Why goals that are result based hinder performance.
The best players in the world enter every match with a goal of performing well in certain areas of their game. The outcome of that performance is sometimes winning the battle. Now if the player has a goal of winning the match and does not succeed, how does that effect the psychological.
What is the damage to self-confidence. The bi-product of not reaching the goal of winning is self-doubt and negative expectations that undermine their next performance. This leads to frustration and disappointment. The next step is for the player not to face the challenge with the fear of loss or disappointment.
Players today set goals to build self-confidence and self worth. “Goals improve performance, goals improve the quality of practices, goals clarify expectations, and goals relieve boredom by making training more challenging.”(Rainer Martens) Athletes need to understand the important source of self confidence is not WINNING but their own abilities to become competent. “Coaches and athletes often do not know how to set goals effectively, nor do they pursue goal setting systematically.
Too often goals are vague, conflicting, unchallenging, misdirected, and not sporadically set.” The goal is a final product or result /outcome. The way we use this technique in performance is by maximizing or continuously improving or developing a skill. Outcome goals are good in sports, but secondary to performance. Performance goals are specific to athlete’s behavior. The best example is a golfer saying he wills 2 putt every green, or a basketball player saying he will shoot 80% of his free throws. These goals allow the player to develop a positive psychological perspective about competition. The general rule for a player is to pick one skill during competition and focus on performing that skill well.
For example in my own game I spent 1999 developing my return of serve game in doubles. I plan in 2000 to develop the return of serve game to even give myself more time to enhance that skill. The length of time a goal or performance area needs work is totally up to the individual requirements for performance. I feel my return was 30% better in 1999. I would like a 20% increase in skill in 2000. This is measurable by the number of returns missed during tournament against quality servers. The priority of a goal is determined by the skill that needs the most work and so on. The opponent will pick on skills that lack in development relentlessly. The common flaw in playing matches is seen during the game. The player then goes to the practice court to fix the challenge and then test the skill again under match play conditions. Too many performance goals cause destruction of focus and performance will suffer as a result. Tennis players need to develop a plan to enhance performance and like the brick layer place one brick on the foundation at a time. Tennis like golf takes years to develop the skills and even then the professionals continue to practice their trade. The best practice to a 3-1 ratio for the knife must stay sharp to cut the intensity of competition day in and day out.