Wednesday
Jan182012
ATP Podcast - Tournament Nerves
BY 
Aris ON Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 12:29PM
Aris ON Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 12:29PM
This is an excerpt from episode 3 of the Avoiding The Puddle Podcast. I'll be uploading other old segments to our channel soon. Please subscribe to our Youtube channel and thanks for the support.
Reader Comments (7)
do a new podcast you bitch ass fagots
'Sup Birdman
What you're talking about at one point is the basic fight or flight response (actually pause > fight/flight) which is seen in animals. It's not non controversial but anways:
It's basically like this; if a big ass lion jumps up in front of you your mind reacts in one of two ways (after a short freeze period). Either your body decides at once you're going to fight and starts pumping noradrenalin which sort of gives an effect similar to amphetamine which heightens your awareness. You see small things and your reactions goes up - this is what makes it so that some people have better throwbreak reponses / lowparry and so on in a tournament environment. Your body can decide that you need to run your ass off instead and start pumping adrenalin. This makes it so that you keep running even though your body is exhausted not feeling muscle pain etc. The problem with us still being animals but all civilized these days (or fooling ourselves that we are) is that we can't "get out" our basic fight / flight reaction in a normal environment. So if your boss/teacher yells at you you really want to just punch him in the face or leave the room but can't which in turn causes many negative effects (for instance heart strain and surpressed emotions which can lead to aphathy / psychological issues). When an anti loop is frightened by a crocodile by the water it runs its ass of for 5 minutes but then it's back to normal and doesn't give a fuck anymore.
Now in a tournament environment a certain degree of noradernalin is good (poker players take amphetamine sometime), that is fear, is good but to much will make you burn out. Amphetamine actually keeps noradrenaline active longer while the normal response from your body is to take it back (it's straining) not allowing its return. Adrenaline would be worse affecting your fine motorskills. In cognitive theory then it would maybe be possible to change the way you approach a serious match and your way of thinking from "oh shit" to "i'm going to kick this guys ass bad" and as such maybe change the way your body reacts to stress in that setting. Your emotions are often not a reaction of coming into a situation but your emotions and preconceptions going into it. Maybe pro tournament players exposed often simply do not feel a performance anxiety or actually in general are better players so they have a different, more healthy, way of going into situations not triggering their natural stress responses as much. The easiest way to get over a phobia is through repeated exposure.
Also - do a new podcast bitch ass fagots
Yea.. do a new podcast you bitch ass fagots
FUCKIN ANTI LOOPS!
Honestly, I don't have the time or the motivation for new podcasts right now. This could change tomorrow, or in months.
Birdman; You sound fucking depressed man. Hate to say it but you were so anti-hype during the TT2 broadcast I was half expecting you to go postal on the entire room. Hope you cheer up when you get your hands on SC5. Best of wishes.
Fuck guests, just do a podcast with your thoughts on tag2 now that the location test is over