Mind Block

[ljbaron 0]

When ever i play i can never seem to get "into" the game. I have the right tools (shooting,passing,dangles, but I can never seem to score. A high level coach once called me a practice player because i could do amazingly in practice but for the life of me could not put it together in games.I went to a camp this year did great in the main camp, but 6 games into the pre-season games and no points the coach was not impressed. Its the same thing when i would go out to camps, I would do great in practice but once it came to games i sucked. Its all in my head and i'am not to sure what to do about it. Does anyone have any advice for me?

[Chadd 916]

What do you do differently in your approach to practices and games?

[ljbaron 0]

Nothing at all really, just show up to the rink. I just can't seem to put it together in games. I try listening to music before and the focus/hype seems to wear off as soon as i hit the ice. I can't figure out whats wrong and its driving me crazy. Why should i be able to perform at the top of the group in practice and not even be able to come close to the top in games? I was thinking about going to a hypnotherapist about this problem and see what they could do about it, but i'm not sure that would solve anything either.

[Theo 1]

Sounds like you're putting the scoring on a pedestal

[Jason Harris 31]

The level of the games is probably more even to your skill set than practices. For instance, maybe you are a second liner yet sometimes are playing against the third line in practice, whereas in the games you are matching up against second lines. Also, a lot of people play harder in games than they do in practice, so that makes the opportunities harder in games.

[DEATHTRON 19]

Sounds like you're putting the scoring on a pedestal

DING DING!

You might just be gripping your stick too hard, or, maybe you just need the game time practice, and what I did for that was play down a league or 2. I got a really basic idea for how to score because it was like slow motion for me out there. Give it a whirl, and work on your one on one and finishing skills, no just out skating the other guys, because then you wont learn anything at that point.

Zach

[CapsFan 5]

I'm having the same problem. During pick-up I'm relaxed and I can play well. When I'm playing a real game, I get nervous and often mess up "easy" plays. I just don't know how to calm down.

[D aka speck 0]

Quit second guessing yourself on game day.

You CAN perform just as well as in practice, if you loose the mindset that you are dealing with strangers.

It's not about the music you listen to.

It's about applicaction of that wich you have learned.

It seems to me that you look at your opponents as fellow hockey players, or to some degree, comrades.

I'm not telling you to go out and hurt people...

just disaccociate yourself from them.

Start looking at your opponents as adversaries...

Don't set out to kill them, but make sure that they don't suceed whenever you are on the ice.

Think of it this way... Give THEM the honor of playing hard.

If you don't play to the best of your ability, then you disrespect yourself, your team and your opponent.

Play like you train! And have fun doing it!

[hockeydoc 0]

Sounds like some of the kids I coach. I tell them they need to trust their skill and relax. At practice there is no risk in screwing up, but during a game you might loose...

If you just play your role, do your part, don't try to meet anyones expectations or to prove yourself, just relax into what you know, and what you know you can do. Realize that you can only do your part and the weight of the game is not on your shoulders, but your team mates are in it with you.

We've all had to learn that over persuit is a good way to get beat. You learn to become a little patient and think more. Rather than skating with all out blind aggression.

Don't allow the pressure of winning dictate your approach to the game. Try not caring at all about the outcome of the game a few times. You might not skate as intensely at first, but just be patient and don't care if you get beat on an individual play or not. If you can relax this way, after a few games you can slowly pick up you intensity and control it better. Talk your self into not really caring about the game, skate hard, just become indifferent about the outcome (like pick up).

Before every "A" league game I play in I have to talk my self into "just playing my role, it doesn't really matter." Then I talk myself through some fundamentals like "play body, watch his chest not the puck", as I play D. Then I remind myself to "skate hard, just play smart". After the first shift of doing that I settle into playing, and it's all good...

Hope that helps.

[JR97 2]

^^^^^

I do the self talk check list on my drive to the rink. The one item I always make sure to get in there is to have fun. One of the best games I've had with this one team was when we were down 5-0 going into the 3rd in a playoff game. I told the guys screw winning. Let's just have fun. Pond hockey. We went out and kicked ass and dominated the play. The goalie stood on his head and props to him for shutting us out, but the other team hardly touched the puck the rest of the game.

Mental visualization might help as well. It's part of my routine to visualize doing certain things in certain situations. Even stuff I've never even attempted on the ice. I pulled a spin-o-rama once after I had been visualizing it for a few days. It wasn't even a conscious effort. It just happened.

[Chadd 916]

Stop thinking, just react and play. Some of the best players in the world are the ones who think the least.

[thejackal 46]

if you have the time/effort then try picking up and playing an individual sport. i play tennis half of the year and i think mentally it's a lot harder than hockey. on the rink you have 12-15 other guys to pick up the slack when you're off, but when you're by yourself there's no hiding.

[hockeydoc 0]

Stop thinking, just react and play. Some of the best players in the world are the ones who think the least.

I agree with this, but he said he's struggling. So some kind of adjustment needs to be made. I usually see players that have the skill yet struggle at games is finding a way to relax. Maybe you are over thinking, and just need to relax. Which is why I say the little self talk of encouraging yourself that you have the skills and need to just let it happen, not force it.

If that makes sense.

[N!! 0]

I'm normally laid-back, but I always used to have problems before games because of nerves and adrenaline.

Adrenaline is a wonderful thing, but if it's being released and used up before games then it's pointless. To stave it off before games, I started reading books in the locker room and listening to classical music. Then when you hit the ice, the adrenaline gets going.

Of course, try to imagine your typical football locker room before a game. 100 guys fully suited up and staring into space, and one guy sitting there with his legs crossed listening to Franz Liszt and reading something by Tolstoy.

[All Torhs Team 0]

My entire team seemed to have something likewise. We just couldnt click. What we did (and what you could try doing as an individual) was just dropping everything that we had been doing before games. Did the complete opposite for a while. No silence while zam is on. No coach lectures before games. No mental stuff. We didnt even discuss hockey in general before a game.

And its been working amazingly. We goof off, talk about stuff from school. Make fun of guys as we are walking out the lockerroom. Some people even commented about why are we laughing and goofing off as we are walking onto the rink?

Because its fun. And thats what hockey is supposed to be; fun.

These are the funnest nights of my week.

Sometimes when your on a slump or just cant get things going for a while, remember why you play the game.

Be a kid again and remember going out on the ice when you were a kid with your friends.

[Archangel#16 1]

My entire team seemed to have something likewise. We just couldnt click. What we did (and what you could try doing as an individual) was just dropping everything that we had been doing before games. Did the complete opposite for a while. No silence while zam is on. No coach lectures before games. No mental stuff. We didnt even discuss hockey in general before a game.

And its been working amazingly. We goof off, talk about stuff from school. Make fun of guys as we are walking out the lockerroom. Some people even commented about why are we laughing and goofing off as we are walking onto the rink?

Because its fun. And thats what hockey is supposed to be; fun.

These are the funnest nights of my week.

Sometimes when your on a slump or just cant get things going for a while, remember why you play the game.

Be a kid again and remember going out on the ice when you were a kid with your friends.

My team did this once and it worked wonders.

We were in a tournament which we were losing every single game. So it winds down to our last game which is 3 hours away. The entire team spent those 3 hours in the locker room just hanging out. No talk of hockey, just talking about whatever came to mind. We then went out to win our next game like 6-1. I have to say that it was one of the best days of my life so far