Ultimate Sporting Performance

A lot of people talk about sport being all about technique, it's how you hit the ball, how you throw the ball and so on. But if it was really about this, then why are so many people who know how to do it, getting such average results?

Well the reason is not really complicated, it comes back to the most simple things.

It comes down to the grey stuff between you ears, and the good news is that you actually have to use it less, to get better sporting results.

Our minds can process 5-9 chunks of information at one time, that's what our consicous mind can handle. But the real technique, the real reason you can now drive the car, talk on the moblie, observe the weather and listen to music is that as soon as we have learnt something, and really learnt it, it becomes intuitive.

What's really cool is that we have a type of memory for muscle movement that never forgets, thats why once you learn how to ride a bike, you may not ride one for 10 years, then get back onto it and ride it like you were just riding it the previous day.

When we start any sport, we are trying to take in much more information than we can handle, we simply get overloaded. But as we learn more movements, we can use them intuitively and don't have to think about it. That's why good sports players play good, because they have learnt it, and just play from their intuition.

So what is really the key to ultimate sporting performance? Well when you get to a stage where you have learnt the technique, this is when it is time to practice using our intuition. The key is to be able to know how to get the technique on command. When you get up to hit that golf ball, or throw that basketball, you can get yourself into that feelnig.

How does one strenghthen their intuitive muscles? Simply, use it. When you are playing that sport, just practice getting that feeling on command. At any time practice getting that feeling. Even try putting yourself under pressure and getting that feeling, that is a really awesome challenge.

So now that you know this, put it into action. My philosphy on learning is that if you don't use it, if that information isn't used to make a difference in some aspect of your life, it was information not used effectively.

The simple lessons are often the most profound.

Nick Hansen
Performance Coach