Whatever the sport or physical activity coaches always want their young charges to go faster, further or higher. But how?
Let’s take swimming for example. Say we’ve got two swimming coaches teaching freestyle. One tells their future champions they should focus on ‘pulling their hands back’. The other says they should focus on “pushing the water back”.
So does it matter? After all, they’re both saying pretty much the same thing.
Like to sink more putts? Sure. But how?
Well, let’s get some advice from the touring professionals. After all, their living depends on it so they should know.
Jordan Spieth (winner US PGA, US Open, British Open) tells us to keep staring at the hole when we putt. Padraig Harrington (winner US Open 2007, 2008, US PGA) tells us to track the ball on its way to the hole. Dave Stockton (winner US PGA 1970, 1976) tells us to keep our focus on a spot in front of the ball.
You’re standing on the tee, staring down the fairway. It’s possible you’re only thinking about one thing. Perhaps two. How do you launch your ball into orbit? And how do you outdrive your golfing companions?
Luckily, research tells us the secret to getting those extra yards. It’s the X-factor stretch. It’s when you further increase the rotational difference between your hips and shoulders on the early downswing.
But there’s just one problem.
Is it possible to learn to serve without swinging a racquet? Sounds ridiculous. But is it?
Let’s look a study that explored at this very question. Some researchers recruited undergraduate students with no previous tennis experience.[1] First up, the students were given traditional instruction where the coach described and demonstrated how to serve. The students were told about such things as the correct grip, stance, biomechanics of the swing and the transfer of weight.
In Part 1, we learnt about Samantha doing the seemingly impossible by learning two skills at once. Somehow, after practising a topspin backhand, she could then hit a more difficult topspin forehand which she couldn’t previously do. And all without further instruction or practice.
Can you really learn two skills at once? It might sound impossible but the answer is yes. And to show you, we’ll look at someone learning to play table tennis. We’ll then move on to how you too can learn two skills at once in all sorts of endeavours, not just sport.
Remember our experiment from Part 1?
We had two equal groups of untrained wine drinkers and they all tasted a particular wine.
While one group wrote a description of the wine, the other group did a crossword.
Okay. I’m not saying you should have a few glasses before a game.
What I am saying is if you know what helps you be better at Wine Tasting – and why – you’ll know what sort of practice and training to do so you get the best results in a game.
Let’s look at an experiment to show you what we mean.[1]
We’ve all experienced it.
You’ve got a thundering and relentless forehand when you’re practising. But when you’re playing a real game, it disappears.
But what’s this? It comes back when you’re practising again.
What’s going on? And what can you do about it?
What can champions do that you can’t? Well, there’s probably plenty of things. But there’s one particular thing they do and you don’t – at least don’t do as often and as well.
It’s they get ‘in the zone’ or have a ‘flow experience’.
So would you like to get ‘in the zone’?