The Art of Concentration in Sport

Concentration, defined by the Oxford dictionary, is the action or power of focusing all one’s attention. Sports physiologists, athletes and coaches accept that concentration is paramount to sporting success, without it, peak performance is not achievable. This is true with regards to everyday life of course, as I write this article I’m in a constant battle with my concentration, my mind wanders causing my thought to slow. We hear constantly that young people’s attention spans are becoming shorter with social media often being blamed, however, concentration is complex, applying to all walks of life and in different ways.

My inspiration for this article comes from a cricket match I played last Sunday in which I opened the batting and batted for the entire innings, which consisted of 40 overs. I don’t know the exact amount of time I was out there, but it would have been close to the two hour mark. I’m incredibly proud of this feat simply because I maintained my concentration throughout my innings. It wasn’t the greatest batting performance, I scored slowly, particularly early on, and the ground was quite small making it easy to hit boundaries however, I had never batted for such a long period of time. I finished on 63 not out, not my best score but I rate it highly. My form coming into the game is what makes it so sweet, I hadn’t held a bat for three weeks and early on I found it impossible to time the ball. I was opening the batting in a team of only eight players against a decent side and as my highest score in the three games I’d played previous was a mere 11, I felt I needed to prove myself. It’s for these reasons that I forced myself to knuckle down and concentrate.

Cricket requires short bursts of intense concentration. When the bowler starts to run in, the batsmen’s sole focus should be on the ball. I, like many other cricketers including the great Australian captain and batsmen Ricky Ponting, tell myself to watch the ball when the bowler is running in. This may sound obvious but it does make you concentrate intensely on the ball, where it pitches, how fast it’s travelling and any lateral movement it may make, but perhaps more importantly it serves the purpose of taking all other thoughts out of your head, allowing you to concentrate on the ball. It’s this which is vital for me. I don’t want to be thinking that I’m going to hit the ball over the bowlers head when the ball is not there to do that, or worse, thinking that I’ll get out this ball, a thought that often creeps into my head. Dwelling on previous mistakes and negative thoughts like this are what physiologists call internal distractions. In sport, athletes are often in a battle with themselves, particularly when they’re low on confidence. External distractions such as weather conditions, a rowdy crowd or opposition mind games also create disruptive thoughts. Athletes blocking preemptive thoughts to allow themselves to rely on their instincts to deliver skills is vital. This mental toughness is often what can separate the greats in professional sport or in my case, make the most of my little potential.

Darts players must deal with rowdy crowds while maintaining concentration

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Often in sport there’s much to be aware of, movements of players, game situation, tactics and so on. Back to the batsmen focusing on the ball, as well as concentrating on the ball, he must take note of where the fielders are, or more pertinently, where the gaps are. Sport psychologists note two different types of concentration occurring in these circumstances. Concentration on the ball would be classed as narrow, triggering instinctive reactions. Focus on the wider game situation is referred to as broad. In cricket, this would involve the batsmen’s focus on the fielders. Employing both these types of concentration is a skill in itself, and requires extensive practice. The video below gives you an idea of what it’s like facing professional bowling.

 

 

Different sports demand differing levels of concentration on the broad compared to the narrow. A winger preparing to cross in a football match must concentrate on his control of the ball, while also concentrating on the position of the strikers in the penalty area, therefore a high awareness of the broad is required. In darts however, the broad would include a players score and their opponents score, however, because this is called by the referee, little mental capacity is required, allowing there to be a stronger focus on the narrow which would be the target they’re aiming for. Faster paced sports, particularly when played by an individual, can induce a tunnel vision effect in which the player gets into ‘the zone’. Tennis, squash and table tennis are examples of games played at such speed that there is no room for other thought, as soon as you play your shot you’re looking for immediate clues and triggers to where the ball will be played by your opponent, trusting your reactions. There’s no time to switch off. The same goes for sports which require intense concentration throughout, such as skiing, racing and bobsleigh.

