Miles Hammond | Beating the 'Yips' and Re-Invention

12/20/20 • 34 min

Miles Hammond started off his career as a promising young bowler, travelling the world with the England U-19 side, and taking wickets for his county. However, a potential battle with the ‘yips’ followed, and Miles had to adapt and change his game entirely.

The ‘yips’ was coined by golfer Tommy Armour in the 1920s to describe his sudden inability to hole short putts, and it has since become one of the most fascinating areas of sport. Psychologists still know little about the cause of the yips, which can come on suddenly and cause an athlete to have a complete mental block – unable to perform a skill they have practised thousands of time before.

Miles’ case meant that he was unable to bowl, and resultantly he was left out of the Gloucestershire side for three years, left questioning whether he had a future in cricket at all. However, Miles demonstrated immense resilience to adapt his game and focus his energy into becoming a batsman instead. He bounced back from the yips and ended up returning to the Gloucestershire team three years later, scoring a hundred on his comeback match. His journey is another example of an athlete reframing a setback into an opportunity.

We’re grateful to Miles for opening up on his experiences and providing his insight into the psychology of cricket – which is probably one of the most mentally demanding games in the world. We learned a lot from this episode, and hopefully those listening will be able to pick up some techniques for dealing with the pressures of sport too.

Previous Episode

Kenji Gorré | More Than a Footballer

Kenji Gorré is definitely more than just a footballer.

Son of Dutch football legend, Dean Gorré, Kenji was tipped to stardom from a young-age, when he played for both Manchester City’s and Manchester United’s academies at just 6 years old. This was the perfect footballing education, as he learned from the likes of Giggs, Scholes and Ferdinand on a daily basis on the training ground. During this episode, Kenji talks about the winning culture that was instilled at United, and what he learned from his time there.

Unfortunately, at 18 years old, Kenji received a brutal setback when he was informed by Sir Alex Ferguson that he was being released by United. However, Kenji didn’t give up on his professional football dream and ended up playing for Swansea City in the Premier League – proving that setbacks can become opportunities with the right attitude.

Although, while in Wales, another difficult period ensued, with Kenji battling a gambling addiction. Fortunately, Kenji overcame the addiction and he’s now happier than ever, enjoying his football for Nacional in Portugal and playing for the Curacao national team.

Kenji is using his experiences of dealing with setbacks to help other footballers fine tune their own mentality. He’s recently founded On the Ball - a service where elite footballers can learn more about developing the correct mind-set for elite sport. He also hosts Konversations with Kenji, a podcast discussing the mental side of football.

His positivity and energy is infectious and we really enjoyed hearing his ideas about the mental side of the game. If you liked this episode – go check out Konversations with Kenji for more insightful interviews with elite footballers.

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Josh Ibuanokpe | Making an Impact

Professional rugby player, business owner, physics graduate, philanthropist. These are all words that describe Josh Ibuanokpe.

A front row forward for firstly Harlequins and latterly Saracens, Josh has been a part of some hugely successful squads in the Gallagher Premiership, and has been a part of some memorable wins along the way.

Playing front-row in elite-level rugby is a profession that requires 100% intensity, knowing that every-time you do your job you’re at risk of injury. This was the case in 2016, when Josh dislocated his neck during a scrum. Injuries of any nature are difficult to deal with, let alone one of this severity, and It is testament to Josh’s mindset that he was able to return to elite-level rugby with as much confidence as he did.

Josh has always been passionate about furthering himself both on and off the pitch. In 2020, he founded his food business Wing Ting. The business was an immediate success and Josh was awarded with a Rugby Players Association Vodafone Gain Line award as recognition for his achievements away from rugby.

Josh is a firm believer in elite athletes using their platform for good, and admirably, he decided to donate 10% of all Wing Ting revenues to Southwark foodbank. It is another example of athlete-activism that we’re seeing emerge in sport at the moment and it’s a really good blueprint for other athletes to follow.

Josh eventually decided to retire from rugby in early 2021 to focus on his studies, his business and a career outside of sport. Given the success in just such a short space of time, it can’t be long before Wing Ting pops up across all of London soon.