Mark Burik (00:14.532)
Okay, we are live on Facebook and we are live on YouTube. What's up everybody? My name is Mark Barak and I am with Better at Beach volleyball. Today we've got Christoph Dressler from Austria, FIVB player, multiple time champion, and he is also getting his PhD in performance psychology. And so,
He's developing on the side, we're talking on the side about some mental training, mindset training, and he may or may not come on board with Better at Beach and run some courses for us. But either way, if you need help with your mindset, your mental training, and anything sports psychology, he is an absolute must follow. So get engaged with him and he's developing programs as we speak.
So I hope you go and you follow him and you enjoy the things that he has to offer. Today we have a quick 19 minute video analysis. So if you're listening on our podcast, I want you to head on over to the Better It Beats YouTube channel. You'll actually be able to see the film that we are talking about. And as far as quick announcements go, we've got some upcoming camps that I want you to know about. So.
January 17th, we've got three or four spots left for January 17th in St. Petersburg, Florida. That's actually at my Airbnb in Florida. So we've got a little private volleyball court. It's only a 10 person camp. And like I said, we've got three spots left. January 24th, we're going to be in Grand Sands in Loveland, Ohio.
And we've got a 10 person women's AAA in St. Pete, Florida. So January 24th, ladies, AAA players, if you want to come hang out in Florida, in St. Petersburg for three days, you are welcome. February 14th and 15th, I'm headed back to Salt Lake City for an all levels two day camp. And in March, we've got Ozark, Missouri for all levels, March 7th to 9th.
Mark Burik (02:31.812)
And March 14th to 16th, we're going to be in New Orleans, as well as the 21st to the 23rd in Long Island, New York. And finally, we're going to Vegas, baby. March 28th to 30th. If you want to come to Las Vegas, Nevada, we have got a three day camp for all levels at Sunset Park in Las Vegas. So you can find all of that at better beach.com forward slash camps.
That's all from me. Kristoff, we were talking off camera about, you said that you had a four step process for a serve routine for getting into the right mindset, getting your best serve. So just jumping right in, could you share a little bit about that?
Christoph Dressler (03:21.633)
Yeah, yeah, of course. First of all, thanks for the very nice intro, Yeah, nice to be here again. So yeah, about the surf, the good thing about this surf is that's something where you're uninterrupted. Yeah, it's an element in beach volleyball where it's really just about you. So in passing or sapling on the tuck, there's always some interference, but in surf.
you have the time to create a ritual a ritual which is like every time the same and the more often you do it the more it gets automatized that's a huge advantage because the more it's automatized the more stable and secure your serve will also get and yeah there usually comes it's good to have some basics understanding
Also about your brain and your psychology, but I will dive right into the four steps so that you can directly try it. Yeah. So the most important thing about your brain would be to know it's a, it's an unbelievable supercomputer. Yeah. For your brain, it's easy to compute to put the ball right on the line or like exactly on one spot. For your brain, it's not a difficult task.
difficult task is more to regulate yourself into a state where you're able to perform this task. Yeah. So, and with this, the ritual and self-regulation helps. and the four steps would be like this. The first one would be to exactly look and define the position where you want to serve.
You really need to look there because your eyes are kind of giving a signal to the brain. And there are studies showing the last moment where your eyes look at in basketball or in volleyball, that's where your hit or shot is going to end. So that's why you want to have it.
Mark Burik (05:35.774)
Interesting. bet like the immediate, I bet like the immediate argument is, if I look where I'm going to serve every time, then I'm going to give it away. But then my counter to that is, dude, everyone knows who you're serving it anyway. Like we pick one target, that guy knows he's getting served the whole game. So I wouldn't stress on that over your accuracy, like getting a good serve. But yeah, that's interesting. Cause everybody's going to be like, I'm going to look where I serve every time. I want to surprise them.
Christoph Dressler (05:44.812)
Yes.
Christoph Dressler (06:02.531)
yes, this you can counteract. It's enough if you look there once and then you can look to a different spot. Or you can peripheral fairly. You just need to give at least an internal signal. So just an internal signal within yourself. Okay, that's the spot. You just need to define it.
The second step, go more into... The task is to go into a state, like you feel like you have already served there. So you need to give your brain the signal, you have already successfully served there. Not, am going to. So you want to feel and go into a state, like you have already done this.
