A
MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF PEAK PERFORMANCE SPORTS
Issue 77.............................................................................August 2, 2007
Welcome to Sports Insights Magazine
Welcome to Sports Insights Magazine! We are pleased to bring you practical, cutting-edge sports psychology and mental training tips to improve your sports mindset and performance. We thank you for being a subscriber of Sports Insights Magazine! If you enjoy our free newsletter, please forward it to your teammates and friends. Click here to subscribe to Sports Insights Magazine!
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"I decided to take the leap and got the "Fearless Athlete" CD's. Studied them for a month, developed an action plan around "mini goals, functional mindset, luxury of making mistakes" in preparation for the USAT Triathlon National Championships. They worked very effectively on my swim and bike leg...just perfect...in the flow. Then I happen to fall very hard running downhill after 1 mile into the 10km run leg. Once I got the gravel off of me, I really put "The Fearless Athlete" to work. Didn't panic, told myself I deserved 1 big frigg'in mistake and was able to continue on without too much extra stress. Finish 3rd overall in the 50-59 age group and was selected to Team USA for the World Championships in both 07 and 08. I am not telling any of my competition about your ‘Fearless Athlete’ Program. I have to keep it under wraps until I get into the 60-69 age group next year."
~Richard Holloway
A Strong Mental Game Helps to Break Sports Records
By Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D.
Sporting records that have stood the test of time represent the highest achievement of human potential. The present both mental and physical obstacles for athletes. Jack Nicklaus won an astonishing 20 majors in his career. Babe Didrickson Zaharias won a staggering 27 consecutive tournament titles in 1947. Babe Ruth hit an amazing 715 career home run record, which stood for 39 years. Hank Aaron’s career 755 home runs stands for more than 32 years. Wilt Chamberlain scored a record 100 points in a basketball game. Wayne Gretzky still holds the record for most career goals with 894. Nolan Ryan record of seven career no-hitters still stands.
All of these records have have stood the test of time - tribute the the athletes who set them.
My contention is that surpassing past records is a matter of a player’s self-defined limitations about what he or she thinks is possible to achieve and confidence to do so. When Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile, everyone started doing it because a mental barrier about it’s implausibility was removed. Humans have much greater resources for success than they do tend to use.
Athletes are similar in that they often stifle their own success with self-imposed psychological limits. Self-limiting behavior comes in many forms. It includes preconceived notions, unhealthy expectations, and irrational thoughts you may have formed about your abilities, skills, and chances of success.
If you examine the psychological makeup of history's greatest athletes, the ones who have broken long-standing records, a pattern exists among them. These athletes had the ability to rise above their own expectations (or others') and break records that were considered beyond reach. It's clear that these athlete were not conformers; they were not confined by the expectations of others.
Take Barry Bonds for example. He is closing in on a home run milestones set by Hank Aaron more than 30 years ago. He is right on the verge of making history (with some controversy), but not without some of his own mental gremlins. Bonds has scored only one homer in his last 26 at-bats. Is he in a slump, which all players go through from time to time or a mental wall that is hard to smash through?
Recently I was interviewed by Howie Rumberg of the Associated Press and ASAP about the athletes’ pursuit of milestones and records. Here is the interview...
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____________________________________________ASAP: Why do players go into slumps as they approach the milestone or record?
Cohn: It has a lot to do with expectations…. These guys - in their minds - have expectations of what is possible and what isn't possible. And the closer you get to breaking the record, the more difficult it is because the mind is enveloped and more focused on the outcome and achieving the record than it is on execution. It's like the expectation turns into pressure. The pressure mounts as you get closer and closer towards that milestone or breaking that particular barrier.
ASAP: Does mental pressure cause problems with their mechanics?
Cohn: Yes, either they try harder such as with over swinging. The expectation and the pressure, it changes their routine. It changes the at-bat routine for them - completely - because now it's about achieving the milestone rather than advancing the base runner.
ASAP: What do you tell a player who is struggling?
Cohn: They have to focus on one pitch at a time, one at-bat at a time. It goes back to that. Give every pitch the same intensity or the same level of effort. I guess you could say the same level of trying rather than saying to yourself, 'this really matters.' Athletes get into trouble when they start saying, 'this really matters and this is really important for my performance.' When they do that it gets them out of their normal routine. They're either trying harder or they're trying to avoid something. Therefore, you have to go back to the basics and the elements of focusing on picking up the ball, staying grounded in the present moment and working their routine just like they have all season long.
ASAP: How about the converse? Does it affect the pitcher who's going to serve up No. 756 or the team that'll be Glavine's 300th victim?
