Mind Training Tips for Swimmers
by Craig Townsend
| #50 - Use Mind Power In Your Training Every day you train at the pool determines the results you will receive in the future. This is because each day you are conditioning your mind and body to perform with a specific attitude or approach, which eventually becomes your automatic attitude in the meets. Sure, there are occasional freaks who train badly but bring out the goods when it counts, but for every one of these, there's another million who don't. So number one is to work at your attitude to training each and every day, which includes trying to develop a powerful attitude to training sets which you know will bring pain. The key is not to hesitate or think about the 'negative' side of training (not even for a split second) but to always focus on the 'grand payoff' - the 'prize' you get in the end for all your work. If you allow your mind to focus on the negatives (such as the pain, the cold etc) for even a second, you have allowed your mind to betray you. You must create a daily attitude within your mind that believes "This is great, and I'll do whatever it takes, and meet each challenge with fearlessness and courage". This 'conditions' your mind and body to relentlessly plough through difficulties and adversity until you ultimately reach your goal, instead of finding excuses to perform badly, which it loves to do! Focus 100% on the payoff from your training, not the negatives - that's number one. |
The Mind controls the body, and the mind is unlimited. |
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| Craig Townsend (Dip. Clin. Hyp.) is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Director of It's Mind over Matter in Sydney, Australia. He has worked with National and State level swimmers for over a decade, teaching them various methods of improvement through mental training, and creating a powerful program which has spawned impressive results in swimmers of all levels. His personal audio tape utilizes relaxation, hypnotic suggestion and visualization and has led the way in mental training for swimmers. For more information contact Craig Townsend at the website SwimPsychology.com |

