Sporting legend on the mark

Greg Chappell said during a radio interview (I paraphrase):

In recent times in Australian cricket we’ve over-coached and interfered…

The Aussie team haven’t been performing that well, losing matches they should be winning and generally under performing.

When it comes to team sports, there has been a definite shift for administrators/coaches to overstep the mark. They like to feel justified, so they make all sorts of strange decisions, believing that the contest can be won in the boardroom. It can’t. Many decisions are made by frustrated athletes (or ex-athletes) who forget that performance is best left up to the athletes on the day.

Not sure why administrators can’t pick the “best” team and let them fight it out. The players know who the “best” are and any other selection creates disharmony. The Australian Cricket Team needs less thinking and more playing – in this case, seems there seems to be too many having a say (scientists, coaches, selectors, doctors etc) and it’s not surprising that their performance is inconsistent. It absolutely amazes me that apparently smart people can’t let super talented individuals (the players) do what they’ve trained their entire lives to do.

What can golfers learn from this?

Your conscious mind is a bit like an administrator. Sure, you need this analytical side of your brain sometimes, but when it actually comes to pulling the trigger and hitting the ball, you need to be clear in your thought pattern and uncluttered with your intention. Almost always, over-thinking leads to ugly things happening;

– tightness
– self-doubt
– confusion
– lack of power
– increased nervousness

Over-thinking bypasses your natural learning system and stops it from doing what it does best – hitting that ball into the hole. Deep analysis can seem like a logical decision, but when it comes to executing a motor skill it just gets in the way. You can fight the system and always be miserable, or let go and play the game. The choice is yours.