
After I lost, it occurred to me that, before my next match, I needed to get my head in order. So I found a quiet spot to lay down and just did a few “breathe easy” and “let go” (muscle tighten and relax) exercises and then did a few body rehearsal swings making sure I could feel a relaxed and fluid motion.
It made a big difference. I settled down for my next match in the Men’s 35+ bracket. I won easily against a player who I was clearly better than. I sometimes ‘play down’ to the level of lesser skilled players so I was pleased that I played closer to my ability through much of the match. I know I won’t have any easy matches today, though, so I wonder if I’ll be able to keep as relaxed. I know my concentration ability is very weak.
Now that I think about it, I’ve tended to think of concentration and relaxation as two totally separate skills. They’re distinct, of course, but maybe the more I’m able to concentrate and get totally absorbed in the game, the less tight I’d be. My experience is that the opposite doesn’t work for me, i.e., being relaxed doesn’t necessarily lead to better concentration. So today, I’ll expend more effort in just focusing on the ball, hitting it with crispness and fluidity, and try to get “in the zone.” I can’t expect much success though, since I’ve not practiced this at all, and from what I’ve read, it takes considerable time and practice to get the hang of it for people with my kind of mental distractibility.