Sports Performance: Overview
How to Use the emWave® System
Reaching the next level of athletic performance depends upon the ability to regulate emotions and manage stress. Athletes who combine mental and emotional training with their physical training have a competitive advantage and are better equipped to enter into the peak performance zone more consistently.
Thoughts and emotions have a profound effect on the heart’s rhythm and this rhythm impacts performance. Under pressure, stressful thoughts and emotions cause the heart’s rhythm to become irregular and jagged. This incoherent pattern inhibits brain function and diminishes the visual field, reduces reaction speed and impairs decision making.
“The [emWave] software gives golfers the ability to identify when their heart is racing and do something about it. It gives them techniques to control themselves while under pressure and in tense situations so they can use those situations to their best advantage, both athletically and in life.”
— Laird Small, 2003 National PGA Teacher of the Year
Conversely, a positive mental and emotional state, not unlike being in the zone, creates a smooth, wave-like, coherent pattern that facilitates brain function and improves mental focus and physical coordination.
The emWave system is a training system for athletes who want to master their emotions. Athletes will see how thoughts and emotions affect the heart’s rhythm in real time and learn how to ‘get coherent’ on demand. By associating the changes on the screen with a more focused, calm internal state, athletes are better equipped to maintain a state of physiological coherence and balance—the Zone—anytime, in any situation, in or out of the game!
You can learn more about heart rhythms and coherence in the Science Section.
Who can benefit from the emWave system:
- Coaches and trainers wanting to bring out the best in athletes.
- Serious athletes looking for that competitive edge.
- Casual athletes wanting to improve their game.
- Young athletes wanting to get more consistent results.
- Any individual looking to improve athletic and sports performance.
A tool for success!:
- The Quick Coherence® technique can be consistently applied in many athletic and training situations.
- Real time heart rhythm and coherence feedback.
- Easily incorporated into a training schedule.
- Easy to use and takes just minutes a day.
- Results are immediate, measurable and sustained.
- Utilization of the techniques can be transferred to other areas of your life.
Whether using emWave system for yourself or as a coach, it is strongly recommended that you go through the Tutorial and the Coherence Coach® to have full understanding of the emWave system including the science behind the technology and the Quick Coherence technique.
When’s the Best Time to Practice?
Just like any skill, it takes practice to achieve and sustain coherence. Whether you use your emWave system once a day or once a week, it’s most effective when used on a regular basis. Consistent practice, especially when first learning how to build coherence is important. Unlike the physical training, the emWave system requires no recovery time. You can’t ‘over train’!
Most athletes find that adding emWave practice sessions into their training schedule accelerates their ability to shift into a positive emotional state and coherence on demand. You’ll want to use the Quick Coherence technique often. Especially anytime you’re stressed at work, at school or at home. The more you practice the greater your ability to get into the peak performance zone.
Practice Tips:
- Use your emWave system regularly, at least once a week.
- Use it before practice for added focus and balance.
- Use it after practice as a way to reflect on what went well and leave emotionally charged.
- Track your sessions to measure and evaluate your progress.
- Increase your challenge level once you consistently reach 100% high coherence.
- Play the games for added fun and enjoyment.
- Use the emWave system as part of your ‘game’ preparation along with stretching and other warm up exercises.
- Track your performance improvements. For example, did your drive distance or fairway accuracy improve? Has your free throw percentage improved? What happened to your serving accuracy on the tennis court?
- When using the emWave system prior to training or a competitive event, notice the relationship between performance and coherence scores.
For Coaches and Trainers—How to Use the emWave system with your Athletes:
Begin by explaining why the emWave system can play a vital role in a training regimen. Ask your athletes if they’ve ever experienced being in the “Zone”, the experience of having mind, body, and heart in alignment resulting in a seemingly effortless and near perfect performance. Most athletes have had an experience similar to this and can relate. Relay to the athletes that the emWave system will train them to have more control in getting into the peak performance zone.
Points to Note:
- Physical training provides athletes with increased strength, muscle memory, increased flexibility, and faster reaction times. However, the physical part of athletics is just one component. Mental and emotional training is a component that some athletes dismiss, but is crucial in maintaining composure under stress and to improving athletic performance.
- The emWave system provides a simple and effective technology that gives athletes a real time training facility with the ability to increase emotional muscle, reaction speed and accurate decision making.
When your athlete first sits down in front of the software you should take them through a few of the features in the emWave system before starting a session.
- Take them through the Quick Coherence technique by using the Coherence Coach. Have them practice the Quick Coherence technique for a few minutes and make sure they understand it.
- Take them through the science section of the Tutorial. This is a brief overview of the basis for the technology and will give them increased assurance in the effectiveness of the system.
- Start a session. Show them their heart rhythms and explain to them what the various charts and graphs mean as explained in the Tutorial.
- After a couple of minutes have them practice the Quick Coherence technique. You can coach them through this if you think they need it. You can paraphrase the Quick Coherence technique. For step 3, suggest they remember a time when they performed at their peak or won an event, etc. and relive the experience.
Enjoy using your emWave system and building your new emotional muscle.
Related Links:
For additional support, please see the HeartMath Knowledge Base at:
Support: http://support.heartmath.com
Or, send your question in email to Technical Support Send Mail