Refine the focus and increase your intensity
By Brad Yates
Everybody knows Kenny Bradshaw. His focus and passion for riding the world's biggest waves has lasted for 25 years. Australia's Layne Beachley, our current Women's World's Champion is in line to capture a second title during the Van's Triple Crown of surfing. In writing this story, I talked with them both about Kenny's role as her performance coach.
Kenny says of Layne: "Layne naturally surfs at a higher level when she is under pressure in competition. She is able to compress her best performance into the confines of the contest format, i.e., time restrictions and wave limitations. She enjoys being in the spotlight and she loves the emotional and physical high that is associated with surfing at this level of intensity." Bradshaw continues, "Day to day routines can be a challenge for Layne, without the excitement of competition she sometimes losses her focus. I listen to what she is going through and give her the emotional support she needs to prepare for her next contest or heat. This frees her up to focus on her feelings, namely the intensity of her desire to compete and her passion for winning. ''
"Funny," I say, "you hate contests and now you're helping someone else to prepare for them." "That's right," Bradshaw continues, "the peak of my surfing career involved paddling out to surf Hammer Heads or Alligators on the outer reefs with one or two other guys. I liked the freedom of being able to get in the rhythm of the swell and surf the place on my terms for as long as I wanted. I surf at my best when I'm alone…focused on doing my best, not better than someone else. I do not like the restrictions of surfing in contests, but I understand the focus and intensity needed to perform and win." Bradshaw went on to describe the importance of focus and intensity as it relates to surfing competition.
REFINE THE FOCUS
FOCUS is about thoughts and feelings; the ability to select a thought about something you want to do and generate the feelings needed to make it happen. In surfing, focus is about thoughts of the skills you want to perform and the feelings needed to complete them. A computer analogy works here. Your brain is the hard drive of your computer. The feelings related to the skills you perform on a regular basis are stored in your brain as memories. The feelings to do a bottom turn for example are stored in a folder called BOTTOM TURN. The thought about doing a bottom turn opens the file and out comes the memory complete with the body posture, muscle tension and actions needed to complete the turn. The "reps" determine the strength of these memories- the number of times you repeat the maneuvers and the amount of feelings present. The strength of these memories determines your style, an expression of your FIRE. To refine your focus is to practice these skills until they become automatic.
Coaching Point: Learn to think in a feeling sense.
The idea is to be able to feel yourself paddling out, DROPPING IN ON THE WAVE AND TAKING IT APART. If you can repeat this mental process over and over it will be automatic when you take it to the water.
Refine to win
The dramatic scene is Sunset Beach, December 3, 1999 and we're at the finals of the Roxy Pro being held at Sunset Beach. The waves are 6 to 8 feet with 10-foot sets; the west peak is working, the trade winds are blowing, the waves are lining up from the point to the inside section. Layne Beachley is ON, loving the CHALLENGE and the MOMENT as she attacks this premier wave. Layne is surfing at her best and at a time when it counts the most. When she is announced the winner, it is no surprise to the people on the beach or to the people who have seen her surf. A day later I asked the secret of her success. She replies, "during my workouts I visualize myself on the awards stand holding the first place trophy. These feelings associated with winning motivate me to train with the intensity I need to prepare myself to win."
Intensify
The amount of intensity you put into your surfing is consistent with the results you want to produce. Do you want to win, compete with yourself or just have fun? To win you have to capture the spotlight; you have to surf with an intensity that expresses how much you love performing. Layne Beachley has mastered the art of surfing with this level of intensity as she demonstrated by winning her second World Championship and the Triple Crown. To compete against yourself you have to create your own challenge; you have to surf with the intensity needed to be successful in these conditions. Kenny Bradshaw has set the standard for creating his own challenge, as documented in his performances on the outer reef. To have fun you have be able to surf up to your own standards. The current popularity of "long boarding" as a form of recreation is evidence of how much fun surfing at this relaxed level of intensity can be. The key to competing against yourself and/or to having fun is to remember that you are surfing for yourself on your terms and NOT trying to be better than anyone else is.
Coaching Point: Practice like you want to play.
Ritual: For those of you focused on winning, surf as hard as you can for intervals of 15-20 minutes. At the end of each interval sit off to the side and think about what you have done so far. For those of you more interested in getting better and maximizing your fun, surf with the awareness that you want to enjoy yourself and don't get caught up in trying to be the best in the water. Let your session happen without comparing yourself to others. Remind yourself that surfing is about fun, personal freedom...whatever it is for you but stay focused on your enjoyment. Focus on the enjoyment and the rest will fall into place, you are able to surf with an intensity that allows you to be consistent. The idea is to compress your best performance into the least number of waves and condition your mind and body to surf at the appropriate level of intensity.