That's the second step. Because if you're kind of giving... Your brain is quite a precise instrument. So if you tell it, I will try to surf there. You will do this, you will try and try and incorporate mistakes. But no, you want to give yourself the signal, I have already done this. It should feel...
stable within yourself. And of course it needs exercise. If you exercise with this intention, you become more efficient.
Mark Burik (07:42.566)
so it's like if I'm squatting a heavier weight than I've ever squatted before, instead of saying, I'm going to get this up. It's kind of like the feeling. know, when bros scream out like lightweight, like you're already saying, this is easy. I've done it. I'm I have already completed this task. And I guess it goes into like the visualization that you practice off the court as well. When the experts tell you.
Christoph Dressler (07:55.479)
Yeah.
Mark Burik (08:09.036)
visualize yourself from the outside, performing skills successfully before you step on the court, and then visualize yourself now being the first person and feel what it's like to have that done successfully, even, you know, before you get on the court. So it makes total sense that you would do that right before the serve and then see yourself, feel yourself having already done it.
Christoph Dressler (08:34.103)
Yeah, and the good thing is this exercise you can do in two ways. You can do it literally on the chord, which I would recommend doing two to three times per week, like for 10 to 20 repetitions. And always follow the four steps. And you can also do it laying at home in bed. Just going through the four steps, both will reinforce this pattern. So also when you just visualize, will...
create neural connections in your brain which strengthen your serve. so first step behind the spot.
Mark Burik (09:11.288)
I think, I think one important thing for some people to realize is that when you visualize, and you do those mental routines, you're actually building true neural connections that work for you when you do it physically. And so there's a structural and physiological change in your brain and in your nervous system, connecting to your muscles that
helps develop patterns when you actually visualize. But people think it's just a mind thing, but it's a mind muscle connection where, like you said, you're building actual synapses when you're doing this. So it's not just like kind of hocus pocus, believe in it, you know, it's you're building true pathways. And they did that experiment with basketball players where they had people visualize.
Themself making a shot and shoot then they had players who? only shot and they had players who visualized making the shot, but they didn't practice and The practice plus visualization beat everybody over a large percentage and the people who visualized beat the people who didn't
Right? So like even without practicing, they became better at shooting basketball by imagining themselves and going through a mental routine to get it in. So a pretty crazy and another study like there that just backs this up and supports it.
Christoph Dressler (10:49.443)
Yeah, these studies were often successfully repeated. So there's really hard evidence confirming this. yeah. Yeah, so step three would be, this is where your ritual comes in. So the first steps are kind of internal, defining the spot, going into a state. I have already done this.
Mark Burik (11:01.23)
So step three.
Christoph Dressler (11:19.595)
and then comes something manual, like an act for example, like you spin the ball three times or you throw it up and catch it or you clap on it once so some ritual the same, should be easy and quick which kind of brings you more into the state I have already done this this ritual, this routine should
Just confirm this.
And in the fourth step, here I always bring in analogy. So when archers, especially in Japan, that's how they teach bow and arrow. So when you shoot an arrow at the target, first you define where it should go.
then you pull the tension and you actually don't actively release it's kind of you let it happen in the fourth step you really want to go out of your thinking mind you want it in the first three steps you're building up clearly this intention of having surf there in the fourth step
there comes this moment shortly before you hit the ball where you need to let it go because the most efficient you're not when you're thinking and thinking every movement through in a hit no, it's actually when you let it happen when you let your body do what it can do and that's why and where you also need practice
Mark Burik (13:19.086)
That's gotta be the hardest part. not, you ever see that movie where he's like, no, no, no, you're trying too hard. You're trying too hard. Like do less, do nothing. And he's trying to teach him how to surf. Just laying on a surfboard. Now you're not doing anything. Like it's so hard to try to do something, but not try to do it.
Christoph Dressler (13:19.629)
Yeah, yeah.
Christoph Dressler (13:32.835)
Yeah.
Christoph Dressler (13:36.503)
Yeah.
Christoph Dressler (13:42.423)
Yeah, yeah, this this is also often quoted in movies. Yeah, let it happen or however you want to say it. And that's that's also the task. I think this is what what often makes the difference if you become good at something or if you exceed all expectations. Yeah. When you are able to exceed the thinking mind, because after everything I know,
thinking in sports, like actively thinking and a lot of thinking is counterproductive. Yeah, because you, you come into a certain brainwave activity, which is called the beta activity, like quite high activity. And this, can inhibit your fine motor performance. You want to be able to down regulate to.
slower wave patterns, they're called alpha brain wave patterns and that's where flow states and optimal performance occupies place. But this gap between beta to alpha. yeah.
