I’ve been interested in the whys and hows of choking — AKA ‘performance anxiety’ in this article — since about 1975 when I first began competing in the sport of motorcycle observed trials. Why the hell couldn’t I ride as well when competing as I did when practicing?
I found the answer in this little book, Sports Psyching: Playing Your Best Game All of the Time, by Thomas Tutko. First published in 1976, it’s a little dated with the examples and stories. But it’s one of the few around that actually has a step-by-step exercise plan for practicing those elusive skills of relaxation, concentration, mental rehearsal, and body rehearsal. When I saw the article in today’s paper, I decided to add this book to the Real Joe Store.
I’ve got two racquetball tourneys coming up this month. my local club singles championship and the MN state singles. I’ve not practiced my mental skills for months, so I’m not likely to play well. Without practice, I still get the jitters before an important match, and my ball concentration sucks. But I don’t think I’m willing to devote the time practing between now and the tourneys, so the hell with it. I’ll just do what I can do and know that I can’t expect to play up to my ability.