By Carlton Payne
 When you watch cricket on television, it can appear to be quite an easy and simple sport, but under the helmet of the batter, there is a whole different game going on inside the batters mind in an attempt to banish any possible distractions, and focus every bit of mental energy on the ball as it is released from the bowlers hand, this is the psychological side to batting.
As a batter, your aim is to score runs, stay in and help your team reach a certain particular target. To achieve this, you need to be in the correct mental state. To help reach this state of fierce concentration there are several things that you must do.
Firstly, you need to be clear your mind of any possible distractions, distractions can come in many forms; these may be concerns about the pitch, fielder's comments, being scared of the ball, fear of getting out etc. These matters need to be cleared out of the head prior to the start of the bowlers run up to allow for the stages of concentration that will
soon follow, this is vital, if there are distractions floating around your mind, you are sure not to be focussing to your optimum level and are more likely to male a mistake.
Every ball requires you to concentrate at your highest possible levels, and in so you should have a strategy to help you concentrate. I was taught by a prominent cricketing figure this following method that I find extremely useful in exploiting my maximum concentration levels. Firstly, after clearing all distractions from your mind, as the bowler starts to run up, you should enter a state of fine focus, in this state, your mind should have no negative thoughts and be concentrating on the top half of the bowler, you vision should be like a television, only focussed in on the top half of the bowler as her approaches, in this period you should have constructive positive thoughts, for example I say to myself over and over "Focus, watch the ball, focus, watch the ball" etc... By doing this and saying positive statements, it stops negative thoughts entering the mind and also stops any possible distractions drifting into your thoughts.
As the bowler enters his final steps your focus level should increase to what is commonly known as a state of fierce focus, in this stage all mental powers should be focusing on the ball and the ball only, your mental screen should now just be the size of the ball. This allows your brain to compute and work out the line, length and flight of the ball and so gives you the maximum amount of time to help you get your feet and body into position as early as possible helping giving you the best possible chances of making a good decision and playing a good shot.
This should be applied to nets as well as matches as this will get you well trained and so it becomes second nature.
The Mental and Psychological side to Cricket - Bowling
As a bowler, like batting, to gain optimum results, there are certain thought processes that need to take place. Again, like batting you need to eradicate possible distractions from your mind as you prepare to bowl, such distractions include worries about the batsmen "hitting out", fear of making mistakes e.g. bowling down the leg side/a wide etc. With negative thoughts running through your mind, you are much more likely to tense up and make mistakes, your thought patterns should always remain positive.
Bowlers need a game plan (I discuss game plans in the free e-book), and they should plan their next ball as they are walking back to their mark. If you are deciding what ball you are going to ball while you run up, then you are likely to get caught in two minds and make mistakes. If you decide prior to starting your run up what type of ball you are going to bowl, e.g. slower ball, it gives you the opportunity to really focus and concentrate on how and where you want to pitch the ball. How you go about deciding where about you focus on e.g. the base of off stump, or where you want to pitch the ball is very much a personal matter which should be worked out in nets as everyone is different.
Want to find out about how to kill mice and canary breeders? Get tips from the Knowledge Bin website.
The Evolution of Archery
By Jimmie Mcdowell
 With a history characterized by hunting and combat techniques, archery is the practice of using a piece of equipment called a bow to shoot arrows at a target. Throughout the years, it has become a sport of precision, leading to numerous competitions, as well as a spot in the Olympics. The title given to a person who is an expert in the practice is an archer. For some, archery is like an intense game of darts that involves more equipment, as well as increased physical skill.
Modern vs. Traditional Archery
The start of archery is thought to have emerged about 5,000 years ago. The first use of the bow was probably used for hunting, while its recognition as a tool for war came later. In ancient times, early man threw projectiles at their enemies. It is the bow that replaced this technique.
There are many different types of archery that has evolved from traditional archery. Classical archery was prominent among the Macedonians, Greeks, Persians and Indians, which often took up a large part of their armies. When directed effectively, masses of soldiers could be taken out with precision. Advanced armies took archery to horseback, allowing a swift execution of war plans.
In Medieval European times, archery was used in times of war, but was not as popular as you may think. On the contrary, archers received the lowest pay and were often looked down upon. Since it didn't take much to fashion a bow and arrow, this contributed to the negative perceptions of the archers. It was viewed as a weapon for the lower class.
Asia and the Middle West used archers on horseback in their military force. In the Kingdom of Bhutan, archery is the national sport of the land. One of the differences in Asian arrows is they are less stiff than the arrows from the west. Today, competitive archery is popular, significantly straying from the traditional archery of the past. The use of archery as a form of warfare has been discarded and mostly only hobbyists hunt with a bow and arrow. Modern archery involves competition.
Competitive archery consists of shooting arrows for accuracy points from varying distances, quite popular in Europe and North America. Both indoor and outdoor venues hold archery competitions with different rules. For example, there are varying time limits. Indoor competition allows only 2 minutes to shoot 3 arrows. Archery equipment demands special attention to safety rules and use. You must receive proper instruction on how to hold a bow and shoot an arrow so that you do not hurt yourself or others.
Modern Archery Competitions
The color of the archery board for competition is white, black, blue, red and gold. There are two rings each per color with corresponding point values. The end score of a competition is computed by adding the total of all scores made by their arrows. If an arrow lands on the line between two different point values, the higher sum will be granted. Despite these rules, there are still disputes that call for the assistance of a judge.
There are many different types of bow shapes and sizes. During competition, the only type of bow that can be used in the Olympic games is called a re-curve bow. When you are ready to further your interest in archery, there are plenty of other details to take note of. For example, archers in competition often wear bracers that protect the arm. Tabs protect the drawing hand. Chest-guards protect clothing, as well as the body of the archer. All of these things, coupled with the archer's stance, hand-eye coordination, release form and grip will all contribute to either the success or failure of an archery competition.
Find articles on hermit crab molting and celery nutrition at the Knowledge Bin site.
|