Post 5: Thinking Quickly

During a match, thinking quickly about what an opponent will do is key to winning the match. Not only do you have to, in the spur of the moment, work out what moves you are going to string together to get a pin, but also be on the lookout to react to any move your opponent might throw at you, as well as defense moves to branch off of that. Certain tips can help a wrestler react correctly to opponent movement, as another technique is faking the opponent out and making him react the way you want so you can take advantage of it. A big tip is to constantly be looking at a wrestlers feet, not his face. If his head moves towards you but his feet remain in place, chances are he is trying to fake you out. A good idea may be to let him think you fell for it, then back out of your defense move right as he steps in for real, and take him to the mat. As seen in just this one scenario, wrestling is a psychological sport as much as it is a physical sport. It is, in essence, a mind game. Even right before the match, making yourself look intimidating could just be enough to tip the odds in your favor, because confidence is key. You must go into a match with the mindset that you will control it, and that you are ready for anything he has to throw at you.