[ad_1]
In the eleven-point table tennis game, it is essential to remain fully concentrated throughout the entire game. One slip of focus can turn a comfortable 8 – 2 lead into a 9 – 9 battle to the finish. Most players have experienced losing a good lead only to end up losing the match they should have won because they let their concentration slip due to overconfidence. If you find this happening to you, know that this is a relatively common problem that can be aided with a very simple psychological technique.
Generally, when you are winning, you become more carefree, and you start to ease up on your concentration. On the other hand, when you are losing or the score is tied, you bear down and focus as hard as possible to regain the lead so you can win the match. It is the easy-going, overconfident attitude of the first scenario that generally costs you your lead, and the determined, focused attitude of the second that enables you to gain the lead. Almost all leads that are blown are because of some sort of psychological breakdown.
Over the years, I have thought about how to overcome this problem, and I finally came across something that works for me and might work for you. When you are leading in a particular game, let’s say 7-3, reverse the score in your mind so that you think you are down 3-7. This will force you into a mode of determination to catch up to your opponent. This new wave of determination will greatly enhance your chances of closing out the game.
You will not blow any points out of sheer laziness because in your mind, you are still behind and cannot afford to blow any easy points. This concept of reversing the score will eliminate the games that were lost because of a lack of concentration. Of course it will not work every time, because sometimes your opponent will just out-plays you when he or she is a few points behind, but it will certainly make your opponent’s task of overtaking you much more difficult.
Try this method out in some practice matches and see how it works for you before going into a competition. The key concept is, when reversing the score, the goal is to be so focused on catching up to your opponent that you do not even know that you have already won the game because you were ahead in the first place! Good luck table tennis players!
[ad_2]
Source by E. Owens