By Terry Carter
As an athlete, you need to expect challenge, bad bounces/calls and adversity — and have a practiced response. To a large degree, how you respond to those speed bumps determines whether you excel in your sport.
I competed in more than 100 golf, tennis and baseball tournaments between the ages of 7-22, and I learned more when I played below my standards than when I was in the zone. I’ve played multiple sports competitively, and the accumulated lessons inspired me to study psychology, learning from stress, pressure, the mind and learning how to achieve. In 2019, I created World Wellness Today, a mental training site for athletes and high achievers.
How many athletes have you seen who hit one errant shot and then play poorly for the rest of the day due to anger, frustration raging inside their mind like a volcano? Emotions like nervousness can consume us — and our talent.
It happens in every sport — and no, it’s not part of the game like practicing sand shots or batting practice. Losing your temper can temporarily erase years of skill, talent, practice your brilliant, creative and natural talents flee when you are in a high-stress environment.
That is the simple reason why a 5-foot putt on the final hole is nerve-wracking when you know you are one stroke ahead of 10 competitors and tournament fans are watching. And yet it’s an easy tap-in during practice rounds or family outings.
I recall making a triple-bogey seven on the first hole of a qualifying tournament for the City of Houston amateur championship years ago. I had not played competitively for perhaps 15 years and was testing my game — and apparently my ability to control my temper. My question to myself was simple: How are you going to respond to this nervous mistake in front of a crowd and tournament officials?
Like every athlete, I knew I could play better, but it wouldn’t happen if I focused on my recent shots, including a lost tee shot. I was immediately grateful upon remembering, at age 11, how my tee shot hit a sprinkler head in the fairway and bounced straight right into the woods. I chipped out and made bogey to win my sixth consecutive tournament by a single shot.
Memories of your accomplishments and those you’ve watched or imagined strengthen resilience in your mind by refreshing/adding neural connections in the brain. By the way, practicing tough recovery shots helps your mind deal with the unexpected, the adversity that is normal in the life of athletes, students, adults, parents and more.
With enough practice in the “unfair” world of inside fastballs, buried lies in the rough and overcoming “blinking” umpires, you can improve your composure and ability to win within your DNA.
The same principle applies to a hitting slump in baseball or softball, a quarterback’s passing, basketball field goals and free throws and more. Coaches teach skills, techniques and teamwork in virtually all sports today. Some coaches incorporate a family component including integrity, character, habits and discipline.
To rebound from an interception, a strikeout, a stumble or self-imposed roadblock, there are two paths. The first is traditional and expected of every athlete: Conscious, repetitive efforts to develop muscle memory or winning habits. Just be certain you invest 20-25 percent of your time on intentionally challenging situations like bare lies, high rough, long sand shots.
Many athletes will benefit from realizing officials are not flawless, and you need to not leave your chance at victory in their hands. Golfers, on the other hand, need to practice hitting balls from challenging spots behind and under trees.
Best Advice For Young Athletes: Practice in horrible weather and can learn to foul off five pitches in a row to get a hittable ball. Then imagine what is possible when the sun comes out, and you are starting for your team with a 12-game hitting streak. Stop practicing in ideal conditions. Prepare for the challenges that are looming.
Golf is one of many Zen sports that require emotional mastery and internal discipline before quality external results (hits, shots, scores) materialize. How do you rebound from the challenges that face you in your athletic endeavors? (Photo by Terry Carter/UDPhotos)
