BEWARE "THE GAP" DURING MATCH-PLAY

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BEWARE THE COMPETITIVE MATCH-PLAY 'GAP'

By Paul Dale | The 3AM Method

ESTABLISH THE CORRECT MINDSET FIRST

All competitive players strive to perform at their very best. They hope for consistency of performance and believe that playing to the best of their ability should be enough to win matches.

While aiming for your highest level might seem like a good goal, I believe there is a better mindset for you to adopt when competing. 

PICKING WINNERS

Have you noticed how difficult it is to confidently pick who will win at tournaments? That's because players throughout the draw all play at a very similar level. Even players who seem to have all the strokes and look like world-beaters often lose in the early rounds. Yet often, players who end up winning the event don't look special at all.

I have a theory for this.

The best players are able to stay composed while under pressure in matches

During matches, all players experience highs and lows. There will be periods of struggle and periods of comfort. 

I Believe that controlling the 'Gap' between the highs and lows during matches is the key to winning 

DIFFICULTY IS INHERENT IN ALL COMPETITION

You face many challenges during competitive match play. Your opponent's great play is only one of the difficulties. Bad line calls, weather conditions, court conditions, the ball and physical issues, to name a few.

All those difficulties are reasons for your game to drop in standard. The important question is, how often do you allow your game to drop, and for how long?

How often do you allow your game to drop and for how long?

If you allow your game to drop due to difficulties too often or for too long, you will never be successful in tournaments. 

The top players can keep "The Gap" between their highest and lowest standard of play (The Gap) within a narrow corridor, while for the rest of us, that gap will fluctuate hugely.

Try to keep your emotional highs and lows within an acceptable range 

THE 4 PILLARS OF YOUR GAME

There are 4 important Pillars to everyone's game;

1. Technical
2. Strategic
3. Mental/Emotional
4. Physical

Every player must maintain a balance during the match, regardless of their level. There's no point in being superb technically and physically if you go through emotional periods that sabotage your ability to win the match. The 3 Pillars must be balanced to be successful. 

When difficulties occur in match-play, you must maintain a narrow gap between playing well and poorly. There can be no excuses. If you want to be a serious competitor, you must control the good and bad periods of the match by focusing on The Gap

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