We find that many players think that ‘focus and concentration’ is about maintaining a state of tension. Instead, we agree with multiple world champion Eric Rodwell’s idea, that in order to play bridge as well as you can, you need to be relaxed but alert.
It’s easy to be alert but tense, but we find that being tense exhausts our energy, makes it less likely that we will defend and declare as well as we can, and interferes with our ability to notice the clues that most players miss.
So we want to be alert without being stressed or nervous.
Similarly, it’s easy to be relaxed but oblivious, but when we’re oblivious, we tend not to defend and declare as well as we can, and we don’t notice the available clues.
So we want to be relaxed without having our minds go on cruise control.
Achieving ‘relaxed but alert’ is not easy, but we think that it’s well within every player’s capability.