Performance routines are used by athletes in order to aid concentration. They are idiosyncratic sequences in preparation for the next action. This perhaps is most notable in cricket. Jonathan Trott is a prime example, before facing his first ball he would re-strap his pads, adjust his gloves, check his leg stump guard again and again and then face up. In this case, superstition plays a part but nonetheless, the routine helps to focus the mind on the task. Pre-performance and post-performance routines are also common. A golfer practicing his shot, a batsmen rehearsing a straight drive or snooker play drawing his cue back a certain number of times are actions that, although possessing an element of practice, mainly aid concentration by creating a focused mindset.

Mental fatigue becomes a factor after intense concentration which is what I experienced after my innings when it was my team’s turn to field. I’m sure you’ve had the same feeling, uttering the words, “my head’s gone”. It’s different from tiredness, you’re not yawning but staring blankly into space, unable to take in any further information. This happened to me towards the end of the game. I had bowled seven overs and then placed in the firing line of a batsmen playing well. First I dropped a catch. It was struck hard and fast to my right but I managed to get two hands to it but couldn’t hold on. I was gutted, but I thought it was just a momentary lapse. A few overs later however, I knew I was mentally exhausted. I thought the ball was hit straight at me so I didn’t move, but as I got down into the long barrier position I noticed I had horribly misjudged the direction of the ball and it raced my past my right leg . It was embarrassing, especially when I had to chase it all the way and pick it up from beyond the boundary rope. But what it confirmed was that I had given everything, I had reached by limit, my brain couldn’t process information quickly anymore.

That match and my experiences in it epitomise why I love playing and watching sport. The demands placed on athletes are not just physical, but mental. One of my sporting heroes, Alastair Cook, is a great exponent of concentration. He knows he’s not the most flamboyant batsmen, not the most skilled, nor naturally talented, but what he does know is how to maintain his concentration. This has made him become England’s highest test match run scorer, the youngest player ever to reach 9000 test runs and a player who’s scored more test runs in the last 10 years than anyone else. His success is down to his sheer determination and concentration.

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As I come to the end of writing this article my concentration is fading. I think of what message this blog post is portraying. Concentration is important yes, but until I completed my innings on Sunday I never thought that I could be proud of myself for just concentrating for a long period of time. I think understanding how your mind works is important. With the increase in athletes throughout sport using sports psychologists, more emphasis is being put on mental processes in sport than ever before. One thing I have learnt is that concentration requires effort. Now if you don’t  mind I’m going to have a sit down and a brew and if you have managed to read this far then you yourself should be proud, after all, social media is making our concentration spans shorter.

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Fellow Players Allegedly Claim James Wade’s Mental Health Medication Is An Unfair Advantage

Sport in general, but especially darts, is still yet to get up to speed with some of the recent changes in society’s values. One of these values in particular is the growing acceptance and understanding of mental health. Sportsmen and women so often hide mental health issues because they feel they won’t be accepted despite their exceptional talents. These people have pushed themselves to be the best they can and yet because they have a mental health issue some sports fans choose not to support them based on this alone. The majority of people disregard mental health conditions because of the complexity. They fail to appreciate that every case is different and no one can be placed into a category or given a label.

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James Wade has battled with mental health conditions throughout his life. He has often spoke out about his low moments and has become a great ambassador for raising the awareness of mental health conditions in sport. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, clinical depression and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder when he was admitted to The Priory Clinic in 2010 and as a result missed several tournaments in order to deal with his condition.

On stage his cool, calm persona hides most of his serious challenges. However, sometimes you can identify his problems which caused some darts fans have to take a dislike to Wade because he appeared grumpy. However, Wade himself, the pundits in the studio and darts fans have spread the word and now Wade is largely supported. He has always been a battler and, with the help of his girlfriend, he is back on his feet and playing arguably the best darts of his career right now. Last year he won the Masters and now he’s challenging for the top spots in the Premier League. As far as I saw it, every darts fan, player and pundit always supported Wade through his trials and tribulations and wanted him to get back to his best, which thankfully has happened. However, he has sent out this rather worrying tweet…

Darts is a professional sport. I shouldn’t have to remind people but I feel I have to. There are strict doping rules just like any other sport, see the PDC guide to drug restriction. But, players basically accusing someone of cheating because they’re on medication that can save their life is appalling. The treatment Wade goes through is absolutely necessary and it gets him feeling healthy or in other words, back to normal.

