Centering

It is essential to have you mind fully focussed on the task in hand in order to perform the act with precision. For this reason you need to eradicate all other thoughts before engaging in the action.

Fact: You can’t change the past, the future is too unpredictable to control. Thinking about either can cause anxiety and stress.

Centering is a technique to help you ‘stay in the present’ and discard negative or distracting thoughts.

Focusing your thoughts on the ‘now’ by occupying your conscious mind with a normally subconscious activity leaves little room for negative thinking.

Focusing on your breathing is a very simple way to clear your mind of distracting thoughts. Breathe a slow steady stream of air in through your nose and out through your mouth. Feel the air enter your lungs and settle into the center of your body.

You might combine this process with an affirmation, uniting focus with positive thoughts prior to your forthcoming action.

High levels of concentration are almost impossible to maintain throughout a game. Distractions and delays can be plentiful. Centering is a useful technique, permitting you to relax between shots then re-focus your attention - either as part of, or prior to, your pre-shot routine.

Once you learn this skill, you will notice a definite change in the thinking patterns you use in competitions. You will spend less time thinking about problems and more time focusing on solutions.

Centering is something that will benefit you in competition. It is something you should practice until it becomes an automatic reflex.

Tips:

In conjunction with the centering technique, you might try asking “what do I need to know?” This simple question draws your attention to the present and all the relevant factors that might affect your forthcoming action. It’s an obvious question designed to direct and sharpen your pre-shot thinking.

Closing your eyes removes all visual distraction and can assist when centering.

You might train you brain to respond to the word “center”. This simple command will initiate the centering procedure.

Centering may be performed any time you have a pause in the action or you become distracted or stressed. Simply take your breath and repeat your key word/s to refocus on your goals. When centering becomes automatic, you will be almost "machine-like" in your response to competition situations.