I think the techniques have improved (I’m not sure that’s the right word. Maybe changed is better.) a lot over the past few years, particularly with the growth of digital video. The techniques I’ve seen recently for golfers include the use of subliminal video images and trigger words to not only implant certain ideas but also to change the way we frame the race/game/contest in our minds. So much of the race is mental now, at least for the professionals. How often do we hear a world-class racer have a bad night and say, “I just wasn’t feeling it” or “I just wasn’t comfortable tonight”?

The difference between a 46.2 and a 45.9 lap time is often how comfortable you feel and how fast you can process all the data coming at you during the race. And those three tenths can mean a drop from 1st or 2nd to 10th or 12th place over 20 laps.

From what I can gather there is a good bit of evidence that these modern techniques can be very effective at improving our perceptions of all the things going on around us during a stressful event. There’s no magic here, and nothing that’s going to make a B rider a Top Ten guy over night. Nor do I believe they will let you go faster than you can — that’s the sum total of your talent, training, and experience. But I will bet that they are very effective at eliminating the mental barriers that prevent you from reaching your potential on any given night.

I don’t know of any such product developed for the MX community, and even if some guys were using one they might not talk about it. But I would sure like to know if anyone is. I’d be surprised if guys looking for an extra three-tenths of a second aren’t doing something like this.

Thanks
Perry

Thank you very much!

Thank you.
John