Mental Toughness

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Re: Mental Toughness

Great tactic AA, but take care. Setting performance targets are hard because of factors you can't control - weather, wicket, quality of opposition.

It's better to set targets you fully control like training twice a week, learning a new shot/delivery or developing a way to deal with mistakes.
 
Re: Mental Toughness

Is it absolutely necessary I consult someone else, or would I be able to set my targets on my own? (which I would definitely prefer)
 
Re: Mental Toughness

Well, they do need to be your goals but it helps to have somebody to help you structure them, more importantly, make sure you are thinking clearly; in straight lines as it were. There is no point focussing on goals that are not specific.

However, setting your own targets is better than not setting any.

Have a think, if you need a push in the right direction, pm me your email address and I will send you something that will help you.
 
Re: Mental Toughness

Well, you have your first SMART goal!

Specific: To be proficient at delivering the doosra.
Measurable: Base = 1/8 deliveries on target, improve to 7/8 deliveries on target.
Agreed: It's your goal so you obviously agree to it.
Realistic: It's achieveable; you can do it.
Time Phased: For the beginning of next season.

Well done. Only work on one technical goal at a time so now think of a psychological goal you can work to.
 
Re: Mental Toughness

What about batting? ;)

Specific: I want my top hand to be more dominant when playing through the offside.

Measurable: Less deliveries dragged towards mid on when looking to play through offside.

Agreed: Yep

Realistic: Isn't anything too major!

Time Phased: Xmas?

Mentally, more than anything, I need to eradicate this fear of failure.

Plus, less tentative against spin, and more confident when up against batsmen looking to attack.
 
Re: Mental Toughness

kallis fan said:
What about batting? ;)

Specific: I want my top hand to be more dominant when playing through the offside.
Measurable: Less deliveries dragged towards mid on when looking to play through offside.
Agreed: Yep
Realistic: Isn't anything too major!
Time Phased: Xmas?
Click to expand...
This is really a technical goal :)

kallis fan said:
Mentally, more than anything, I need to eradicate this fear of failure.
Click to expand...
You need to concentrate on this. What do you think you can do?
 
Re: Mental Toughness

Liz Ward said:
This is really a technical goal :)
You need to concentrate on this. What do you think you can do?
Click to expand...

I know. I thought that one technical for bowling, and one for batting was what you meant. With regards the second question, I'm not entirely sure.
 
Re: Mental Toughness

The goal is good and well thought out, however, I would suggest waiting until after Christmas to work on it.

Keep working on the doosra, this is going to need a lot of effort from your central nervous system (CNS). Once the CNS has settled, you can concentrate on the batting, whilst perfecting the doosra.

Think about the psychological goal, keep throwing ideas at me, you'll get there. ;)
 
Re: Mental Toughness

Well I've been told.......by the now ex-pro, that the way to get mentally tough is to run......it is obviously good for fitness.....but he says when your body wants to give up but your mind won't let you.....that is when you become mentally tough.

Good advice, or not so, in your opinion?
 
Re: Mental Toughness

This is either really deep and extremely clever or..... !

Give me a few days to discipher the message [if there is one], I'll get back to you ;)
 
Re: Mental Toughness

Not one to butt in but I will anyway, I think that the coach is saying that if you are able to force yourself to continue running, even though you may have 'hit the wall' then you've learnt to carry on regardless.

I suppose that in fitness terms the 'wall' is a tough thing to beat, once you managed it a lot of other things seem easier?
 
Re: Mental Toughness

I see! Deep Man... deep! :laugh:

Not a good thing to push through the wall; it's there for a reason!


Quite the opposite; mentally tough is when you give up because you know it is what you must do, even though everything inside you, and everybody around you, tells you that you should go on!

Or put another way:

It's when you can stand there and look the tiger in the eye, exuding enough confidence to make him back away, even though you are dying of fright inside and everybody around you is waiting for you to be cat food.

That was a metaphor by the way, please don't try this at home! :D
 
Re: Mental Toughness

I guess its the opposite way of looking at the same thing.

I took the pushing on through the pain barrier option, as I picture KF's coach to be some old skool macho man (just the mental image I get, no idea why).

Out of the two I prefer Liz's idea that it's sometimes harder to know when to say enough is enough and have the mental fortitude to 'give up' and not push yourself further into the mire, although everyone else around you is telling to carry on.

I bet that makes no sense at all, far too late to be typing this kind of thing!
 
Re: Mental Toughness

Almost_Austwick said:
I took the pushing on through the pain barrier option, as I picture KF's coach to be some old skool macho man (just the mental image I get, no idea why).
Click to expand...

:laugh:

No, AA. He's about a 25 year old domestic Indian cricketer, who informs me I've had it 'too easy', and that I have a poor attitude compared with younger players in India.

Liz,

I'm still stuck as to what to do to improve mentally.
 
Re: Mental Toughness

But I wager his coach was old skool!

I think you have had it easy; it's not your fault, it's your talent. As I said, you are not as hungry as most because what you have achieved is with little sacrifice. I know you practice a lot but it appears to be with little aim.

Your attitude is not poor, you are just unaware of how hard it is for others who want it so much but are just not good enough. I know this is not what your pro means; I suspect he thinks you have had it all given to you on a silver platter; there's a slight but important difference. I also suspect that he is frustrated with you for wasting such talent that others would give their non bowling arm for!

Nobody says you have to be fearless; courage is by no means the absence of fear. How you overcome the fear is mental toughness.

Fearless is something else and it borders on insanity :D the sort of thing goalkeepers and drummers have; absolutely bonkers... and dangerous!

When you go out there, what do you most fear?
Think about strategies you can use to overcome this fear?

Keep talking to me.


BTW Tom, sleep should be one of the most important tools in your toolbox! :D However, the state between awake and sleep is the best time to talk this sort of thing. When you let your strongest thoughts, and preconceptions, float to the back of your mind it becomes obvious what you must do.
 
Re: Mental Toughness

I hate the thought of doing something where there is a possibility of failing. I seem to channel my thoughts into the possibility of failing.

My strategy to overcome this, is to improve my bowling to bring that aspect of my game upto or near the standard of my batting, in the hope that it will release some of this pressure I put on myself and anxiety I feel with regards my batting. Not really finding the root of the problem, admittedly. Perhaps I should just try to enjoy the game, without taking it all too seriously and see what happens?
 
Re: Mental Toughness

You're getting there! Failure is not that important and as I say, it is true that if you do not try, you will not fail but you will not succeed either!

You must learn to channel your thoughts towards succeeding not failing. You must go out there to enjoy yourself. If you do not succeed, so be it. If you do... Wow!

The way I see it, failing is not trying.

You have so much to give.
 
Re: Mental Toughness

Yes but is there anything specific that I can do?

Or will it be just trying to change the thought patterns of the mind?
 
Re: Mental Toughness

Liz Ward said:
Is there anything you think you can do?
Click to expand...

The thing is, I like what my err coach/pro said. It was a direct instruction as to what to do (the running thing). As you can probably gather, I'm not the best when it comes to thinking for myself when it comes to psychology!!!! I think a lot of this lack of confidence comes from 'insecurities' with technique. So I guess my response to this is to try and achieve a flawless technique. Of course not possible.....but....
 
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