This is a common problem in Australia, with an unfortunate attitude we call the 'tall poppy syndrome'. This means that if someone has reached an extremely high level in their chosen profession or sport, but is considered to talk with too much confidence or 'cockiness', then it's often considered 'time to bring them down off their pedestal!' - and they often attract a lot of negative criticism. This can sometimes unsettle even the very best of swimmers, and all great champions have had to overcome this along their journey to success.

So it's important to know how much confidence to show when talking to others - as it may also determine how much criticism you draw to yourself. This is a completely different topic from 'body language' which we've discussed in the past, as I believe every swimmer's body language should ALWAYS be strong, powerful and positive - as it's an unconscious way of striking fear into your competitors, whilst boosting your own confidence. However, today we are simply discussing how much confidence you should display when 'talking' to others.

Remember, of course, that ALL success in the pool will always draw some criticism from jealous competitors - and you must be forever prepared for this, especially as you become more and more successful. It's simply a matter of knowing how much criticism you are willing to attract - and this can also depend on what type of personality you are.

For instance, there are some swimmers out there who simply perform better by acting and speaking in an overly confident manner - even if brings scathing criticism from others! This is because it's simply their personality to be this way. These swimmers tend to perform better under the spotlight of attention (even if some of the attention is negative), and are generally able to overcome the negativity of  others to bring out their best. This attitude works especially well in swimmers who possess great reputations, as their overpowering confidence can be very intimidating to swim against. Of course, even these swimmers occasionally reduce the amount of 'power talk' they use, if they feel that they are attracting a little more negativity than they can handle. And needless to say, this overly-confident attitude
generally doesn't work very well at all for lesser swimmers.

However, I find however that the vast majority of swimmers generally prefer NOT to show their inner thoughts too much, but much prefer to let their swimming do their talking for them. Generally I think this is the best way to go, as it draws far less unsettling criticism from others - plus it's still quite possible to be as 'inwardly' confident as a Thorpe or a Krayzelburg, but outwardly display a relatively 'modest but highly-positive' attitude. This way you demonstrate your supreme confidence in the pool, but still retain the support of most other swimmers - and this helps to keep negative criticism down to the barest minimum. This way allows you to still 'know' deep-down how brilliant and fabulous you are - but simply lets everyone else find this out for themselves!

The final decision is yours however, as you are the only one who knows yourself well enough to decide on things such as this. Never forget that the most important thing of all, of course, is that you DO believe in yourself - and this is the most powerful weapon you will ever take into the pool with you.

The Mind controls the body, and the mind is unlimited.
The best of success, Craig Townsend

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