The Sports
Psychology Blog
Today's Sports Psychology blog focuses on the exit of Lleyton Hewitt from Wimbledon. And it examines the classic dilemma sports psychology dilemma, of 'how to think'.
Tennis: Lleyton Hewitt - Why Think?
It's Wimbledon Mens Fourth Round and Lleyton Hewitt is slugging it out with Novak Djokovic. Hewitt has a perfect opportunity to take the game into a fifth set. Surprisingly he fails to hold his serve at 5-4. Djokovic has momentum and takes the match. Hewitt has blown it.
In the commentary box, Greg Rusedski remarks that the younger Hewitt wouldn't have missed this chance. He'd have nailed it. He puts Hewitt's hesitation down to age. He remarks that the older you get, the more you think. The more you think, the more you stop playing with your instinct.
Rusedski is right. But it's not thinking that is the problem. It's the quality of thoughts your having. It's thoughts connected with fear; thoughts connected with anxiety; thoughts connected with doubt, that cause the problem. It's a classic dilemma in the psychology of sport.
Right now would be the perfect time for Lleyton Hewitt to work with a sports psychologist. To analyse the roots of his thinking. What are the subtle fears; the subtle anxities; the subtle doubts that are nagging away?
What Greg Rusedski might have said, was that the older you get, the less your chances of lifting another Wimbledon crown. As your chances recede, you try harder to keep up with the Federers, Nadals, Djokovics and so on. As you try harder, you get more anxious. As you get more anxious, you miss more easy points. As you miss more points, the cycle of doubt rolls on. Decisiveness turns to uncertainty.
The Sports Psychology Summary...
For Lleyton to breakthrough again and repeat his first Wimbledon title, he will have to let go. Let go of the fear of never repeating his past triumph. Play for the sheer joy of it. Play because he loves to scare the hell out of the young pretenders.
Only then will he play without concern for thought.