I recommend you read up on James’ mental health condition here 

 

Thankfully twitter responded in support of Wade;

Robbie Green and ITV4 pundit, Chris Mason also chipped in with their support;

I did find it disappointing that these were the only two public displays of support from fellow darts players but at least the PDC Chairman has James’ back;

However, Hearn is denying that he has been approached by Wade or any other player tweeting;

Any comments made have to be categorically dealt with. I just hope Hearn isn’t hiding behind the standard procedure of a complaints system because, as darts fans know, he would stop anything that would paint darts in a bad light and reduce the pounds flooding into his bank account. If the mainstream media get confirmation on this story however, then Hearn will be forced to act. He has to realise that darts come first and if darts wants to hold modern values and look after its players, this situation has to be dealt with.

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New Champion Crowned At The World Disabled Darts Association Tournament In The Isle Of Man

Paul Gelder became the winner of the second World Disabled Darts Association tournament which took place in the Isle of Man.

The final was a Yorkshire v Lancashire battle, contested between Wakefield’s Paul Gelder and Accrington’s Fred Carter.

Gelder overcame early nerves to rise victorious, taking out double nine to win the Disabled competition and earning a prize of £350.

Last years winner, Ricky Chilton, lost in the first round along with Darren Kennish, A.McEwan and Martin Herbert.

Manchester’s Phil Lees, who managed to reach the final of the inaugural WDDA tournament last October, bowed out in the semi-finals along with Yorkshire’s Tony Pass.

BDO ranking events were running alongside the WDDA tournament in the Isle of Man, allowing those competing in the disability tournament to mix with the likes of Martin Adams, Tony O’shea and Ted Hankey.

Disability darts is expanding but it desperately needs people to donate and get involved. Click here to donate or visit the official website to learn more.

World Disability Darts Hold Their Second Tournament In The Isle Of Man This Week

The World Disability Darts Association will stage their second tournament this Thursday in The Isle of Man. The competition will see 32 players competing over three days for the trophy and a prize of £350.

The rules slightly differ from the traditional game and the board used is mounted on the Wildfire Dart Frame which was invented back in 2010 by Australian Russ Strobel. The board rotates to allow wheelchair users to compete against standing opponents. See my earlier post for more information about disability darts.

In recent years disability darts has slowly been gathering momentum with the rules now being approved by the World Darts Federation. Help from the BDO and Winmau have also been crucial in getting the sport to it’s current status. By providing a platform for disabled players the WDDA aims to “Include those with disability into a supportive social environment.”

The winner of the first tournament, held in Hull, was Ricky Chilton from St Ives who had his left leg amputated because of bone cancer, but would not let his disability hold him back. He triumphed 3-2 in the final over Manchester’s Phil Lees.

Phil ‘The Buzz’ Lees commenting on making the final said: “Yep that was great but I’d like to go that step further, I’m in good form and more consistent than I was.”

Asking him what it means to play on a professional stage Phil said: “It means a lot, thought my darts career was over with the cancer and amputation. Now I feel privileged and fulfilled.”

Hopeful that disability darts can grow in the next few years he said:“With the help of Winmau and the BDO, we can make the WDDA a worldwide thing.”

Follow Phil ‘The Buzz’ Lees on Twitter.

Visit the official WDDA website for upcoming events and how to get involved.

Comedians Take To The Dart Board In Aid Of Comic Relief

Lets Play Darts For Comic Relief starts tonight and features the top names in comedy battling it out on the dart board to raise money for great causes.

Each comedian has teamed up with a professional from the BDO in the knockout tournament. They will create their own darts persona complete with a nickname and walk on music. Darts is an incredibly hard game for beginners meaning that many of the comedians taking part are avid darts fans.

