Several forms of computer assisted training have proven their effectiveness in clinical settings over the last decade. State of the art training which has been used to treat heart patients, stroke victims, epileptics and others is being applied to athletes with very satisfying results which the athletes claim improves their performance. Sadar Psychological and Sports is excited to inform its members how these techniques are being applied to athletes.

Mental Clarity with Em Wave

Jimmy sits on the side of the tennis court with a pulse sensor on his finger, his eyes focused on a computer monitor. He is going to spend the next 15 minutes with a sports psychologist to review his Em Wave skills. He will not be changing the bar graphs on the screen without a joystick or mouse. Jimmy will change the screen by paying attention to his heart and thinking thoughts that make him feel positive and full of energy. At the moment, he sees the green bar growing taller, which tells him he is on the way to "the zone". When his session is over, he reports feeling "relaxed and alive". As Jimmy begins to play tennis again, he notices he is feeling better than before, that he is executing his shots better and feels confident. After several court-side training sessions Jimmy is able to practice his training on his own by focusing on his breathing, heart and thoughts anytime he has a few minutes to practice. He gets a real kick out of practicing it when he is waiting for a traffic light to change. Players who are trained in this technique see a variety of improvements in their game after Freeze Framing such as the 14 year old player who not only can "execute my shots better", but feels she is "more alert generally."

The Em Wave is a form of computer-assisted biofeedback that allows players to have fun while learning to control stress. It is based upon heart rhythm research that has demonstrated a critical link between emotions and the heart. In 1991, medical research recognized that the heart had a brain of its own – a network with different kinds of neurons than those in the brain in our heads. In other words, we don’t just think with our heads. We also think with our hearts. Our heartbeat produces an electrical signal that permeates every cell in our body. When you are edgy inside, your heart rhythm changes. If you are frustrated, your nervous system is agitated, your blood vessels constrict, your blood pressure rises and you waste a lot of energy.

The Em Wave technique is an interactive learning system that monitors heart beats, interprets the data and displays your heart rhythms on a monitor. As your heart rhythms and nervous system synchronize, your heart, head, thoughts and feelings work together. This creates mental clarity and balance. The information sent from the heart to the brain can have profound effects on higher brain functioning and can affect perception, emotion, learning ability, coordination and reaction speeds. If you get frustrated because you missed a shot, that feeling causes the nervous system to increase your heart rate and instructs your glands to secrete hormones into the blood stream, which negatively effects the brains’ functions. You are then more sensitive to the next missed shot and more likely to continue in a negative pattern. This loop depletes energy and clouds judgement. Em Wave allows you to break the cycle and create a pattern that is more functional. This new pattern allows players to think more clearly, move better, access energy reserves and focus in a positive way. Studies have shown that Em Wave technique causes responses in heart rhythm, balances nervous systems and creates beneficial responses in hormonal patterns and immune system responses. This biological change adds up to a significant shift in how we think and feel (D. Childre, Freeze Framer, 1998). Best of all, it is quick and can be used before a match, during changeovers and between sets to help recalibrate your emotions. It lets players call a mental time out to quickly access a clearer perspective on what is happening at that moment. Players who Em Wave before a lesson learn and perform better.

The Em Wave technique is easy to learn. Players are taught to monitor their breathing, while keeping their mind clear of unwanted thoughts. Initial benefits can be felt after one thirty-minute training session. Studies show that students achieve strong results after six training sessions. In most cases, the results lasted six months and longer. The results also have effects beyond the tennis court. Diane used the technique while waiting to take her drivers test and "passed because I wasn’t nervous at all!" Tony has been using the "breathing [to help] reach the #1 ladder spot and to clear my mind before an important meeting."

While this training devise has only recently been available to the tennis public, its benefits have been experienced by all ages, including club players and more serious tournament players. The players who use this technique are enthused about how readily it can be learned and applied to their tennis game and life situations. For more information, including applications beyond tennis, go to the the heartmath website, the website of the company that makes Em Wave.