The American Psychological Association recently published an article called "Simple Routine Could Help Athletes Avoid Choking Under Pressure"
Even better?
The study included Badminton players!
The study was done in Germany, and participants included soccer players, judo experts and BADMINTON PLAYERS! So proud!
According to the article, "Right-handed athletes who squeezed a ball in their left hand before competing were less likely to choke under pressure than right-handed players who squeezed a ball in their right hand."
TL;DR? (Too Long; Didn't Read)?
I cut out the badminton portion for you here:
"The final experiment featured 18 experienced badminton players (12 men and six women) who completed a series of practice serves. Then, they were divided into teams and competed against each other while being videotaped for evaluation by their coaches. Athletes who squeezed a ball in their left hand didn’t choke under pressure, unlike the control group players who squeezed a ball in their right hand. A final phase of the experiment had the athletes just clench their left or right hand without a ball before competition, and players who clenched their left hand performed better than players who squeezed their right hand."
Next time you're on the court, remember this tip and see if you play well! Post a comment below if you felt a difference!
Read the rest of the article here: http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2012/09/choking-pressure.aspx
TL;DR? (Too Long; Didn't Read)?
I cut out the badminton portion for you here:
"The final experiment featured 18 experienced badminton players (12 men and six women) who completed a series of practice serves. Then, they were divided into teams and competed against each other while being videotaped for evaluation by their coaches. Athletes who squeezed a ball in their left hand didn’t choke under pressure, unlike the control group players who squeezed a ball in their right hand. A final phase of the experiment had the athletes just clench their left or right hand without a ball before competition, and players who clenched their left hand performed better than players who squeezed their right hand."
Next time you're on the court, remember this tip and see if you play well! Post a comment below if you felt a difference!
Read the rest of the article here: http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2012/09/choking-pressure.aspx
