March 16, 2011

Space and Time: Focus on TRANSITIONS



It's been a while since I've posted on the blog. Partly because of life getting busy and also because I am not sure people are actually reading the blog. However, I will not let that deter me anymore. I made a commitment to write at least 3 blog posts per week, I'm going to stick with it.

As I teach and coach more, I'm seeing the importance of TRANSITIONS. The space and time in between is what transitions are all about. It happens with music, written word, sports, etc. Life is not just a series of snap shots. It is a wonderful flow that moves us forward in time and it's the space and time in between events and activities that make it exciting and meaningful.

Recently, I've been working extensively with baseball and yoga. Yoga is pretty constant but tis the season for baseball, and unfortunately the injuries that can come with increased demand on bodies that are not prepared for it, but I digress.

Looking at the the yoga sequence, we see all of the "poses" in the Sun Salutation/Surya Namaskar. We see what the pose is supposed to look like with the drawing but what's so important is HOW we got into the pose. How our body is sequenced and coordinated to get there is just as, if not more, important than the actual pose since the quality of how we get in and out of them determines the quality of the actual pose.


It's the same thing with baseball. We see that the sequencing of the motions in the body and how well coordinated they are are directly proportionally linked to the effectiveness and efficiency of the throw. Better sequencing of the entire body leads to increased sustained velocity and decreased injury. However, we have to know how work with the transitions between the "stages" of the throw. It cannot be willy-nilly and done haphazardly. I believe for 98% of people, the basics of the skill, must be broken down into parts, then connected, and then integrated into the skill. If not, we just will see "snap shot" pitching with dysfunctional and painful arms. For the other 2%, well, consider yourself the "naturals" but keep working harder to get better.

Is paying attention to the transitions difficult? Of course it! Very few people want to look in between the spaces. It's not sexy or glamorous, BUT it is the key to success and growth.

Questions? Comments? Please direct them below or send me an email at will@3doptimalperformance.com

Have a great day!

Will
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2 comments:

  1. MattCastBMarch 17, 2011 at 7:06 AM

    Good stuff Will. Baseball aside, as we roll or grapple, I can see how important even the tiniest adjustment in movement or position can make an enormous difference in the outcome and effectiveness of the movement.

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  2. Will StewartMarch 17, 2011 at 11:09 AM

    Matt, yessir. Grappling is definitely included. I think you are dead on about the tiniest adjustment in movement in position intensely effecting outcome. Those little adjustments come in between the spaces of the big movements and they make or break a session. Unfortunately, many coaches/participants are not as focused as you and they miss the little movements that are underneath the bigger movements and how they got there. I think when folks start tuning into those, regardless of the discipline or activity, they would see a whole other world of possibilities.

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