Well the election is over, and perhaps it’s my age, or that I was hyper focused on the issues that are important to me, but I’m exhausted.

A lot of people thrilled, while many others are frustrated at the results….

I zeroed in on the people who are frustrated because it is the #1 emotion I see as a throws coach…

… whether you are a thrower, or a throws coach trying to better your understanding of how to teach such a technique heavy sport, frustration can be your enemy!

The biggest reason throwers fail is due to how they handle the frustration that will inevitably happen as you strive to become a better thrower.

Frustration is something that quickly needs to be shifted to a solution based action,because on-going frustration is a massive performance killer… it’s the throwing kiss of death.

Every year there will be the throwers that simply get too frustrated too often, and the frustration gets in the way of staying open-minded to find ways out of the problem.

Typically, the scenario goes something like this…

The thrower can’t figure out Pillar 1 & 2, and by now you should know that, that means the throw is toast and all kinds of shit is gonna go wrong.

After about 6 unsuccessful throws, or drills, and usually me saying ” NOPE!” …lol…

… the thrower’s response comes along the lines of “Ugh!!!”, and then the look of “WTF! You don’t understand coach, I just can’t do it!” or, my favorite… “I don’t think this is right…”

For the thrower, the solution to a Pillar challenge is typically an ungodly amount of drill reps to train the new movement pattern… and that takes serious mental fortitude…. Gotta grind!

As a coach, I must do my best to not get frustrated as well, and this happens every year with a few athletes, and I nip this in the bud ASAP.

There is a right way to deal with frustration as a coach, or thrower, and an unproductive way.

The key, as a coach, is to get the athlete out of this pattern quickly.

Most of the time, the frustration is rooted in insecurity and fear.

The “what if I fail” dialog begins to dominate the mental dialog, and when it becomes continuous noise, the thrower is gonna tank… and fast, because every little mistake is going to be over scrutinized and that gets in the way of learning.

… Trust me, when an entire practice, or two, or several stalls happen due to frustration trumping patience, the training is just wasted time; and that’s why it must stop!

This sport is too damn difficult to waste time. It takes so many reps, and if a thrower stands in their own way… THAT’S FRUSTRATING!

Now listen, I completely understand….

I threw too. I remember days when I was pissed, but I would throw for hours until I figured out what I was doing wrong. I turned my frustration into determination!

As a coach, I always am sure to quickly tell the thrower “if you get too frustrated you’re killing your progress, it’s a total waste of time, so let it go and relax or you will ruin your practice.“

So let me be clear… How a thrower handles frustration is going to determine their ability to succeed as a thrower.

You know you’ve seen it before…

… the kid at the meet that’s embarrassed because they are throwing badly, and they make it worse by putting pressure on themselves, and they just go down-hill and crash.

Coaches and throwers must understand the mental game is a MAJOR part of developing successful throws … especially when it matters most, in competition!

I’ve had my share of head cases- to put it nicely- and I had to change my style of coaching slightly to ensure that they succeeded.

There are a lot to things that will contribute to frustration in the throw, but by using the Throwing Chain Reaction™ system you will simplify training and reduce frustration.

Often time, technical development struggles will stem from the KCR, Kinetic Chain reaction, which we cover in our online Strength Training for Throwers Course. This means there are legit physical limitations that make it nearly impossible to throw far.

But no matter how good you are as a coach, no matter how good the throwing system is, or how great the weight training program is, the mental frustration battle must be won.

If you want to see the mental game in action, check out the Olympic trials this year….

You will see some of the best throwers in the nation falling apart as they try to adjust to the weather, the pressure of this intense competition…

… and how anyone who tried to force it, instead of relaxing and performing the throw as it is intended, fell short; some of the biggest and best didn’t make the final… but my guy got 4th!

why? Well, all I did for 3 days was focused on keeping him relaxed and mentally prepared for throwing in the rain. I told him he had the advantage technically (due tot he TCR™ system), and he went into that competition believing he could win…

… and his performance showed that.

So, I encourage coaches and throwers to turn those struggles into determination to conquer the challenges…

… It’s the biggest key to becoming a successful thrower or coach.

… And dare I say it’s kind of addicting.

I love the challenge. I thrive on it. I’m always determined to beat it. I want to conquer the problem. I get amped by it.

I never give up on an athlete- or a coach, and that has served me and my Arete Nation of throwers well.

The key is to never let the frustration hit the tipping point.

If it does…. progress over!!

You must get it on track. Learn to change the channel and get into a winning frame of mind, because what a throwers does it in practice- good or bad- they’ll do it in competition.

As coach who teaches other coaches and throwers the technical ins-and-outs of throws technique and lifting…

… it’s easy to forget about the mental game, and prepping throwers to be mentally tough is critical.

That’s one thing all the greats have in common: MENTAL GAME DOMINATION!

Look at Michelle Carter at the Olympics…

It’s her final throw, and she basically has to throw an American Record to win…. SHE DID!

That’s some serious mental grit, and I get fired up just thinking about it.

So, as you learn a lot of throwing technique in the TCR™ system…

… and I mean A LOT, don’t forget that the mental side is HUGE for throwers.

Mental domination is just another part of what you have to work not only as a thrower, but as a coach too!… it will always serve you well.

Train smart.

Coach Johnson

P.S. WE’VE GOT YOUR COACHING NEEDS COVERED:

We will discuss the mental side of coaching in our upcoming live TCR 2.0 Throws coaches course that starts next Tuesday.

All session are recorded for replay and posted the next morning in case you can’t attend live.

You can submit questions live, or email them, and they are addressed in Q&A during each module.

Please email at coach@aretethrowsnation.com

Each module will start at 6pm (PST) is better for your ability to attend.

If you want into the course, details are here.

P.S.S. Throws camps are filling up in So Cal and AZ. Click here for camp details.

TCR system for a limited time includes the TCR 2.0 course and Strength Training for throwers course ($334 value) Get in now while you get it ALL! Click here to check it out.