The Power of Process Goals
Having a simple focus in a particular situation can be incredibly powerful for any athlete. I've just gained a personal reinforcement of this approach; having lost a singles match quite heavily a couple of weeks ago, my reflection and annoyance was been that I didnt apply what I had been working on with my coach. In particular I didnt rotate and turn enough to deliver enough power, I was more focused on the possible result (Outcome goal), and never really pushed away the fact that he had beaten me convincingly in a previous competition. So playing my first match since that defeat, I set myself a simple goal - that whatever the score, I was going to make sure I prepared for each shot with a strong early turn away from the ball - on both forehand and backhand side.
The upside of this approach is that it coils the major muscle groups, which when loaded with potential energy, uncoil with far more effortless power which can be delivered with great accuracy. It sounds simple but the big challenge is to stay loose and mindful enough to execute this. This technical goal is true for many sports - in rowing and in flatwater canoeing the legs, in different ways, are key drivers of power. The major upside of using process goals is that we are completely in control of them - which can be great for effectiveness and reducing stress.
My reflection on this match, was that my process goal was instrumental in producing the best performance in a few months, and doing so helped me stay within the envelope that I mentioned in last week's blog - I was loose and calm enough, but also aggressive enough to mean that on the big points especially, I was in control. The tricky points were when I was approaching victory, and could feel myself tensing mentally and physically. At that point I changed my process goal to 'stay aggressive', which helped me grab the last few points off him, rather than waiting and hoping he would give them to me. The key with process goals is experimenting on what works and what needs to be discarded - its also vital to keep them simple - any more than one at a time in any situation and we run the risk of mental overload. Oh yes - I won.
