I can see both sides of this. Guys winning NCAA championships are freaks. There are different ways to think about these qualities. One might believe that hard work, practicing when others are sleeping, studying Russian esoterica from chechenfighters.com, whatever Dake is into these, etc is responsible for this freakishness. Once they believe in this connection, their success is tied to it. Deviation threatens failure.
I'll give you what might seem like a frivolous example, Jordan Oliver had this preoccupation with elaborate taping of his shoes/laces. I've not talked to him about it, but I bet he would have felt out of sorts without the appropriate taping ritual (The tennis guru Brad Gilbert has a section of his book "Winning Ugly" arguing for the efficacy of such things. His point was that these fetishes indicate that the athlete is focusing on competing.) As with Nomar Garciaparra's pre-pitch dance, the placebo effect of these rituals eventually have a nocebo effect. I think the same could be true of almost any training regimen. The athlete will cling to thebroutine until its efficacy is questioned by failure.
On the other hand, there are the rare athletic freaks who can't trick themselves this way. I think Joseph might be one. I remember practicing with PCC the week of Iron Man. I scheduled the co-practice so that my guys could see/feel what it was like to train with a one-of-one talent. It didn't go as I had hoped. Joseph, noticably smaller and pudgier than my 45, began practice by sitting on the wall with his shoes off. He sat there while everybody else was doing the run-around, plyo warm up thing. He evetually put his shoes on, walked around talking, and maybe did some tech analysis/drill/wrestle/horseplay. He even left the room a few times. Tbh I had no idea what he was doing.
I'm certain he didn't do this everyday, but the fact that he did it one day is telling. He didn't seem tied to any sort of ritual.
t.co
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