It’s the first round of the World Darts Championships at Alexandra Palace. Five-times champion Raymond Van Barneveld is a hot favourite to beat James Richardson. Richardson is competing in the Worlds for the first time. He is given no chance. But those discounting the brick-layer, have overlooked his form and emergence in the PDC. The professionals recognise his ability and threat. Barney on the other hand, is a star on the wane. He’s been there and done it. And doesn’t seem to have the desire to get himself up to do it again. His meek surrender to Wes Newton in […]
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Sports Psychology: Leeds United – The Power Of A Cause
In a fitting tribute to the memory of Gary Speed, Leeds United put Nottingham Forest to the sword in a compelling away display at the City Ground. If they can maintain this level of form, then Simon Grayson’s team have every chance of finally returning to the Premiership. For what Leeds United have to fuel their promotion push is a cause. A cause is a powerful force that unites a team or group. It binds them together. The glue that creates unity. In this case the cause is Gary Speed. The former Leeds United’s player’s death can be a unifying […]
Read More...Sports Psychology: Martin Johnson – The Best Ex-Player!
So Martin Johnson quits as England rugby coach. With a full review of England’s World Cup under-performance due, Johnson walked before he was inevitably pushed. But how did it come to this? How is it, that the only Englishman to lift the World Cup, should leave the international scene with his head bowed? It’s likely that his players will come out with the usual platitudes. That they let him down and how bad they feel. But it should never have come to this. Johnson gave his squad licence to act like men. He trusted them to behave, presuming that they […]
Read More...Sports Psychology: England – Distractions!
It’s quarter-finals week of the rugby World Cup. And England coach Martin Johnson is having to face down press questions about the off-field behaviour of some of his players. After Tindall’s late-night bar jaunt, we have Haskell, Ashton and Hartley in the dock for inappropriate comments to a female member of the hotel staff. It suggests that mentally, England are not completely tuned-in to the task of winning a World Cup. That they have not yet built the bubble of focus, that automatically directs behaviour. When a team has created a bubble of focus, players off the field behaviour rarely […]
Read More...Sports Psychology: Adrian Lewis – Concentration!
It’s the first round of the World Grand Prix at Dublin. And World Champion Adrian Lewis is cruising. Five legs in a row against John Part. Lewis is looking the real deal. Then with the match beckoning, Lewis switches off. He lets Part back in and suddenly instead of closing out the match, Lewis is struggling. One all becomes two-one, as Part takes the game in an unexpected about-turn. From cruising to victory, Lewis is heading home. He’s fallen into the trap of assuming victory. It looks as if Lewis hasn’t thought through some varied match strategies in advance. He’s […]
Read More...Sports Psychology: Dave Chisnall – Underperformance!
It’s the first round of the World Matchplay at The Winter Gardens, Blackpool. And Dave Chisnall has finally found some form. Unfortunately, he is 9-1 down against Watford’s Mark Walsh. Chisnall picks off a couple of legs to keep Walsh on his toes, but it’s come too late to turn back the tide. Chisnall is out. After his semi-final performance in the UK Open at Bolton, many judges expected Chisnall to at least match his performance at The Reebok. After all The Reebok was Chisnall’s first TV event since he joined the PDC. He appeared fearless and unperturbed by pressure. […]
Read More...Sports Psychology: Mark Walsh – Motivation!
Mark Walsh has just destroyed Dave Chisnall in the first round of the World Matchplay. Normally, the winning player is taken up to the Sky studio, for a post-match chat with Dave Clarke. Unsurprisingly, we don’t get to hear Walsh’s post-match analysis. In face we rarely do. When he beat Alan Tabern in the second round of last years World Championships, the man from Watford was interviewed somewhere on the floor by Dave Clarke. And Walsh let Clarke know directly what he thought of Sky’s evasive interview policy. ‘We love you really’ was the sycophantic Clarke’s feeble response. But Walsh […]
Read More...Sports Psychology: Dave Chisnall – Underperformance!
It’s the first round of the World Matchplay at The Winter Gardens, Blackpool. And Dave Chisnall has finally found some form. Unfortunately, he is 9-1 down against Watford’s Mark Walsh. Chisnall picks off a couple of legs to keep Walsh on his toes, but it’s come too late to turn back the tide. Chisnall is out. After his semi-final performance in the UK Open at Bolton, many judges expected Chisnall to at least match his performance at The Reebok. After all The Reebok was Chisnall’s first TV event since he joined the PDC. He appeared fearless and unperturbed by pressure. […]
Read More...Golf Psychology: Darren Clarke – Unconscious Putting
So Darren Clarke, supported by two sports psychologists, Bob Rotella and Mike Finnigan, is 2011 Open Champion. Mike Finnigan was working with the Ulsterman on his attitude and motivation. Rotella on the critical details of golf performance. More specifically, Rotella was helping Clarke on his putting. Or Unconscious Putting as the golf psychologist described it. As Darren putted beautifully under pressure on Day Four, the strategy was very successful. But what is Unconscious Putting? And more importantly, how do you do it? Well the key to Unconscious Putting, is having a clear picture of the image or outcome that you […]
Read More...Sports Psychology: Kevin Painter – Luck!
It’s the first round of the World Matchplay at The Winter Gardens, Blackpool. And World Champion Adrian Lewis is under-performing. Kevin Painter has three darts at double-top to defeat the man from Stoke. But he misses. In a titanic struggle Lewis eventually finds his form and rhythm, and eventually overcomes Painter 12-10 to progress to Round Two. In his post-match interview with Sky Sports Rob Stubbs, Painter bemoans his fate, repeating that he doesn’t seem to get the ‘luck’ that other players get. He is implying that he is ‘unlucky’. This is not the mindset of a winner and champion. […]
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