There are throwers out there in the axe-o-verse who are just exceptional at whatever nonsense you throw at 'em. You meet them during practice and they are nailing clutches and bulls as easily as you like. You meet them during leagues and they end up in the top 3 without even trying. You meet them at a tourney and they're yucking it up in between throws and somehow still end up with a trophy and whatever else happens when you win a tournament. I'm guessing you get a puppy named Hatchet, but that's maybe just me.
Well, dear reader, it should come as no shock to you that I am not one of those throwers. I do just fine in practice and do alright in leagues, but when it comes to an honest-to-gub tournament, I fall apart.
Point in fact, I remember distinctly during IATC that I felt like I hadn't thrown ever. Like, in my whole life. I was hucking axes at the target like a johnny-come-lately who just happened to be walking by and decided "well, jillikers, I'll give this a go!"
Bob, one of our resident pros and all-around fixture of axe throwing in Lancaster, recently brought up the challenge between everyday throwing and tournament throwing. They are truly two separate things, and the ability to understand that is an important step in moving past the yips/jitters/nerves of tournament time. So, now that my typical preamble is complete, let's get into it: here's why doing well in axe league doesn't mean you're gonna do well in a tournament.
THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AXE LEAGUE PERFORMANCE AND AXE TOURNEY PERFORMANCE
How do you like that for the ol' switcheroo? Yeah. I got you. I said one thing and then said the opposite thing right after. Man. I'm a good writer.
Tricky tricks aside, I think you know what I'm pointing out is true: there is no real difference between throwing during practice, or league, or a tourney. Sure, there are considerations like venue differences, whether it's a marathon, whether you're gonna go 100% clutch or play strategically, etc. - but the truth of the matter is that nothing universally changes your throw. Like, it's not a rule in axe throwing tourneys that you have to complete your 3 rounds whilst riding on a rollercoaster - you're still standing at the same distance, and aiming at the same points on some wood.
But, what's this? another twist?! Yes: there is a big difference. and it's what you're thinking and responding to.
TOURNEYS FEEL DIFFERENT BECAUSE YOUR BRAIN IS DOING THAT BRAIN STUFF.
Brains are weird lil' things. When they experience something different, they kinda go into overdrive to understand what's happening and why. So when you plop your noodle into strange or unique situations, it doesn't have that same clarity it does when you're, say, practicing axe throwing at your home venue.
To put it another way: when you're in your home league, your brain is able to focus a bit better and not under/over analyze like it might during an "away" tourney.
And this is a frustrating feeling, speaking from experience. In my case, I know what I should be doing, I know I can hit bulls and clutches, but for whatever reason I throw horribly at tourneys (hell, sometimes tourneys at my home venue, even). And then, oh boy. Listen. And THEN I think "c'mon, you know how to do this," so I become SELF-AWARE of my own bad throwing, and then I START OVERTHINKING HOW I'M OVERTHINKING.
And, sister, that's a tough spot to be.
OVERCOMING TOURNEY TROUBLES
I'll be honest with you, dear reader (unlike all the lies I've been telling in every other post? Why did I write that?), I haven't completely overcome my jitters at tourneys. I have hella social anxiety and I think a lot of my difficulties come from being around a whole lotta people - but even outside of that, my practice/league performance is typically a bit more consistent than my tourney performance.
Even with that being said, I do think I've been getting a lot better about translating my typical skill into my tourney skill. And it starts with exposing yourself.
Wait.
Wait.
No.
I mean it starts with exposing yourself to that environment. Your first tourney was (or is, if you haven't been to a tourney outside of league) probably tough for you, throwing wise. It's new, it's noisy, it's exciting and all of that. But after going to a few tourneys, you'll start feeling more comfortable. You'll be able to focus and throw like you do at league.
Because, honestly, while there are differences between practice and league and tourney-time, the trick of throwing your very best is to center yourself and look past those differences. By that I mean overcoming the feeling that everything is different, and instead become consistent no matter where you are. Have the same mindset when throwing, regardless of whether it's for practice or for bragging rights or for a trophy.
This is deffo easier said than done, but when I've thrown well it's because I've entered that elusive flow state of axe throwing, wherein I expect a lot out of myself, but I'm also not so focused on success or performance vs. whoever I'm throwing against.
I'm rambling a bit here, and I don't know if I've made the point I intended when I started this post. Let me try to give you a tl;dr version:
Throwing consistently between practice, league and tourneys is possible with familiarity and with a consistent mindset.
Honest to Pete I don't know if that makes a lick of sense. I've lost the trail, here.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, you're not going to get the performance you want out of tourney throwing until you get relaxed and familiar with tourney throwing, no matter how well you throw in leagues or practice. Damn it, was that so hard?
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