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continued from the summer 2009 issue of Racquetball
by Fran Davis, with Cliff Swain pril I changed the workouts again ... The first week I played a match first on Thursday-Sunday, just like a racquetball tournament, immediately followed by a total body lift that is more of a cardia workout than a strength workout. This only took 40 minutes at the very most, and my heart rate was up the entire time with a rest between sets never longer than a minute, just like a timeout in a pro racquetball match . Most trainers recommended not lifting using every body part for consecutive days in a row, but in a pro racquetball tourney like the Chicago event you use every muscle in your body combined with aerobic and anaerobic abuse for 4-5 days in a row. Although I wouldn't always do this, I believe it's what has always made even the most difficult pro match (which can be up to four hours) seem not only easy to me (compared to the workouts) , but I'm prepared for five days of it if necessary. The second and third week I just played matches. I played Thursday - Sunday. Thursday I played at 12 noon and 6 p.m., after that just one match a day. Monday-Wednesday I rested completely, letting any bumps and bruises heal. I did not play any other sport activity to avoid any risk of injury. I'm 100% tournament ready. Weeks four and five I practiced lightly, mostly alone, Monday, Wednesday, Friday and after a good sweat I stretched, did a jacuzzi and went home. The calm before the storm ... All of this training is to take control of what is within my control and to be certain nobody is better shape than me. It may help me to win, but definitely it also helps prevents me from losing a match that comes down to conditioning, which some-
times happens when you're not playing your best or both players are playing at a very high level. It's also very rewarding to be dedicated to something, and it's what I'm most proud of. I can say for sure that win or lose I was always 100% prepared and I never had an excuse. In my first 22 years of playing, I never missed a single tournament and never took an injury t imeout.
Fran: Did you mentally prepare for being on center stage again with all kinds of expectations from the racquetball community to win?
Cliff: Fortunately for me being on center stage is something I thrive on . It's an amazing thing to me since I see very talented people crumble once someone is keeping score, and I see marginally skilled athletes become better when there are people watching .. . I love it!! I remember the first time I played at the Ektelon Nationals in 1985 and the ESPN trucks were out front, the crew was scrambling around and people were lining up to come in: I couldn't have been any more pumped up. Nervous definitely, but once I walked on the court to warm up, for some reason, an intense calmness came over me. As far as the expectations go, I don't really concern myself with them. However, the other thing I thrive on is doubters. When I was 30 years old and Sudsy captured my #1 ranking, people had been saying "he's done." I read it, I heard it and I loved it. I took my spot back and that was the first real challenge of that type I had ever had; I liked the way I responded . The more of your goals you accomplish the harder it is to get motivated and when things are said that I don't agree with, they are instantly creating a goal for me that wasn't already there . It's the fuel I need .
Fran: How did it feel to go five games with Mitch Williams (#5 IRT Pro Player) at the Pro Nationals in Chicago in April 2008? Did it give you a sense of renewed confidence that you were ready and able to not only play, but play well and compete with the best?
Cliff: I was disappointed with the loss, but Mitch deserved to win. However, I was satisfied with my conditioning. It was a three-hour match and fitness was never an issue. I could have played longer and if I had won, I would have been ready for the rest of the week. Tournament play is much more intense, and since I hadn 't played a tournament in two years I knew the hours in the gym paid off. I've never lost a match because somebody was in better shape than me, and I don 't ever want to . Conditioning is very much under your control, and losing a match for that reason is inexcusable to me. Fran: How do you generally mentally prepare for a match? Do you recommend a sports psychologist, reading mental toughness books, talking to other pro athletes, etc.?
Cliff: I believe in all those things. I've read many of the sports psychology books and I think they're great. I get a bunch of my tips listening to the greatest in other sports: Larry Bird, Tiger Woods and continued on page 44
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