Well it happened again – I was up 2 games and then lost the next 2. But now I know what’s going on. I am in-between several improvements in my training and when I play to win, I win and when I let up and play not to lose I actually don’t win… It’s a very slight nuance, but one that today became crystal clear, in hindsight. So, you want to know what happened in game 5?
I came out with all 8 cylinders and double barrels loaded – got up 5-0 and took the game 11-6 – with total power, pace and intensity that was firewalking, over-the-top full-on domination.
I felt good to finally figure this out. Of course in hindsight it’s always 20-20…
I suspected this was happening, but because I didn’t feel or think (self-talk) I was doing this, it was hard to pin point.
Throughout this competition I’ve felt confident, strong and in control – in the past I didn’t have this match confidence due to lack of experience. I’ve played less than 10 competitive matches in total, so to get to world-class competition this quickly means there are going to be gaps to fill.
More match play will fill this gap as will targeted training sessions once this competition is over.
Lessons of the day that I can share publicly are:
Once you ‘decide’ to win, something changes in your physiology, body chemistry and of course mindset. Sure this sounds self-evident, but anyone who’s competed and punched above his or her weight understands this pivotal shift.
I just hadn’t realised I had dialled it down one notch since my self-talk hadn’t changed – I wasn’t saying or thinking different things even though my body was.
The scores in this match were 11-6, 11-9, 9-11, 4-11 and 11-6. The third game was the one I should and could have put away, losing it by 2 points – that’s the lesson I’ve learned – to trust my instincts and abilities to red line it when it counts.
The other lesson was the preparation for today’s match – I did a few things to make sure I was ‘ready’ – in doing so, I noticed others who were also doing likewise – until today I had never even thought they would be there…
It’s confidential because at the top levels, everyone’s trying to get and keep the edge so I can’t divulge who and what they were doing because I wouldn’t want them doing that to me.
That’s the other lesson I learned today – the camaraderie is quite something. I’ve said it before how positive an environment it is with world-class competitors who are fit and healthy…
I obviously highly recommend it to anyone who’s feeling alone, left out or otherwise excluded. Any sport or group activity that is competitive will attract this positive and supportive environmental factor…
So that’s it for today – tomorrow’s match is another challenge – one that I look forward to.
Wish me luck!
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