Top Motocross Psychology
Tips
for Entering the Zone
On
the start line, you were so confident that day, you elieved no
one could race with you. On the track, racing felt effortless
and smooth. You were in the flow on every jump, bump, and turn.
Your rhythm was perfect in the whoops. Every section of the track
was executed just as you saw in your mind. Your mind was so immersed
into racing each section--one at a time--that you were oblivious
to other racers. Today you were not checking to see who was behind
you. Your motorcycle responded with ease to every thought—it felt
like an extension of you. The feeling of being in complete control
of yourself and your emotions was awesome. It was so fun to race
the track just as you have envisioned in your mind. Only after
the moto did you realize that you raced the moto of your life
and found an elusive state of peak performance called “the zone".
Nothing
is more exciting for athletes than performing in the zone. The
zone is a peak performance state in which the mental, physical,
and strategic parts of racing come together at once. When racing
in the zone and going fast with ease, motocross is fun, immensely
satisfying, and feels second nature. To get into a zone state,
you must be focused on the task, very self-confident, race with
trust and composure, and be decisive with your race plan. In this
article, I will discuss the mindset of racers when in the peak
performance zone.
“You
can have a good bike and have all the talent in the world,
but if you don't believe in yourself and know that you can win,
you will have a hard time at the races.” -- Ricky Carmichael
Confidence
is the first mental tool to entering the zone. You cannot race
your best without a high level of self-confidence. You know the
confident type—the James Stewarts of the Motocross world who have
a total conviction and belief in their ability. Most racer’s confidence
comes from success and winning, but how will you get onto the
podium if you do not first believe you can win? Too many racers
doubt their ability to race up front right at the wrong time.
I teach racers to take responsibility for their confidence by
fueling their confidence and teaching them how to battle those
malicious doubts that pop into a racer’s mind at the wrong time.
“I
try to visualize the entire race beforehand. As the actual races
gets closer at hand, I start to focus more specifically on the
start.” --Rick Johnson
The second mental tool to getting into the zone
is your ability focus the mind in the present moment, the so-called
here and now. Most racers can concentrate, but may not focus on
the right areas. Racing the track one section at a time and not
getting ahead of yourself is the foundation of a zone focus. You
can’t make yourself get in the zone, but you can train your mind
to focus on the right areas so you are dialed in when the gate
drops. In addition, coping with distractions are part of racing.
The racer who learns how to ignore the distractions and focus
on the task will beat most racers who get distracted.
The third mental tool to entering the zone is
a racer’s ability to get into a “flow” on race day. Ricky Carmichael
has a great work ethic and trains hard, but to win he must be
able to rely on his training and get into a rhythm on race day.
Some racers ruin their rhythm by trying too hard or forcing it
on race day. The ability to perform effortlessly and trust your
instincts is the foundation for getting into a zone state. My
motocross students call this feeling as being “in the flow,” “in
a rhythm,” “just reacting,” or “automatic.” You must be able to
trust your practice and ability on race day do you can “just do
it” and react to the track.
“Don’t
try to blast your way around the track. Find a nice pace and stay
with it. Relax. When you are nervous, your arms tend to pump up.”
–Jeremy McGrath
In pressure situations or in national events,
the tendency is to tighten up, try too hard, and not trust you
ability. Focusing too much on clutch release or body position
for example upsets the natural rhythm and flow of riding because
you are consciously forcing it and not letting it happen. This
bogs down timing and throws off your natural rhythm. The purpose
of practice is to make it feel reflexive when you perform on the
track. When you race, let your instincts, built on a ton of practice,
take over.
The
fourth mental tool is composure. When performing in the zone,
racers feel very much in control of themselves and thus their
performance. Sports require a balanced emotional level. The key
is to be excited to race but not over excited, intense but not
too intense, ready to race, but not overanxious to race, and feel
challenged but not anxious. Feeling pumped and excited can help
you race better, but fear and anxiety ruin your mindset. I help
my students find the balance between feeling excited and being
over excited.
“Only
race because you love it. Race because you can express yourself.
Race because it's the most fun thing you can do!” --Rick
Johnson
Lastly,
you have to have fun with your racing to get into the zone. How
could racing not be fun you ask? One way is if you put too much
pressure on yourself to win or get on the podium. Another way
is if you feel expectations from others such as your parents or
manufacturers to win. These can cause fear, trying too hard, doubt,
and tension, all mental breakdowns that will prevent you from
entering the zone. Approach each moto like a fun game because
you love the feeling of hitting that jump just right or hauling
around a corner and you will be more likely to find your flow
on race day.
About
the Author:
Dr.
Patrick J. Cohn is sports psychology expert and world-renowned
mental game coach who works with athletes in all sports including
national level Motocross racers, NASCAR drivers, and CART teams.
For more information on his mental game coaching programs and
developing a championship mindset, visit http://www.peaksports.com/
or call 888-742-7225.
Article
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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