‘It was a fair fight’ v. ‘let the body do the work.’ How squash players mentalizing abilities affect their experiences of playing squash: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

The use of metacognitive process and skills has been the subject of considerable research in the sport performance literature over the past decade. However, there has been little qualitative research on athletes' experiences of using metacognitive processes and skills. A related but different area theoretically and practically, is mentalizing, which refers to the imaginative ability to perceive and interpret the feelings, thoughts, wishes and beliefs that explain human behaviour. This study sought to understand how mentalizing abilities affect the playing experiences of amateur squash players, who regularly played competitive squash. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten amateur adult squash players. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. This was developed into three group experiential themes (GETs): a) balanced minds, b) no-man's land, and c) an interpersonal battle. Findings indicate that mentalizing abilities of participants helped them focus, self-regulate, and enjoy playing. Conversely, participants temporary loss of mentalizing significantly affected their enjoyment, relationships with opponents and their capacity to focus and concentrate when under pressure which for some led to poorer performances. The study is novel in its application to sport, adding an important holistic dimension to the applied sport psychology literature. It is suggested that mentalizing plays a critical role in influencing competitive sport situations and further research is required to elucidate these abilities in greater depth.