Skatergirl is having trouble with her triple flip. For some reason, she’s unable to rotate it fully.
No, the reason is clear. She’s tired, and as a result her body isn’t functioning like she wants it to.
She wasn’t like this last week. In fact, last week her triple flip was great. But today, for some reason, she just can’t muster the energy to rotate.
“Just go for it,” Skatercoach says. “Give it a little more oomph.”
Skatergirl nods and goes around for another rep. She musters up all of her remaining energy and throws herself into the jump.
Unfortunately, things don’t end up going as planned. Instead of landing on her feet, Skatergirl slams down onto the ice.
“Are you okay?” Skatercoach asks.
“Yeah,” Skatergirl says, wincing.
“Let’s give it a rest for today,” Skatercoach says. “We’ll try some more tomorrow.”
What do you do when you’re dragging?
It happened out of nowhere. One day everything was going great, the next day it wasn’t.
You’re fatigued. You’re dragging. No matter what you do, you can’t execute your skills.
Many athletes react to this situation by zeroing in on the flaws in their technique. They believe if they make their technique perfect, they’ll be able to execute their skills again.
In reality, most of the time their problems aren’t related to technique. In fact, the flaws in their technique may be a symptom of the problem, so trying to fix them may be counterproductive.
So, what’s the solution?
The solution is to identify the root cause of the problem. This can be done by identifying the causes of the fatigue.
- Midterms
- Finals
- Interviews
- Exams
- Field Trips
- Vacations
- Family Gatherings
- Work
- Family Emergencies
These are all causes of fatigue. Big or small, the important thing is to identify why you are dragging, so you can go about fixing it.
Fixing your fatigue
Once you have identified the root cause of your fatigue, you can take steps to fix it.
In most cases, taking a break to rest and recover will solve the problem. The break doesn’t have to be long. Even taking a short nap, or going outside for a walk can help.
The important thing is that you treat the fatigue, not the symptoms. This will allow you to recover fully instead of making the problem worse.
Rest and recovery is an essential part of training. Not only does it help you avoid burnout, but it also helps ensure your longevity in the sport.
This problem solving method can be applied to any problem, not just fatigue. Whenever you start having problems with skills you’ve already mastered, be curious. Instead of defaulting to “I need to fix my technique.” First, consider both the physical and mental issues at the root of the problem.
You’ll save yourself a lot of wasted training time.
Did you know? Mental skills are trained exactly like technical skills (jumps, spins, and lifts). In fact, athletes can learn and practice their mental skills every time they step onto the ice.
Ready to get started? Download your free “Confidence Myth Busters,” eBook and make a change.