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The following post is an excerpt from The Psychology of Tennis Parenting
Why We Choke
The key to your athlete’s next level of success lies in controlling the ego. Their ego plays a big part in what they choose to apply under pressure. Winning often occurs when the athlete selects to stay on script in matches. Being on script means applying their developed strokes, patterns, and court positions in matches. It’s not just what they’ve learned; it’s what they choose to apply under pressure.
It’s common coaching vernacular to say winning stems from their choices and ability to play to win versus playing not to lose. When athletes play to win, they’re in the positive “flow state” of mind we seek. Athletes who play not to lose typically play with a fear-based, ego-driven outcome mindset.
Solution: Let’s consider why the ego is mostly to blame for choking.
The ego is what causes the competitors to collapse in some matches. The ego is responsible for thinking ahead to future thoughts and drifting away from the current situation. Such as “What are my friends, family, or coaches say when I win this tournament.” “Where’s that huge trophy going to go in my room?” “My UTR should go up to a 9.0 when I win this!” In this outcome state of mind, the ego pulls them away from the performance mindset we all seek, and disaster strikes.
Let’s go a bit deeper into choking. What causes your great athletes to shift from a winning system to a losing system? The cognitive shift from wondering into the “what if I win” mindset distracts focus and causes poor execution. Then the ego promotes the fear-based “what if I lose” thoughts which cause the athlete’s brain to be hijacked into worrying about an undesirable outcome.
It’s important to note that when athletes are scared before a big match, it’s not the fear of playing in that match; it’s the fear of possibly losing and the repercussions of the loss. You see, the fear of flying is actually the fear of crashing.