Mark Burik (14:52.558)
So it's interesting to me. So I talked to John Mayer a lot on an old episode of this podcast. He's coaching expert, loves data, loves science. he also, JM Plummer, one of our better beach coaches became one of their students and introduced me to something I had unconsciously been doing, but also helped me stop doing totally as a coach. And it was...
having people think about what their body is doing. You know, when, when we coach, they, call it basically like internal coaching. Like, are you thinking about the fact that your elbows are straight or the fact that like, need to get my elbow back in order to serve? Well, yeah, you have to know what that looks like. But if you're doing that,
while trying to perform the skill and that's your main focus focusing on something inside your body that's mechanically connecting to hope to do to hope to get the outcome you're actually less likely over time to do that
So instead we either impose restrictions or bonuses and then the focus, like you said, becomes external. So all of your feedback, your, your four steps to locking in your serve. At no point did you talk about a technical part, like getting your elbow back, throwing your hips through, reaching high, any of that, everything was externally focused. And so.
These studies that you're talking about in this process is also backing up how I'm trying to help coaches coach and say like, please stop trying to get people to think about their individual body parts and what they're doing while you're giving an external goal for them. You know, like if you want them to hit harder, you're not gonna constantly have them focus on what their hand shape is. Okay, give them that information.
Mark Burik (17:03.138)
but then pick something external like, okay, you've got to break a glass wall in the middle of the court as opposed to move your arm faster. Like that's an external versus an internal. And I think that's on par with what you're saying and teaching here.
Christoph Dressler (17:20.419)
Yeah, this makes a lot of sense. I like this school of thought with your teaching here. I could maybe add...
Mark Burik (17:28.866)
Have you ever read the language of coaching?
Christoph Dressler (17:32.685)
Sorry, the language of coaching.
Mark Burik (17:33.41)
The Language of Coaching. Yeah, I think I'm getting that title right.
Christoph Dressler (17:39.145)
I don't know but I should check it,
Mark Burik (17:42.4)
It's yeah, so it's, I've been reading this book. It's the language of coaching, the art and science of teaching movement. And it is like exactly on par with what you're saying, for just basically getting a servant and consistent.
Christoph Dressler (17:50.328)
More.
Christoph Dressler (17:59.256)
Yeah.
I have to read it, it sounds very interesting. Maybe one thing I can add from my experience, how we always used to learn and then we can see, if it made sense. But usually it was like this in our pre-season. So when we knew, okay, we have now three months time, then our coaches gave us technical instructions. We were talking about
how to receive. Then we had maybe some time to work on the swing, where I was watching more my body movement or to reach the ball really high. But I think there comes a period and I typically say at least three weeks before your first competition where I would strongly advise to stop worrying about your technique.
because it will not be the deciding factor anymore and I think you don't have time. think then it's really about the result, yeah? So that you're able to score in very fast and unpredictable movement patterns, yeah? You don't know what the opponent will do, yeah? And you need to be fast and I think you cannot think, okay, I need to do everything with perfect technique, yeah? Because I don't...
Mark Burik (19:08.92)
Mm.
Mark Burik (19:28.322)
Yeah, I've gone into that as a defender. Yeah. Like as a defender, there was a period of time where I was working on my sprint and chase mechanics. And I was worried with, with like how my legs would look if I was using an open step or a crossover step to start. And the more I thought about that in game situations, the slower I was. I was so focused on having a perfect start that
Christoph Dressler (19:29.091)
I think it's an important picture. Sorry?
Mark Burik (19:52.738)
My body and my brain weren't even free enough to read what was happening in the play, you know? So as opposed to, okay, get in training and then forget about what your body's doing. Hopefully you locked it in during training and it's become a movement pattern for you. It's built into your nervous system. But if now you're trying to fix a technique during play, you're going down the wrong path.
Christoph Dressler (20:21.645)
Yeah, yeah. Yes, yeah. And I think it's so complex that maybe it's even not even beneficial doing everything with the perfect technique. Because sometimes you maybe just need to play it lower, yeah, or whatever. So I think it's good to learn it in your preseason, but then when you play, play, yeah, and play freely.
