Dealing with Slumps

by Karlene Sugarman, M.A.

Sports Psychology Consultant

In sports things don't often go as planned and there are glitches that need to be dealt with. Unfortunately, no one can be on a hot streak all season long - slumps are an inevitable part of sports. As soon as you realize this, you'll be in a better position to deal with it before it gets out of hand. What counts more than the mistakes themselves, is your reaction to them - you control whether that one mistake leads to another. The trick becomes how you react to one or two bad outings. Slumps last as long as you let them. You need to keep in mind that you have probably been in this situation before, and it most likely won't be the last time either.

A slump is a decrease in performance that causes you to lose confidence in your abilities, thus keeping you performing at a level below your athletic potential. Basically, one bad performance snowballs into another, and is perpetuated by negative self-talk and tension. You seem to have no memory of all the times you did perform well. Your skills seem to just desert you. The skills you thought you could count on are no where to be found and you are baffled by this.

What causes slumps?

1. Being more concerned about numbers - Quantity without quality is not a good thing! You are more worried about the results than the process. You become more "statistics" oriented rather than being concerned about the quality of your play. You feel as long as your numbers look good than everything is okay - that is the "important" thing.

2. Thinking too much or over analyzing when you should just be reacting and trusting your instincts. You become overanalytical and put too much pressure on yourself. You need to get out of your own way, and trust your body and your mind. This will be easy to do if you've prepared mentally and physically.

3. Trying too hard - This results in stiff movement as opposed to natural, fluid motion. When you try you are thinking instead of reacting.

Simply put, slumps are caused by a player's response to one bad performance. A loss in the ability to relax and focus, coupled with a loss of confidence and trust in your abilities, makes it very difficult for you to bounce back effectively. The first thing many players do is panic and adjust their mechanics, which can, more often than not, lead to further problems.

Then, each game gets more and more anxiety-provoking, which in turn makes you more nervous, which then starts to effect your self-confidence, and compounds the pressure you feel. Players usually feel their grip get tighter, and can feel overall tension because they are trying too hard. There is a difference between trying hard and giving 100%. Trying hard creates mental and physical tension, while giving 100% is pushing yourself to the outer limit of your capabilities. You don't want to force things that aren't there (i.e., swinging at a pitch way out of your strike zone because you are anxious to get a hit). You tend to get desperate and forget what works.

How to deal with slumps?

1. Don't make the mistake of asking 15 people for help, just ask one or two (most likely your direct coach). Otherwise you will be bogged down with too much information. You need to narrow your focus to what the situation requires and be positive and confident.

2. Rule out the physical - Talk with your coach to see if you are making any mechanical errors. You don't want to introduce any technical changes if it isn't necessary. If there are no physical reasons, you can safely assume that it's your mental approach. If you find that it isn't physical be sure not to overpractice, this can often produce new problems that were never there to begin with.

3. Make a list with your coach - On one side is what you are doing when you are playing, and on the other side what you should be doing. Then, review the discrepancies. Go over everything: from what is physically going on (are your muscles tight? are you moving fluidly?), to what is going on mentally (negative self-talk? distracted? unable to focus? no confidence?) As a coach, help your player become aware of what he is doing wrong. Where the breakdown occurs is the place you should focus most of your attention.

4. If you've narrowed down that it manifests itself physically, practice using circle breathing (take a couple of deep, slow breaths through your nose and out your mouth) before games and practices. Use circle breathing in potentially anxiety-provoking situations (i.e., the batter's box or while pitching). Do a quick check to make sure you are relaxed, and if not, go back and do a few more deep breaths.

5. If it manifests itself in a cognitive way, focus on your self-talk. Chances are you're saying things like "don't do this, don't do that," "I gotta," "concentrate more." These statements increase the pressure you're already putting on yourself. Positively reinforce yourself with things like "I know I can do this" and "I've done this before." Change the negative to positive. Also, visualize past experiences when you have executed your task perfectly. By reminding yourself of this, it will help in subsiding your doubts and help get your confidence back. Don't chastise yourself, that just creates more pressure and takes every last ounce of fun out of the game for you during this struggle.

Everyone will go through a slump at one time or another, only you can control the severity and length of it by your patience, concentration and mental attitude. As a coach, you need to reassure your athlete that they are still an asset to the team, even though they don't feel very productive at this time. For example, remind them how effective they are at playing defense, even though they are struggling at the plate. Also, in softball bunting can help a player out of a slump. This can help them get back in the groove and feel a part of the offense again. This increases confidence, concentration and gets players to stop chasing bad pitches.

During slumps you need to stay positive, in attitude and thought. Keep your focus on what you should and want to do, not on what you should be avoiding! By not panicking after one or two games, you can keep things in perspective; and although slumps may be a part of sports, you can take control and make sure they don't last long. You have the tools to help yourself, mentally and physically. Just go back to the basics. When there is a problem this is usually the best thing to do to get yourself back on track. Keep things simple and have fun!

More of Karlene Sugarman's articles can be found on the Sports Psychology Page

Adapted from Chapter 14 of Winning the Mental Way, a book on team building and mental training, by Karlene Sugarman, M.A. You can obtain a copy of the book by contacting Karlene at karsug@newsguy.com or Step Up Publishing at 650-347-0826. Karlene Sugarman, M.A., received her B.A. from St. Mary's College in 1991 and her M.A. in Sports Psychology from John F. Kennedy University in 1993. She has worked with schools as University of San Francisco, St. Mary's College, UCLA, Cal State Northridge, San Jose State University; as well as many other organizations, clubs and businesses. She is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sports Psychology (AAASP) and a member of the Sports Science Committee for the U.S. Tennis Association, Nor Cal. She has written articles for magazines such as US Handball, FastPitch World, and US Roller Skating.