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MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF PEAK PERFORMANCE SPORTS
Issue 79.................................................................October 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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NEW Confident Athlete Program! The Fearless Athlete: A 14-Day Plan for Unbeatable Trust! Read more about how to improve trust and banish fear of failure...
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"Dr. Patrick Cohn and Lisa Cohn are to be congratulated with The Ultimate Sports Parent Workbook! Together, they offer a wealth of knowledge, information, and practical mental tools for sports parents on the substantial "mental game" challenges and pressures facing today's young athletes."
~Marc D. Anderson, LCSW, MGCPShow me mental game strategies to become a better sports parent!
Have you ever mounted a huge lead on an opponent or an opposing team only to lose the game or match because you protected the lead? Why would a team who has momentum and confidence blow a big lead? Does blowing a lead happen because a team gets physically tired or mentally collapses?
I think many athletes (and teams) lose competitions because of what I call a comfort zone. A comfort zone becomes a problem whenever a team has a huge lead or an athlete is playing better than expected. Teams who mount a big lead can sometimes become complacent and "sit on" the lead or "protect" the lead.
If you are a baseball fan, you recently witnessed a major collapse in history…. The New York Mets had a huge September lead in the NL East playoff picture – up seven games, but they failed to make the playoffs. The Mets lost 12 of its last 17 games, one of the worst end-of-season collapses.
Some teams can get complacent with a huge lead in a game or a series. I remember when the Buffalo Bills trailed the Houston Oilers 35-3 after the first half of the 1993 AFC Wildcard game. The Bills mounted a comeback in the second half, gained momentum and confidence, and eventually beat Houston in the game 41-38.
I highlight just a couple of examples of how momentum can shift quickly in sports, but it happens everyday in the world of sports. No lead is safe. No deficit is too large to make up.
A comfort zone can trigger a change in momentum. A comfort zone is based on preconceived expectations about what is and what is not possible to achieve. Your comfort zone comes from prior experiences in your sport. The common example is a golfer who wants to break through a scoring barrier (expected scoring range). She has an idea that she will shoot between 82 and 85 on most days, for example, and this forms her comfort zone.
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____________________________________________If she is performing better than her own expectations and has a chance to break 80, for example, this can cause her to feel anxious, protect her score, or focus too much on results and outcomes.
Comfort zones apply to team sports as well! When a team gets a big lead, they may even worry about blowing the big lead. “How awful it would be if we lost the game after being up 4 goals,” some soccer players might think. This type of fear causes the team to play with less confidence and a result focus.
The biggest challenge for the team that plays with a big lead is to continue to play aggressively and move forward. Some teams tend to hang on and play with a defensive or protective mindset. Performing protectively – trying to hold on to a lead – is the biggest mental error that athletes make, in my mind.
When you switch from an offensive mindset to a defensive mindset, it is easy to sit on the lead. When you protect a lead, you try not to give up goals, for example. In this mindset, you try to avoid making mistakes that would cost you or the team the game. Trying not to make mistakes will not help you focus on success!
What are the signs that you might limit yourself with a comfort zone?
- You get nervous, anxious, or afraid when playing better than expected.
- You sit on your lead and play defensively - afraid to risk.
- You are in *protect mode* and do not want to blow your lead.
- You become complacent and think the game is already in the “W” column.
What if you perform protectively when you get the lead becasue of a comfort zone?
First, this is result thinking. Refocus on the current play or shot. Second, you have to challenge yourself to continue to play assertively or aggressively. Do not protect a lead. Continue to press ahead. Third, you can set a mini goal to help you perform aggressively when you get a big lead such as score another two goals in the third period of the hockey game.
Do you want to learn how to let go of fears that keep you stuck in a comfort zone? Jump on over to Peaksports.com and learn how to perform without fear: The Fearless Athlete CD/Workbook Program!
"I'm Mentally, not Physically Tired After a Tournament!"
Does Tiger Woods get physically tired after a round of golf? According to Tiger, you should be in good enough physical condition to last for 18 holes without getting physically tired. But he does say that golf can be mentally draining when you are trying to stay focused and turn things around during a round when not playing your best golf:
"You shouldn't really be too tired after playing 18 holes. The only thing that's going to wear you out, I think, is the mental grind, trying to block out things and trying to focus and then trying to turn things around in a round of golf. You're not really necessarily physically tired, but generally I'm mentally tired after a tournament, just the grind of being so focused for so long."
~Tiger Woods, PGA TourThis brings up the question of how hard should you work mentally during a round of golf? I think when you are playing well, the mental game is easy as you are not making adjustments or trying hard to focus - it just happens naturally. However, when you are not playing well, this is when you do need to make adjustments in your mental game or focus. So, I think Tiger's quote refers to the times when he may be struggling in the round and have to work harder with his mental powers to stay focused and positive.
The Sports Psychology Podcast of the Month!
This week's sports psychology podcast helps athletes understand pre-game jitters in sports. Many athletes worry too much about their performance prior to competition and this causes pre-game tension or anxiety. This temporary mental and physical reaction to competition can be positive or negative depending on how an athlete perceives the jitters....Show me the Sports Psychology Podcast of the Month!
The Golf Psychology Podcast of the Month!
This week's golf psychology podcast answers a question about how to putt your best on the course. The number one mistakes that golfers make with the mental game of putting is being wishy-washy or undecided when over the ball. When you don't make up your mind about the line, it easy to second-guess the plan. Learn how to stay committed to the plan in putting...
"I Wasn't Thinking of Winning!"
"We were down, 35-3, and that's very tough. Your thought is to take it one play at a time and don't try to force anything. I wasn't thinking in terms of winning. I was just thinking of taking it one play at a time."
~Frank Reich, NFL, after winning the 1993 AFC Wildcard Game as Buffalo Bills Quarterback
"I always shoot 10 strokes higher in tournaments!"
Amateur Golfer:
Despite reading countless books and listening to tapes on my mental game improvement (Bob Rotella, etc.) and applying countless techniques, I still just fall apart in my club tournaments. I always shoot about 10 strokes higher in a tournament and simply cannot seem to control my anxiety and nerves. I miss 2-foot putts (shaking like a leaf) and hit some shots so bad - shots I will never hit in a normal round with friends. I know I have these perfectionistic tendencies and put too much pressure on myself to play well, and I have been convinced that there is no hope for me to ever take my regular game to a tournament. How can I conquer this?
The Fearless Athlete: A 14-Day Plan for Unbeatable Trust NEW!
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!
Peaksports Members please login in by using this page to access the "special member price" link.
Not a peaksports member yet? Go demo our New Online Mental Training Site at Peaksports!
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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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