Yes! In fact, it happens all the time. Let me explain how this is possible. Many times I have worked with swimmers who have been technically better and faster than another competitor, yet they were consistently beaten by these competitors at meets. Even more frustrating, they quite often put in better training times than their competitors, only to find themselves battling to catch them in the meets.
What these swimmers lacked was the mental edge over these swimmers. This mental edge simply creates opportunities which may not otherwise be there for you in that race on that particular day. This mental edge often includes many different factors, one of which I will mention one today. This is a subject has won many races for swimmers who simply weren’t as fast as their competitors, but they managed to score a psychological win. The subject is body language.
Every single moment you are at the pool, without even knowing it, you are unconsciously showing your competitors your level of self-confidence. Simple aspects in your body language often gives away valuable information to other swimmers, and so it is essential to only send out signals which say "I feel great, I'm relaxed, and I’m ready to go!". Your body language plainly shows your competitors whether you are feeling confident, relaxed and self-assured, or whether you are lacking in confidence and feeling nervous about the race to come.
When you demonstrate confidence to your competitors (whether you actually feel that way or not) it can affect them in two ways. Firstly it often makes them wonder where you got that sort of confidence from, which often triggers negative thoughts in their mind before the race. Secondly, it often forces them to examine themselves and question their own confidence, asking themselves such questions as "Am I as confident as they are?" As soon as they begin thinking these thoughts, they have handed you the mental edge for that race! This means that they will assume that you have the edge on them, and their mind will program their body accordingly for that race.
This is a fabulous effect on your competitors when you have not even said a word to them! The funny part about this is that you may not actually be feeling confident at all, all you’ve done is just make them think that you feel confident! And the added payback is that when you begin to act confident, you very soon begin to feel that way anyway.
So what unconscious signals do you give out to other swimmers? Are you exuding confidence and relaxation, or stress and nerves? Here are some things to watch for in your body language when you are at a meet; firstly, always keep your head up, never allow your head to drop towards the ground, as this always gives the appearance of a person who doesn’t feel confident enough to make eye contact.
Secondly, smile and laugh a lot, rather than having a tense look for the world to see. Remember, winners are grinners! This very often unsettles competitors, when they see how relaxed you appear! Additionally, smiling has also been scientifically shown to relax the body through a variety of relaxing chemicals it releases into your system.
Yet another aspect is to walk around confidently, as if you are already the champion of the pool, not as if the weight of the world is on your shoulders. If you do feel nervous, don’t let anyone detect it from your behavior, act relaxed and in control at all times, as this will not only fool your competitors, but quite often improve your own emotional state as well. If you want to feel relaxed, begin acting relaxed, and miraculously you may begin to experience feelings of tranquility beginning to wash over you.
Most importantly, never, ever show feelings of negativity, nervousness or any other ‘vulnerability’ to your competitors, until you are away from their view. Act positively no matter what, as if you don't have a worry in the world, and eventually word will get around that absolutely nothing ever seems to bother you!
They may start thinking of you as a machine, who is totally unaffected by setbacks - a bit like the Terminator in the Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, or the ‘Iceman’ in Top Gun. Eventually no-one will ever bother trying to unsettle or intimidate you before races again, in fact they may become quite psyched out by swimming against you. Absolutely no-one wants to swim against a machine!
So be aware of the subconscious signals your body language is giving out to other swimmers, they can be either a huge psychological weapon or a major disadvantage, the choice is yours. It has often been said, to become a champion, firstly begin acting like one. This saying may be even truer than it sounds. Many champions copied the mannerisms and behavior of their idols when they were young, and this may well have been their key to their success. Think of a champion you admire, and begin copying their most impressive habits. You may be surprised at the results.
Swimmer's Mental Edge - Mind Training Tips for Swimmers
From Craig Townsend
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