Mindfulness and Routines – Combined!
In the past, we have written articles on these two sports psychology mega-concepts separately (see here and here) but never about how they work together. This new article by psychologist and guest author Zach Churchill will explore mindfulness and routines as synergistic concepts. As always, if you have questions or comments, add them to the section at the bottom, and Zach will address as many of them as possible.
Cricket is a game of situations that constantly change depending on the state of the game. Generally speaking, whoever wins the most situations will be victorious. Cricket, much like golf and tennis to some degree, is a sport that has significant chunks of time between these situations.
What is the problem with this? The issue is that the mind can do a lot in 30-45 seconds, approximately how long a batter has before facing their next ball. Where a player’s mind wanders off can significantly impact how they perceive, feel about, and relate to a given game situation. This may subsequently affect how an individual performs during a game, thus impacting the outcome.
This article will first distinguish the difference between pre-ball and post-ball routines and then explain how mindfulness can be helpful in the post-ball routine.
Obviously, in these bat-and-ball sports, the bowlers/pitchers and fields also have (or should have) routines, but for this article, I will focus only on the batters.
Distinguishing The Routines
There is controversy over whether one can distinguish between pre and post-ball routines for sports such as cricket and baseball. I argue that this is quite easily distinguishable. The pre-ball routine encompasses behavioural and cognitive actions only seconds before the bowler starts running in. One of the most common, by way of example, is tapping the bat on the ground a few times.
The post-ball routine begins after the completion of a shot or delivery, and the ball becomes dead. It typically extends to the point where the bowler is about to leave their mark again. This is the space of approximately 30-45 seconds where a batter’s mind is most susceptible to wander into territory detrimental to performance.
For example, they might overthink the previous or next shot, overanalyse a game situation, or listen to the slips cordon sledging, which is done to distract the batsmen from their game.
Can the pre and post-ball routines overlap?
Yes, if the mind allows it to. This is a crucial reason why the post-ball routine is so important. Suppose a batter thinks about their previous shot or begins to internalise what the fielders say while sledging. In that case, this will likely bleed into the pre-shot routine and may impair their ability to focus on the only thing that matters when the bowler bowls… the ball!
Therefore, this short space during the post-ball routine is crucial for a batsman to get right.
The Myth Of “Switching Off”
What should the athlete do in this short window if the post-ball routine is so essential? The most common answer I heard while playing elite cricket was, “You need to switch off”. Switching off is impossible, so asking performers to do this is psychologically damaging. Let me prove it.
I want you to set a timer for 45 seconds and close your eyes. I want you to tell yourself to switch off and not think about anything. After this exercise, you should appreciate how far the mind can take us in 30-45 seconds.
If a batter is told to switch off, it allows their mind to run wild. We demonstrated how your mind can wander when sitting in a chair with a timer. Imagine putting an elite athlete amid a high-pressure game situation, where they are fatigued and possibly emotionally dysregulated depending on what is happening. The mind runs wild!
Contrary to the “switch off” philosophy so commonly taught by coaches, batsmen need a way to pay attention in a relaxed way while also regulating any fatigue or emotion dysregulation occurring at the time. And this is where performance mindfulness comes in.
Why Is Mindfulness Ideal For These Routines?
Mindfulness is the process of intentionally focusing on the present moment with less judgment and more curiosity than is typically natural.
An athlete can be mindful of anything occurring naturally in the here and now. One great focal point of mindfulness is the breath and the five senses. Feeling their spikes dig into the turf, making a fist with their gloves, or noticing their muscles as they walk away from the crease after playing a shot are great examples of this type of attentional focus.
They can look around and notice the trees in the background or all the people in the crowd wearing blue shirts. We are trying to ground the athlete into the present moment, which will allow their mind and emotions to be balanced. When the mind runs, fatigue sets in, and emotions are dysregulated. This is the time when batters are most susceptible to making poor decisions. Poor decisions lead to worse execution of game situations, making it less likely to win the match.
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