The announcers said it was maybe the greatest catch they had ever seen.
It was a shoo-in for Play of the Day on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
The crowd cheered, other players smiled and shook their heads in disbelief.
I have since watched a young boy throw a tennis ball to another who jumped high and barely missed the catch with one hand. I then heard the boy who threw the ball say “I thought you were going to Odell it”. This catch has become synonymous with amazing, unique, never seen anything like it, one in a million. But was it?
Yes it was amazing. But it wasn’t necessarily unique for Odell Beckham jr..
The video below is quite revealing.
It is Odell making similar catches during warm up. In other words he was practicing like he was going to perform. So when the opportunity presented itself in the game he had already nailed a bunch of those exact one handed “miracle” catches. So really it was just business as usual.
Practice it like you are going to perform it.
This is something I have told guitar students for years. One problem guitarists have is they can play a song really well sitting in their comfy office chair with headphones on at a low volume, but put them on stage and it can be a different story.
On stage they are standing instead of sitting, they have a loud amp and drums blasting in their ears and bright lights in their eyes. They are playing in front of people instead of alone in the comfort of their own home with an audience of none. These different conditions can make the simplest song suddenly seem impossible to play.
“The closer you simulate game time scenarios during your practice, the more effective your practice will be at preparing you for crunch time.” Â Â Click Here to Tweet This
When I am practicing my disc dog game of Toss and Catch (Where you have one minute to see how many 40 yard catches your dog can make) I often practice without my dog so I can work on my throws. However, I am always visualizing my dog being there. I call her name and encourage her to come back fast after the throw, I act out taking the disc from her and yell “Go, Go, Go” as I am throwing to encourage her to run down the field.
I do this while I am out there all by myself. Granted, I am sure my neighbors originally thought I was crazy shouting to the imaginary dog, but they are probably used to it by now. It is important to create a scenario as close to the real thing as I can, and if that makes me weird so be it. Practice it like you are going to perform it.
Two things you should simulate during your practice:
The actual skill itself, and the context or environment that the skill is performed in.
1. SKILL SIMULATION
Practicing things such as the mechanics of what you are working on, the repeatable motions, the mental processes. If you are a golfer you work on things like keeping your back swing smooth as you practice your long drive visualizing the green in the distance. Pay attention to the motion and hit points that you will encounter on every tee box.
2. CONTEXT/ENVIRONMENT SIMULATION
To practice the context that your skill will be used in, you may practice your golf shots from deep in the sand in the bunker. Or if the skill you are working on is one that is done under the pressure of time, make sure that you have a timer running. Or if there are some unique physical conditions you will have to perform under, make sure you spend some time in that mode during practice.
Take whatever you can from the performance situation and “do it like that” when you practice.
If you have spent enough time practicing in “game mode”, then when you jump up on stage and play the song perfectly, and look like you have done it a million times, it is no surprise. Or when time is running out in a competition and that last throw to my dog comes off as effortless even under pressure, it isn’t that big of a deal. As a matter of fact it is exactly what I expect – because that is how I have practiced it. Business as usual.
This has an amazing impact on your mental game as practicing performance situations will make you much more comfortable and relaxed during the real thing.
Performance situation practicing not only helps motor skills and your mental game, but it also helps you avoid frustration and keeps practice fun!
The “Miracle Catch” phenomenon.
I have also seen this ”Miracle Catch” phenomenon come into play in my musical career. When my band was touring, there was one song in particular that had a section full of stops and starts, riffs and licks. All coordinated between myself and my drummer and bass player. We all hit stops together, had synchronized riffs and played this very tight section exactly the same each night.
Many people would come up after the show and that was the song that they would comment on. “Wow, I can’t believe how you guys could play that so perfectly together”…Or “Sounded like you guys were just magically in each other’s minds and knew what the other guy was going to play.”
The thing about it was, that for us, it was one of the easier sections of the night. Why? Because we had rehearsed those stops and licks a million times. We had that section down and did it the same every time. We had prepared it for “game time” and done it just like we would on stage.
Of course as musicians that love to improvise we always get excited about playing the parts that we haven’t worked out where we get to push our musical boundaries together. But for really getting “ready for the game”, there is no substitute for repeatedly practicing it like you are going to perform it.
To those in the audience, the rehearsed start and stop section seemed like the hardest thing. For us it was business as usual.
So the next time you practice, be sure to include simulating “game time” scenarios for some of your practice session. That way when it is time to perform you will make those amazing moves look easy, because that is the way you have been practicing it, just like Odell.
Practice it like you are going to perform it, and it will turn “miracles” into business as usual.
Great stuff, thanks Jeff ! I started taking a cone to the field measure 40 yrds .Throw at it before. I run dogs ,then run them like I was at an event 1 min .session then swap dogs .Its helping ,working on my throw to be more consistent. And it get over the 40 yard Mark every time .
Paul, I am always amazed at how many people try to “guess” how far they are throwing it. So much better to at least roughly mark out your target! Glad you are seeing some progress from that!!
Great post. Since I’m a performing musician without rhoadies. My band mates and me practice our shows like we want to perform but, I also got them in the habit of practicing setting up, and tearing down all the gear. Lights, PA, and individual gear. That way when we hit the gig, there is no lag time standing around thinking about what to do.
That is a GREAT idea Gary! Often we think only about practicing the few hours or minutes of the actual performance, and forget about all the things around the performance that if done well and smooth – make the performance better, so it makes perfect sense to get better at those as well!
Appropriate that the song you referred to above is likely Welcome Home, which is consistent with your message. If you prepare consistently, you’ll feel right at home when it’s time to perform. Love the guidance in the new Practice material too. Great stuff as always!
“Feeling right at home” when it is time to perform is the perfect analogy for sure! Put your feet up, grab some snacks and a favorite beverage, and sink down into your easy chair. That is the kind of relaxed you want to be when you perform, and preparing in the right way can get you there!
Great illustration. It drives home the point. Practice it like you are going to play it! Well done!
Thanks Ron!