The Mentality of “Players Who Are Strong Within the Team but Can’t Win Tournaments”

Among the world’s top athletes, it is becoming standard practice not only to bring along a physical coach who supports their physical condition, but also a trainer who specializes in mental support. Compared with European and American players, Japanese athletes tend to be somewhat less self-reliant and are more likely to be swept along by the surrounding atmosphere or lose confidence. Against that backdrop, Yoshinori Okazawa has taken on personal mental support roles for the Japan Table Tennis national team and Olympic medalists since the 1980s. He has also worked on the front line for many years as a mental trainer in other sports, including professional baseball.
This time, the theme is an analysis of players who are strong within the team but cannot bring out their ability in matches against outside opponents.

The “practice vs. match” reversal in performance brought on by personality traits

　A concern many coaches and players face is the phenomenon of players who are overwhelmingly strong in intra-team leagues but cannot perform in official tournaments and end up losing. On the other hand, there are also players who barely stand out in ordinary practice or within the team, yet produce surprisingly good results once a tournament begins.