Learn To 'Project' in Your Training

Most swimmers work hard physically in training - but this is not enough, not if you really want to be successful. You must also practice your mental preparation at training as well.

One of the most powerful ways to practice for meets is through learning to project your mind towards your goal. What I am talking about is mentally rehearsing (during your actual training) the exact experience you wish to occur at your next meet. Let me explain.

When you are on the block, getting ready to begin a set of training, your mind realizes quite clearly that there is absolutely nothing to get 'hyped' about here - it thinks "this is not a race, it's only training". Which means you swim relaxed and unconcerned - which is not the way you probably swim big races! This approach does not bring future excellence.

A powerful habit often used by several top swimmers (and also track and field stars) is this; when they are about to do a particular practice set, they mentally project themselves forward to their next big race, and imagine that they are now there - about to race, and that this is the 'real thing'. Doing this (properly) will even bring on the 'butterflies' in the stomach or nervousness which happens with any big race - which is exactly what you want to happen.

Then, they swim the following set absolutely convinced that this IS the big race, treating it with exactly the same importance they have attached to their current goal.

Using this method does 3 very important things. First of all, it emotionally prepares you for the race - which means you should not be over-awed by the feelings you will experience on the big day.

Secondly, by the time the actual race does come around, you'll feel like you have already swum it 20 or 30 times (which you have!) Last of all, it vastly increases the quality of your practices or training sets, as you will find you take them far more seriously when you feel like 'it counts'.

This MUST be done very, very convincingly however, or else your subconscious mind will instantly dismiss it as a trick - and it won't work. It requires a quiet moment of 'psyching' yourself into it, and also some on-the-block visualization - where you must momentarily block out reality and mentally project yourself forward (in time) to the big race.

Lucikly you have the use of one of the most powerful human forces available, your imagination - which can mentally put you in the experience of your next race quite easily once you begin to practice this.

This technique is probably best used once or twice a day, as there will often be other sets where your coach will want you to work on specific things, which is difficult to do when you are swimming 'a race'. So pick a particular set, and then use this projection tool to move successful towards your next big goal.

So begin developing your powers of 'projection' to achieve your goals far more easily. Like any exercise, it must be practiced regularly if you want it to develop and bring you results.

Do not take this technique lightly, it is one of the mind's greatest abilities, and as you know....

"The Mind controls the body, and the mind is unlimited".

The best of success, Craig Townsend