How to keep a smooth pace in competition?

In this article, you will learn the importance of keeping a smooth pace in competition.

The word "rush" comes from the Latin word "praecipito," which literally means "to fall head in front," implying falling into the void.

When you rush, you react impulsively and don't think, imposing a sense of urgency.

How to keep a smooth pace in competition?

Those who rush are not in the right moment. By forcing the course of things, you add unnecessary agitation, and your feverishness points to a disruption of action and thought.

People who rush have no control over themselves or their environment. They just want to get rid of what they have to do.

However, even in sports, we always say that you have to "hurry slowly."

For example, a fast swimmer is someone who moves quickly while staying relaxed. They are calm, serene, and lucid in their head. In contrast, a person who rushes is no longer calm and lets their emotions take control.

Haste is linked to emotions that lead us to immediate action, whether it's fear or anger. These emotions create unpleasant tension that we want to get rid of by taking compensatory action, which often aggravates the situation.

Resist the temptation to rush.

Precipitation is the opposite of strategy, anticipation, patience, and reflection.

Keeping a smooth pace in competition is crucial for performance.

It's challenging to see anything positive in rushing. When we rush, we jostle and forget things, leading to chaos. People who rush put too much energy and excitement into their actions and less thought. Rushing is a sign of nervousness, anxiety, loss of control, and, therefore, also madness. The only advantage we can see in rushing is that it provides lightning speed for actions that don't require precision or repetition.

However, in competitive sports, like tennis, the player who rushes to strike the ball needs to make sure they're in the right place and at the right time. They cannot be in a rush but in control and with precision. Rushing is a form of blindness, where automatic action excludes all thought.

We cannot think in haste, we can only react.

Learn more about how to keep your composure: https://www.maximumcomposure.com

Rushing is close to panic, which is a total loss of control in a dangerous situation.

Performance athletes do not rush. They keep a smooth pace, no matter the competition. Their gestures are precise, rapid, but not forced. They get into the situation without tending obsessively towards a goal. It's about being completely one with the environment. The athlete is always on the lookout to seize the slightest opportunity to perform their task. We can think here of an archer who strikes their bow with a powerful and rapid gesture but remains calm and motionless. Any agitation would make them tremble and miss their target. They are both tense and relaxed. The arrow seems to start from itself, and it doesn't put any will to let go of the rope. It's as if the bow fired all alone. This state of mind of the archer knight is well described in the novel "Zen in the Art of Archery."

In the same way, during a competition, if you rush without thinking, you risk going off on the wrong track. You will get entangled in the game rather than taking the time to play it entirely.

Rushing in competition

In a match, when you lose a point and have to return the badminton shuttlecock to the opponent, pick it up and keep it until you are ready for the next point. Many players rush to return the birdie and sometimes fail to pick it up, carelessly pushing it back into the opponent's field. Instinctively, the opponent in a dominant position will tend to start a new exchange quickly, eager to demonstrate their superiority again. If you accept the dominant position, you may agree to start a new exchange even when you are not completely ready.

Remember that as long as you have the birdie in hand, the exchange cannot start. YOU dictate the rhythm of the game or at least make sure that the rhythm of the game takes place at a pace that suits you. Keep a smooth pace.

How many points have been lost due to a fast birdie return? A new exchange started without you being emotionally, strategically, and physically ready. Instead of rushing, focus for a few moments on your breathing. Deliberately slow it down and look at something beautiful in your environment. Then get back to the game without haste. "You have the right to take your time" is the key permission. This does not prevent you from appreciating your ability to perform certain tasks with speed and efficiency, but rushing and the constant pressure to accelerate more and more are not good.

To learn more read : https://mentalaccelerator.com/resource/keeping-your-cool/what-to-do-when-you-lose-your-composure