Cohn: It shouldn't have an affect on the pitcher. He should be throwing his stuff and know what he wants to do in order to get the batter out. He shouldn't be focused on records. That doesn't even have anything to do with him. Obviously, he might respond differently because he has a strong hitter at the plate. That's the main issue there: How am I going to get this guy out? This guy's a good hitter. That could overtake the pitcher. But it's the same thing. The pitcher needs to be focused on his stuff.
ASAP: Being a footnote in history doesn't play into it?
Cohn: No. No.
ASAP: Is there anything else interesting about the milestone-seeking athletes?
Cohn: The one other thing I would say is that winning championships is very important for these guys, but in the end, what's going to survive? Who's going to remember the record that was set for years and years, like Babe Ruth's record or are you going to remember the championships? I take a page from Tiger Woods. A lot of his emphasis is on breaking records. He wants to break Jack Nicklaus' record of winning the most majors. He feels like that is going to leave a bigger mark in history than just winning golf tournaments. I think for players at that level they look at that as being very important if they want to leave their mark on the history of baseball.
This interview was conducted by Howie Rumburg of the Associated Press. For the full story see: http://www.theolympian.com/519/story/177743.html
"When You Get Going - Keep it Going"
How can you ever break a personal scoring record when your belief system hinders achievement? To make a scoring breakthrough, you will need to do more than buy a new putter, change golf clubs, buy a different golf ball, or take more golf lessons. You might get lucky and shoot a low round one day. Another, more preferable option is to use an easy-erasable pencil to mark scores on the scorecard, but that’s doesn’t cut it either.
"Once I get going, I tend to keep it going. And maybe that's just because how emotional I am when I play; I get fired up and I enjoy it."
~Tiger Woods, PGA Tour
You must learn to play golf without imposing limitations on what score you should shoot, how well you should hit the ball, or how many putts you should make. Embrace the feelings that come with breaking a person best scoring barrier. When you get it going, keep it going because you are playing well at that time and should have momentum!
The Golf Psychology - Podcast of the Month!
This week's golf psychology podcast answers a question about fear of success in golf and how that differs from fear of failure. Fear of failure is very common in sports psychology and mental training. Fear of success is very rare in sports psychology. It does exist, but only with the most successful athletes who don't want the burden of higher expectations...
"No Limitations to What You Can Do !"
"There are no limitations to what you can do, except for your own."
~Scott Verplank, PGA Tour
"How Do I Stop Second-Guessing My Game? "
Golfer:
"I used to be a CPGA Pro and have taught many students. At that time I would always instruct my students to "never try to hit a good shot - always try to make a good swing," thereby trying to impress upon the students the concept of being cause-oriented rather than effect or results-oriented. Now that I am an amateur, I don't play much golf any more, but I have not lost anything from a physical perspective. However, it seems like I am a 3 handicap on the range, but I revert to a 9-14 handicap on the course. This discrepancy all has to do with timing and tempo. I can't seem to swing the same way on the course. It is difficult always having to play with my "B" game. Any suggestions on how to find my "A" game and its tempo on the course?"
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The Fearless Athlete: A 14-Day Plan for Unbeatable Trust is the latest Workbook/CD program in the Confident Athlete Series. This program is a ground-breaking program to help you overcome the mental handcuffs of perfectionism, fear of failure, and learn unbeatable trust. Dr. Cohn delivers his new program in a step-by-step practical workbook you use for just 15 minutes a day! Dr. Cohn gives you all his TRUST-BOOSTING STRATEGIES in this 14-day step-by-step easy-to-apply mental training program! Become a member and receive 30% off retail.
Read more about The Fearless Athlete!
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Dr. Patrick J. Cohn is the President and founder of Peak Performance Sports of Orlando, Florida. He earned his Ph.D. in Education from the University of Virginia in 1991, and founded Peak Performance Sports in 1994. Dr. Cohn is an author, speaker and one of the nation's leading mental game experts. His coaching programs instill confidence, composure and effective mental strategies that enable athletes and teams to reach their performance goals. Dr. Cohn has helped athletes from a variety of sports backgrounds (both amateurs and professionals) identify and develop the mindset needed to achieve peak performance. World-class golfers, runners, shooters and auto racers, as well as motocross, tennis, baseball, softball, football and hockey players, are among those who have benefited from his mental game coaching and training.
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NEW! The
Confident Athlete Series by Peak Performance Sports brings
you the latest cutting-edge mental training strategies
in a practical step-by-step 14-day achievement plan. Each
program consists of 2 Audio CDs and an easy to
follow workbook to help you apply the mental strategies.
Perfect for any competitive athlete or team coach! |
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teamwork
:: confidence :: focus :: composure |
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