CROQUET COACHING: Why You Choke
CROQUET COACHING: Why You Choke
In this article from Golf Magazine, I have replaced "golf" with [croquet], "hole" with [hoop], etc. The resulting advice is very accurate.
| Ever Said This? If you've uttered any of the following denials after a slip in performance, you may be a closet choker. |
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1 "You know I'm working on something in my swing." 2 "Did you see that spikemark/bad bounce/wind gust?" 3 "I was just trying to do too much with it." 4 "I swear I'd play it that same way every time." 5 "My back has really been acting up." |
How to Spot a Choke
Step One in dealing with your own gags -- and spotting them in your friends
-- is recognizing the warning signs. Your body and brain go through
some strange changes when fear takes hold. Again, honesty is the key.
If you see any of the following mental of physical signs in your game,
rest assured you have plenty of company. Denial will get you nowhere. |
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How to Stop a Choke Choking is like cancer. The earlier you detect it and intervene, the better your chances of beating it. When you know your warning signs, you have leg up on stopping a gag-job in progress. When you see a sign, try one of the following interventions to nip it in the bud. With the symptoms out of the way, you can focus on the things you can do -- [ball] selection, preshot routine, good tempo -- to toughen up in crunch time. Take a Mental Time-Out Have a favorite place in mine, such as the beach or the mountains or the backseat of your parents' car, and go there when you need relief. Really try to transport yourself; for instance, if you love the beach, try to smell the salt air, hear the crashing waves, feel the sand under your feet. The more real you can make it, the better the escape. Perform a Simple Task This has two purposes: to relieve muscle tension, and to give your mind a distracting task. Payne Stewart used to vigorously wring his grip with a towel; Lee Janzen gets lip balm out of his bag, applies it, then puts it back in his bag. But your task can be as simple as walking with deliberate rhythm or stopping for a drink of water. Disassociate Yourself Physically get out of the scene. Step to the side, and engage yourself in a non-[croquet] subject -- something interesting but not upsetting, such as divorce or the IRS. ... Take Deep Breaths No method of alleviating tension has more research to back it up than deep, cleansing breaths. We tend to pant like puppy dogs when the heat is on. Instead, focus on long, slow inhales from your diaphragm. You'll be amazed how much the right breathing can relax your entire body. Reframe the Situation Everyone wants to be a hero, but when most people get a chance, they'd rather hit the showers. When you face a meaningful shot, tell yourself that this is what you want. Draw from past successes in similar circumstances. We all have track records; call up your good memories for help when you're being tested. Get Lost in Your Routine Linus had a blanket; you need a preshot routine to make you feel safe during tough times. Deliberately perform all of the mental and physical preparations you normally do -- taking up the same amount of time -- and even the most pressure-packed situation will see like old hat. In [croquet], familiarity breeds success. Play Under an Assumed Identity Try to act and feel like a player who epitomizes whatever you're trying to do. Stalk a [ball] like Tiger; copy Mickelson's long lazy swing; take on the tempo of Ernie Els. I call it "fake it 'till you make it." Call Your Shot Out Loud This is call "public commitment", and it strengthens your connection to the shot at hand. Tell your partner how you want the shot to look -- the trajectory, the shape, the roll -- or how your swing should feel. Then step up and do it, without letting ugly thoughts creep into your head. |
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How to Chokeproof Your Game Now that you know what to look for and how to defuse a choke, let's take it a step further and discuss prevention. While you can't totally inoculate yourself from choking, you can better your chances of success in the clutch. Here are the techniques, habits, and rituals that will help you keep that club sandwich down. Know Yourself For instance, if you like to play fast, you probably speed up under pressure. If you tend to look up anxiously on 3-footers, tension will surely expose this flaw. Point is, knowing your tendencies will help you flag your problem areas and spot chokes before they take you down. It's not just about being a rock out there, but also knowing where you're not -- and making adjustments. Practice Like a Kid When players win majors, they often admit that they'd already won "the big one" a thousand times on their childhood course. This may sound like just a cute memory, but imagining yourself where you want to be can be very effective. If your goal is to win your club championship, go out and play [all four] balls, pitting yourself against the champ. Want to finally [do a triple peel]? Practice [straight peeling] the last three [hoops] to do it. Putting yourself in the positions gets you ready. Do Dress Rehearsals Dedicate a few minutes of your pre-round warm-up to hitting shots you'll need that day. Simulate the first few [hoops]: [croquet] between two [hoops], hit your likely approach to a [hoop], then hit a [croquet] again, and so on. Or, when [opponents] will demand certain shots, practice them. Targeted practice like this helps alleviate the pressure of doing it at "show time". Develop a Preshot Routine What you do before you swing can mean more to your performance than the swing itself. That said, devise a simple, effective set of preparations to repeat before every swing. With my players, I insist on three core elements: a physical "signal" to corral attention and start the process, such as a tip of the cap or a tug o the ear; an intermediate target for aiming; and a deep, relaxing breath. Other elements can be added, including a rehearsal swing or waggling the club, but keep your routine simple enough to be easily repeatable. Have a Game Plan The key to making food decisions under pressure is making them before the pressure sets in. Sit down .. before big rounds and map out a basic strategy: [how to hit in], which approach shots to play safe, when to [set a leave], and so on. The decisions you make in the calm and quiet of your home or hotel room will bear fruit on the [croquet] course; deciding on the fly usually spells big trouble. That said, your game plan should be flexible enough to adapt to unforeseeable situations. Practice Under Game-Day Conditions Another way to prepare for the pressure of a big round is to play your last four or five rounds preceding it under tournament conditions. That means no [bisques]. Also, try to play [on a full-sized court] to brush up on the right [split shots]. You might even practice the format ... You'll build a valuable experience and perhaps identify a weakness or two to work on before you have to play for keeps. |
| "I've
choked a lot of times, actually. I've made some poor swings down the
stretch where pressure has affected me, yeah. But that's just part
of playing the game." -- Tiger Woods
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"The
biggest thing in performing (under pressure) is to focus on the process and
not the result. ... You think about your swing, what kind of
shot you want to hit, what the feeling is that you have to create to hit
the shot. It's the process that allows you to play well." -- Phil Mickelson
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"You
just try to go through you same routine, controll your heart rate, walk slower.
Every other sport you feed on your adrenaline, but in [croquet] you
hve to try to control it." -- Paul Azinger
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