058: Why Some Competitive Athletes Start Slow –⁠ A good start can lead to a great finish

Why Some Competitive Athletes Start Slow –⁠ A good start can lead to a great finish In this episode we look at why some competitive athletes adopt the strategy of starting slowly, in hope of building into their performance, and why that actually works AGAINST you more often than work FOR you. Many athletes do not start their competition performances the way they would have imagined when training, choosing instead in the emotion of the moment to take it tentatively, slowly and defensively. This reactive strategy can often be in an effort to minimise the risks and manage the possible fallout of what could go wrong instead of what should go right. When you trained your performance in preparation to compete you, trained to perform at your best, to push your boundaries and be that star. However when the day arrives you can often perform differently and it is this change in strategy that can mentally devalue all the preparation and render your competition an unfortunate fait accompli. Competition anxiety and fear of what 'may' go wrong can dominate an athlete's thoughts and subsequently their outcomes –⁠ if allowed to. In episode #58 we take a look at why athletes and coaches choose safe over trained and how that can negatively affect the long-term performance habits of a potential champion. So let's dig in and understand why you choose the performance you do. Resources mentioned in this episode: The Performance Phases The 7-2 Funnel The 5 Different Types of Visualisation

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