Why Video Is So Important After A Match

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After any loss, my job as a coach is to figure out what happened. Generally, there’s one of two conclusions that occur.

The first one is that mistakes were made, adjustments need to happen, and the next time we play that opponent we’ll have a higher probability of winning because we’re better prepared.

The other conclusion is the opponent was simply better. My player played a pretty good match, not great, but slightly above average. That above average level of play would beat most players on any day, but on that day, perfection was required. It’s impossible for people to keep up perfect so the odds are, the next time my player faces them, their level of play will reverse to the mean, and the slightly above average level of play will beat them.

Both conclusions can be confidence boosters, but choosing the wrong analysis will prove to be detrimental in the future.

If you make adjustments where adjustments didn’t need to be made, then you’ll create a problem for no reason. You’ll change from a good strategy to the wrong strategy. You’ll make the player overthink when they didn’t need to.

On the other hand, if you don’t make any improvements in your game when you should have, then you’ll miss an opportunity to get better, and you’ll lose more matches because of the same mistakes.

That’s why video is so important. 

The first thing I did after the loss on Tuesday was rewatch the match. I had my initial thoughts and feelings from watching things live but we’re emotional human beings. Our minds get clouded by our emotions. It’s impossible to remember every point that happened. And the angle with which we view things live doesn’t give as clear a view as a camera from above does.

So I had to allow my emotions to die down, get into an unemotional state of mind, and rewatch the match in a quiet room. It was the best way to see things clearly, and identify which of the two conclusions represents what happened in the match.

Then, and only then, could I come up with the most efficient practice plan to prepare for Vienna. 

Are your coaches doing this for you?