Brent “Woody” Arthur Clouse is one of the fiercest competitors to ever step on a racquetball court. For more than twenty years Woody’s mental strength and discipline has kept him at the top of his form as one the of the game’s elite players. The intestinal fortitude that has kept Woody at the top of the professional tour for over two decades became obvious when he was 17-years-old and shocked the racquetball world by upsetting the 3rd ranked player in the world in the opening round of a Pro-Am tournament in Beaverton, Oregon. Two years later, Woody became the only player in racquetball history to win both the Canadian Open and the US Grand Nationals in the same year.
Woody is also a gifted teacher and conveys the secrets of winning easily during speeches and seminars. Woody’s knowledge and passionate teaching skills were evident early on when at the age of 22 he coached the Ecuadorian National Team to their best showing at the 1986 World Championship. Teaming with Ed Turner Woody wrote the official instructional book of the International Racquetball Tour. That book, Winning Racquetball, is the best selling book ever written on racquetball. Woody’s charisma and presence was what the ESPN production crew was looking for when they hired Woody for an instructional segment during their inaugural coverage of the 1995 US Open Racquetball Championships.
Woody is one of the most recognized personalities in the game and continues to entertain and dazzle crowds with his signature brand of acrobatic dives and intense playing style. Acting as his own manager as Woody signed business deals with Spalding Racquet Sports, Reebok, Oakley, Telefon Inc., and Power Bar, who made him their national representative. Spalding Racquet Sports honored Woody by making him one of the few players in the history of the game to be featured on the cover of their top racquet. Utilizing his experiences in sports Woody accepted a position and challenge with Hewlett Packard as a Territory Account Manager. Being thrown into a defunct region that had not reached its goal in seven quarters, Woody doubled the territory’s production rate within six months. Woody raised the quarterly quota from $750,000 to 1.5 million making his region a symbol of excellence. Thus proving the same principles in sports apply to business.
At the age of 41 Woody continues to amaze by maintaining his youthful passion for life and success. In 2005 and 2006, Woody won both singles and doubles titles at the World Senior Championships; he finished 2006 by becoming the oldest player in the history of the game to play both singles and doubles for Team USA at the same event, sweeping gold in the Pan-American Championships. With over 250 career titles in the US, Canada, and Japan, Woody is one of his sports greatest ambassadors. Throughout his career Woody has been passionate about sharing his experiences, lessons and “never concede to defeat” attitude; a tool he believes others can harness to bring out their best for a lifetime! Woody marched into the 2007 season by becoming the oldest player in the history of the game to make Team USA two consecutive years.
Woody’s seminars are designed to give participants the tools needed to minimize mental mistakes, maximize potential, and master the mental game needed for success. Woody’s speeches have the ability to make you cry, as his did during his speech to Advocare’s corporate team. They can make you laugh as his speech to the USA Junior Racquetball Team did. Woody’s deliverance motivates and inspires say’s Michael Yee, CEO of DotToDot Travel. Woody’s Peak Performance coaching is best summed up by recent 1st time professional title winner Dena Morrissey,
“As a Peak Performance coach, Woody gave me the mental edge I needed in order to perform at my best. His perception in analyzing and strengthening my mental approach has helped me play not only up to my potential, but beyond what I thought I could do. Woody’s principles are most beneficial in day to day life.”
Editor’s note: To learn more about Woody’s book and Peak Performance programs, go to his website.
As a coach and a player, if we’re frequently told that 90 percent of the game happens between our ears, why do we spend 90 percent of our practice time on its physical aspects?
As a coach, I am constantly sought after for my knowledge of the technical aspects of the game. Requests such as “I would like to improve my forehand,” or “I want to beat this guy I’ve been playing at the club, can you help?” are typical. As a coach my response is always yes! I can teach a person how to hit a better forehand; and yes, I can teach a person how to improve their shot selection and court positioning. But, as a “Peak Performance” coach, the question I am immediately concerned with when someone has improved their technique is: do they have the mental toughness necessary to step up to a higher level of competition? When it’s getting close to the end of the match, can they clear their mind and let their body move free of thought? If they can, they’ve begun to act as a true “Peak Performer.”
The answer to the first question is really quite simple. Practicing the physical side of the game is first and foremost a tangible exercise. We can see it and we can feel it; and as we do, simply out of habit, our confidence grows along with our muscle memory. These are both necessary to be confident. Conventional wisdom tells us that practice makes perfect and that’s that! Conventional wisdom, in this case, however, is wrong and I want to be very clear about this misunderstood concept: Only “perfect” practice makes perfect! Reinforcing a bad habit only makes it worse. Putting too much stock into court time can be counter productive, if there is not clarity and thoroughness within our approach to improve.
So what do we do, and how to do it? We begin by seeing the big picture. We focus on “Peak Performance” on a daily basis. Our daily goal must be to improve each and every day in all areas of the game. This effort must address a number of contributing factors. And the first one is a biggie! How sound is the foundation of your game? Are you truly mentally and physically prepared to play your best? Are you rested? Are you hydrated? Will your diet allow you to perform your best? Are you aware of the strengths of your game, as well as the areas that need improvement? During a match are you willing to go the extra mile to gut out the victory, if necessary? Are you only focused on what you can control? Are you willing to not allow outside influences to affect your next shot or performance. Do you have daily goals? Are you thinking only positive thoughts? Is their balance within these factors, as well as your life in general? Balance is a huge factor in achieving Peak Performance due to the fact that if you don’t have balance within these factors you’re not giving yourself a chance to be your best.
The next step is critical. Understand that “being in the zone” and being a “Peak Performer” are manufactured states. They are not places you end up by chance. The more time and effort you put into getting into the zone and bringing out your best when it counts, the more it will happen! Take a minimum of always 15 minutes every day to allow yourself some quiet time and space. Just prior to your warm up is a good time. Lie down, close your eyes and begin to visualize yourself playing perfectly. Incorporate as many details as possible into your vision: the smell of the court, the color of the ball, the lighting, the sounds that occur during play. Visualize yourself playing great during big points, as well as any other situation that enters your mind.
Your best past performances will be your greatest ally. The more often you can tap into those past experiences of greatness, the more likely it will happen again. The art of this exercise is to “feel” yourself doing it while you’re visualizing yourself. This exercise will also be very effective in small doses. Five time world champion Sudsy Monchik has been teased about his lack of time on the court compared to his relentless attack of constantly playing the game in his head, but this is definitely one of the reasons why he has been able to play the game as close to perfect as anyone ever has.
So before you begin addressing areas of your physical game, begin working on your game from the inside out. This will enhance and improve all areas of your game and get you one giant step closer to not only being a more mentally tough player but a true “Peak Performer”. One of the biggest transformations you will experience as a recreational or competitive athlete is going from a player who “believes” in yourself to a player who has “faith” in the outcome of the game!