Mark Burik (20:41.635)
Yep.
Mark Burik (20:50.434)
Yeah. And find games or something external to make you do the technique instead of making the goal do the technique. Set some type, like if you want to reach high, OK, for a little while, tie a rope six inches higher on the net. Get yourself to be able to hit that ball instead of.
Thinking I have to reach high. have to get my arm up thinking how do I hit down over this rope? Okay, then you've got like an external thing that's encouraging the proper technique instead of thinking about your individual body parts and we even do that with passing we put big balloons under people's shirts and Then I'll tell them to build their platform. I say do not let your arms touch the balloon Like if you touch the balloon you pop it
Christoph Dressler (21:24.663)
Yeah.
Christoph Dressler (21:44.717)
Hmm.
Mark Burik (21:47.032)
And that's it, you know, so they're not really thinking about their arms or just creating some space. And then I don't need to tell them to keep their elbow straight or anything like that. Or like get your hips back. Like that's another way to say, put your shoulders forward and your hip back and your hips back. But you just gave them a tool where they're forced to do it.
Christoph Dressler (22:07.405)
Yeah, I like it a lot and I think it's exactly where coaching is going at this moment to put these external keys and I also feel like it's easier, especially this exercise which you said, okay, where you hit over the high net, this makes you do the right thing. I also think you learn faster this way.
Mark Burik (22:15.042)
should go.
Mark Burik (22:32.248)
Have you read the Inner Game of Tennis?
Christoph Dressler (22:37.196)
yes, yes, long, long time ago,
Mark Burik (22:41.484)
Yeah, was like, it was written in like the seventies or something, but all the lessons that he learned were exactly what like the science is backing up right now, where he said like, I stopped myself from talking and I would just show. I would only show the technique and I decided to like take a few weeks to not talk while coaching.
Christoph Dressler (22:44.695)
Yeah.
Mark Burik (23:05.78)
And he's like, I was getting better results from my athletes instead of telling them how to roll their wrist over or start from low to high or fix your arm or anything. And like, just by creating visual demonstrations and having them repeat without words, he was becoming more successful than he was when he was like having a five minute discussion on what their arm and wrist were doing through a swing.
Christoph Dressler (23:32.333)
Yeah, and I think for me a main reason is the danger if you explain and talk too much, you overload with information, kind of put your athletes in the thinking mode. And that's actually where you not want to have them. You want them to be present and engaged in what's actually happening. I think your thinking mode is just too slow for a fast-paced sport.
But unfortunately, thinking about everything is very engraved in our society. So that's what we kind of need to learn as an athlete to find this off switch. We are engaged in what's actually happening.
Mark Burik (24:21.284)
Well, hey, I know that this one is short, so this is probably going to be a great episode for people to just put on on their way to the gym or on their way to practice. And if you guys enjoyed it, go ahead and share it. It's going to be on YouTube. It's going to be in our podcasts as well. We're going to get into our complete beach volleyball blueprint meeting with our members. And if Kristoff decides to join us there, then we'll have a little Q and a, and even talk more about some mental training, but.
We're headed out. got to go work with our members. If you guys want to come to camp better at beach.com forward slash camps. If you want to join our full program with workouts, we have our own little mindset training program in there as well as all of our skill courses. can head over to better beach.com forward slash coaching. And of course,
You need to follow Christoph Dressler because I think off camera, just convinced him to share all of his knowledge as much as he can online, having to do with his expertise. And, you know, it comes from a true actual champion. he's, he's put his money where his mouth is going to be. So, Christoph, I want to thank you. I appreciate your time coming again. Sorry that are off camera.
talk ran a little bit long and this is a short one, but bite size is nice for the audience sometimes.
Christoph Dressler (25:46.179)
Thanks so much for having me. I really enjoyed it. Hope to come again.
Mark Burik (25:49.794)
Absolutely. Cool. Just when we get off camera, could you leave your computer open and on for a little bit? Because our software takes a little bit of time to pull data from your computer. Not in a weird way. It's just for the upload quality.
Christoph Dressler (26:03.873)
Okay, of course.
Christoph Dressler (26:07.703)
Yeah, yeah, no worries, yeah? And we can talk about the next steps.
Mark Burik (26:13.176)
Definitely. All right. So for me, from Kristoff, from everybody here at Better at Beach, thank you guys for listening and or watching, and we will see you on the sand.
