Competing with Confidence and Focus Throughout a Tournament

By Dave Yukelson, PhD, Past-President, Association for Applied Sport Psychology and Certified Mental Performance Consultant Emeritus

September 2023

In the many years I have worked with fencers at all levels of competition, I am often asked about helping them be more disciplined and focused throughout a long day of tournament competition. Why is it that, for no particular reason, some fencers come out flat in a particular pool bout or DE? Why do fencers sometimes slip into what I call “mind drift” or a “mental fog” out of nowhere, executing inexplicably the completely wrong action for a given situation?

In the field of sport psychology, we find top competitors in any sport have systematic routines and well-rehearsed mental plans for competition. Fencers need to understand the goals they want to accomplish on the strip technically, tactically, mentally and emotionally without burdening themselves with undue pressure. They can work on developing their mental game through practice and learn how to maximize and sustain their mental focus, so they are confident, committed and mentally tough while competing.

Fencing demands attentional flexibility and rapid shifting in decision making in order to stay focused in the present moment during a bout. Also of critical importance is the ability to control physiological activation levels, including heart rate, adrenaline, muscle tension and emotions. It is useful to think of the fencing as a blending of the skill set of the Zen warrior with that of the chess master (consider viewing the YouTube video Chess-Master-Zen Warrior).

In terms of mental plans, I start by creating an individualized mindset for success by asking fencers to describe what it is like when they are fencing well. They often say things like “I have good footwork and distance control, am precise with my actions and touches, confident not meek, trusting and decisive.”

We also address what typically happens when they lose their confidence and focus (e.g., failed attack, bad call from an official, muscles tightening up, being slow to react, etc.).

From that, I encourage them to create and write on a 3x5 card individualized cue words and carry it with them to look at before competing. This is to remind the fencer of the mindset and focus they want to carry with them throughout the tournament (such as bring my best focus forward, quick feet, read and react, be decisive and precise, commit and trust).

Sport psychologists also talk about the importance of on-strip routines in order to “click on” the focus and be engaged in what you are doing for each touch, each bout. Similarly, it is important to have a reset routine to quickly “flush” a mistake or bad call by an official and get to the next touch without getting stuck in “stinking thinking” or “mental goo.” If trying too hard or if frustration escalates, a reset suggestion might be “breathe, slow things down, walk to the end of the strip, flush, reset, let go, get to the next touch.”

I suggest that fencers work at home on their visualization skills. In addition to seeing themselves perform effectively, I encourage them to mentally rehearse coping-skill strategies to deal with mistakes or setbacks ahead of time in a positive and constructive manner. I might also remind them to “be where your feet are underneath you right here, right now” as a positive reminder to trust the process, keep battling and competing no matter what the situation is, and be the best competitor they can be each for touch, each pool bout, each DE.

Fencing tournaments can make for a very long day. Managing your time and mindset in-between bouts is so important. Time in-between pools and DEs can vary from tournament to tournament. There can be a lot of sitting and distractions that might cause the fencer to come out flat or not be ready to give a best effort. This is where your routine and mental plans for success come into play. Know what your core confidence is all about when it is time to compete, then energize, activate, and home-in on the task at hand.

In essence, everything comes back to how you get your mind and body mentally and emotionally ready to compete. Trust your preparation, believe in yourself, step into the moment and fence freely. When you focus on the process of being the best competitor you can be for every touch, every bout, every tournament, results will take care of themselves.