Lee Mack, who plays in the first quarter final tonight, had ambitions of becoming a professional darts player in his teens and the one-liner King, Tim Vine, routinely plays a leg of 501 every morning, his challenge to hit the final double before the kettle boils. Vine and Mack have worked together on numerous projects including Not Going Out and the Sketch Show. On the darts board however, they are rivals, contesting an annual charity match.

 “Me and Tim are quite competitive at darts. We play a comedy competition every year… and I’ve won it more than him, but whatever!”

Also competing is 8 out of 10 cats panelist Sean Lock, all round comedy legend Bob Mortimer, Pointless co-host Richard Osman, Impractical Joker Roisin Conaty, TV and radio presenter Liza Tarbuck and former England Rugby player Martin Offiah. Richard Osman shed some light on what it was like to play in the tournament in the Radio Times.

The pros elected to help the celebrities to comic relief victory include the biggest names in the BDO. Bobby George, never one to shy away from the camera, joins three time BDO World Champion Martin ‘Wolfie’ Adams, The Viking Andy Fordham, the bad guy of darts Ted Hankey, Darryl ‘The Dazzler’ Fitton and Richie George. The women’s game has not been ignored with three time champion Anastsia Dobromyslova and World number two Deta Hedman also taking part.

The BBC have released a behind the scenes video.

Gabby Logan will host the show which takes place at the home of the BDO World Championship, Frimley Green. The first programme starts tonight at 9pm on BBC 2 and then every night next week at 10pm except from the final which airs at 9pm on Sunday. The BBC have a darts guide which I recommend reading if your not clued up on darts.

The main objective of the show is to raise money for Comic Relief and this is a great way of doing it. The show is a guaranteed laugh but deep inside the celebrities will want to win the comic relief trophy.

Barney’s Top Banter

Cast your mind back to the Masters earlier this year. Michael van Gerwen surfaced triumphant, beating fellow Dutchman Raymond van Berneveld 11-6.

The tournament, although a major, was treated as a warm up for the Premier League. The standard of the darts on day one in particular was disappointing.

The PDC also slipped up with regards to the runner up trophy, but Barney saw the funny side, holding up an invisible trophy.

The PDC resolved their embarrassing faux-par rather late, only gifting Barney the trophy yesterday, almost a full month after he should have received it.

Lewis Wins In Wigan As Michael Smith Says Max Hopp Is “No Good”

Adrian Lewis wins the first qualifier for the UK open in Wigan. He beat Michael van Gerwen 6-1 averaging 104.6 with three 180’s. Van Gerwen lost despite averaging 106. Mark Webster made it through to the semi finals and put up a fight against van Gerwen but couldn’t quite do enough to make the final. Dolan was the other man who made it through to the semis.

Max Hopp had a good day making it through to the quarter finals. He beat Michael Smith in the last 16 which caused quite a stir. Smith took to social media to show his displeasure and instead of being harsh on his own performance he also decided to criticize 18 year old Max Hopp.

Here’s the offending tweet.

Many darts fans showed their disgust about his comments

Michael Smith tried to justify his tweet.

 

Lewis And van Gerwen Hit Top Form In Week One Of The Premier League

The first night of the premier league was kicked off by Peter Wright and Dave Chisnall. Chizzy bossed the match as Wright struggled to find his feet in the short format. Both players struggled to hit their doubles but it was Chizzy’s scoring that set him apart from his opponent allowing him to win the game with ease. The last leg was a superb 11 darter finished with a 100 checkout. A nice start to Chisnall’s campaign.

It was during the second match of the night where the pedigree of the Premier League showed its true self. Raymond van Barneveld was stunned as Adrian Lewis hit top gear with his highest televised  average and the fourth highest in the Premier League’s history. The 113.8 average was matched by his 54% accuracy on doubles. Barney was left stunned. Adrian romped to a 7-1 victory, hitting five 180’s on the way and setting down a marker for the following weeks.

