Tiger Woods could not believe what had happened. "I did everything I needed to do, except for getting the ball in the hole," Woods said. "Just didn't make the putts when I needed to make them." He was unable to capitalize on his two-shot advantage at the start of the final round of the USPGA and lost out to Y.E. Yang.
A few hours later in Berlin, Yelena Isinbayeva, the nine-time major champion had failed to make a successful vault in three attempts. The queen of pole-vaulting who holds the record of crossing the 5-metre mark, was unable to clear 4.75 metres.
Up until Sunday, Tiger had gone on to win 14 out of 14 majors after leading on the final day. If Tiger Woods is the name at the top of a leaderboard on Sunday at a major tournament, one can be rest assured that will be the name atop at the end of the last round. But 15 out of 15 was not to be. The same was the case for Russian pole-vaulter and nine-time major champion, Yelena Isinbayeva. World and Olympic champion for the past 5 years, Yelena demonstrated immense mental toughness by crossing the 5-meter mark. No other female athlete has been able to emulate that feat. But on Monday, the invincible Yelena failed to make a successful vault. Like Tiger, she was shocked. She could not explain what had happened. Yet, both will get past this weekend.
The consistency, commitment, and respect with which each has played his/her sport has been awe-inspiring. The unheralded supremacy with which they have reigned their sport the past few years is a true reflection of their mental toughness. Time and time again both these great athletes have exhibited psychological skill sets that have left their colleagues awe-struck.
And this same mental toughness will be ever more evident post this weekend. Like true champions, these defeats will prove to be a learning experience. Bobby Jones had said, “I never learned anything from a match that I won; I got my golf education from drubbings”. Similarly, Tiger and Elena will use these blips as educational experiences. They will demonstrate unshakable perseverance in setting out to achieve their goals all over again.
The mark of a mentally tough athlete is that they stand tall in the face of adversity. When things don’t go according to plan, when they get knocked down, they come back stronger and stand taller. The loss/defeat provides them with added incentive and motivation to try harder. They never give up. They don’t let negative thoughts enter their mind. Instead, they become even for focused towards their goals.
The mentally tough Tiger and Yelena will bounce back. No doubt about that. And hopefully sooner than later.
Vasundhara Nangia
Sport Psychologist
www.nangiaconsultants.com
What do Tiger Woods, Fillepe Massa, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Padraig Harrington, Sachin Tendulkar have in common? These sporting legends have all been struck by sports injuries at some point in their careers.
Sports injuries are a part and parcel of an athlete’s career. A sportsperson is a mortal after all and hence is not immune to the wear and tear of the human body. Infact, most successful athletes have contingency plans in place. They expect injuries to bog them down during their competitive life spans and keep in place certain strategies.
The key to a long and successful athletic career is to approach these forced “timeouts” constructively. Rafael Nadal, the King of Clay, lost his first match at Roland Garros to Robin Soderling at the 2009 French Open. His knees had been hurting for most of the first half of 2009 and he decided to tend to them immediately after that historic fourth round loss.
His withdrawal from Wimbledon 2009 three weeks later sent shock waves down the tennis world. The greatness of Rafael Nadal was evident in that decision. He was able to assess the situation well. Not letting emotions get the better of him, Nadal went back to Mallorca and rested his knees. The thought of not being able to defend his Wimbledon title never occurred. His first priority was to get better. To get stronger. In an interview he said that he would not play Wimbledon if he was not 100%. Clearly in the exhibition match in England he was not. And he pulled out.
The weeks off can be hard. A player at that point has two options. He/she can either worry about the injury or, work towards overcoming that injury. Successful athletes consider this time to be extremely precious. They make the most if it to ensure that their body heals and recuperates. This time is also used to re-set their targets and goals. Winning is no longer the goal. Getting back in shape is. Immediately the focus shifts back to the basics. Being healthy and remaining fit.
However, sportspersons who overlook the signs sent by their body, or refuse to tend to them, often fall to prey to “burnout”. They are then unable to push themselves anymore. And usually get injured further seriously.
Roger Federer has achieved the remarkable feat of appearing in 21 consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals. At 27 years of age, he is the fittest athlete ever to have played sports. Apart from putting in the long hours at the gym, on the track, the tennis court, he has also taken rest when needed. He knows when to push and when to back0ff. That has been the key to the 15 Grand Slam victories and counting.
The key to a long and successful sporting career is to hence, know your body. It is your best friend and worst enemy. Get to know it well. Listen to it. Work hard on it. Expect it to not be a 100% all the time. And use the off season to train harder and set new goals.
