We tend to easily assume that if an athlete misses a crucial shot, then it must be because he/she is a choker. We have witnessed more than our fair share of top athletes missing key plays only to be immediately labeled by the media as choking under pressure. But in reality, we may miss a bigger picture. According to Daniel Gould, a very experienced sport psychologist, choking is a process.
The pressure of competition builds up during the match and when the game is on the line, the high level of nervousness leads to an increase in breathing, palm sweating and subsequent muscle tightening. It was also found that increase in nervousness reduces the “quiet eye” period.
Quiet eye is the time used to look at the intended target. When we are increasingly nervous, we use less time paying attention to where the want to basketball, golf ball, or tennis ball to hit. Being more aware of how long we pay attention to our target may lead to a decrease in nervousness. The eye will focus more closely to what we need to pay attention to rather than to distracting objects.
If you sense some nervousness,
1. Be more aware of your eye movement; if it is going from object to object too quickly, just slow down and breathe with ease;
2. Keep up with your routine regardless of whether you are hitting a shot to win or lose. It will help you to remain focus on the task at hand.