Watching in the wings was van Gerwen. He would not be out done. He played Kim Huybrechts in the third match. The hurricane was able to stick alongside the dutchman in the early stages of the match but then Michael hit the accelerator. He motored ahead with a 108 average, hitting his doubles 64% of the time. Huybrechts, despite losing proved his worth in the premier league with a 98 average to answer his critics.

Next up was a replay of the World Championship final as we saw Taylor take on Anderson. Taylor couldn’t get ahead in the match but stayed on Anderson’s tail up until the final leg which saw Anderson break Taylor to take the maximum points. The stats would say that Taylor was the winner as he was up five points on Anderson’s average which was only 99. Anderson, by winning a match he maybe shouldn’t have done, showed he has the attributes of a true champion.

The debutant, Stephen Bunting, was up next as he locked horns with James Wade. Bunting settled his nerves by winning the first leg. However, he then struggled to find rhythm as Wade went into a 3-1 lead. Bunting clawed his way back into the match but only for Wade to pull out in front again, winning three legs on the spin. Bunting then gritted his teeth and, with some impressive scoring, drew the match to secure his first point of his Premier League campaign. Both players seemed happy with the result.

Here’s a great interview with Bunting after the match from live darts expanding on the game and his decision to use new darts.

 

It was a fantastic premier league night with all the players proving why they were picked for the Premier League. The atmosphere in Leeds was jumping, every darts fan that was watching at home would have wanted to be part of that night. I’m sure they’ll be nights just as good, in what is being marked the most competitive Premier League line up to date.

 

 

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Huybrechts And Bunting Will Take On The Premier League Beast

Two debutantes will embark on their Premier League journey this Thursday. Kim Huybrechts and Stephen Bunting are two out of the ten players that will compete each week in the most high octane arena known to darts.

The Premier League is a hugely intense and lengthy competition. It will run from the 5th of February all the way to playoff night on the 21st of May. Players will also be taking part in floor events between the games. Add that to the amount of travelling required to reach the venues all over the UK, it surely makes an exhausting process.

The competition is incredibly fierce. Every leg matters. Relegation and qualification can easily go down to leg difference. The competition can be too much for some players, leaving them at the bottom of the table bereft of any chance of qualification, just waiting to be relegated whilst still enduring humiliation week on week as they receive significant drubbings. Each year it seems that at least one player struggles, only managing to cling onto one or two points – Jelle Klaasen in 2009, Terry Jenkins in 2010, Mark Webster in 2011, Kevin Painter in 2012 and Wes Newton in 2013 and 2014.

This year looks to be the toughest yet. The two debutantes must be at the top of their game from week one or they’ll find themselves quickly cast aside. There’ll be no easy games. All of the five previous winners are taking part – Taylor, Wade, Anderson, van Gerwen and last years winner van Barneveld. Then you’ve got two times World Champ Adrian Lewis, World number 5 Peter Wright and the cataclysmic scoring of Dave Chisnall. Stephen Bunting and Kim Huybrechts are clearly good players, but they wouldn’t have experienced the challenge of facing such an outstanding field of players week in week out. They can’t take it easy one week, they have to be in top gear throughout. It would be an outstanding effort if one of them can drag themselves into the playoffs but, as much as I would like to see a few upsets, it’s unlikely, as I don’t think either of them have the stamina to play well over such a long period of time.

As brutal as the Premier League sounds, it’s the most action packed darts competition by far. Quick fire quality matches sandwiched with dramatic montages, cinematic graphics and walk on girls. It epitomises what the game of darts has become in recent years. Every top player wants to be involved and the players reactions on twitter show this quite clearly.

 

The first round of matches takes place in Leeds this Thursday. The players that competed in the Masters have the advantage of match fitness, but for the likes of Bunting and Huybrechts, they’re likely to be a little rusty, making their life a little harder. I wish them both the best of luck, they’re going to need it.

MVG v Chisnall – Social Media Reaction

Here’s what social media made of that truly awesome game.