A Monthly Publication of Peak Performance Sports
Issue 102 ..................................................................................... October 6, 2009
Welcome to Sports Insights Magazine
Welcome to Sports Insights Magazine! Learn practical, cutting-edge sports psychology and mental training tips to improve mental toughness in sports.
If you enjoy our free mental toughness newsletter, please click here to forward it to other athletes and coaches.
Golfer's Mental Edge: An 8-Week Program for Ultimate Golf Confidence. Dr. Cohn's new CD and workbook program teaches you the top eight lessons to play with mental toughness on the course. Read more about how to improve confidence in golf...
Boost Confidence for Tournament Tennis! Learn how to boost your tennis confidence with Dr. Cohn's unique 8-week mental training course for tournament tennis players!
Improve Sports Kids' Success with Kids' Sports Psychology! Kids' Sports Psychology is a one-stop, exclusive 10-step plan for boosting confidence and cultivating positive mental game skills in young athletes! Download age-specific confidence-boosting mental game e-books for young athletes. Learn how to boost sports kids' sports success...
Download a Free Report! Golfers: Improve Your Preshot Routine. Baseball and Softball Players and Coaches: Improve At-Bat Routines. Tennis Players and Coaches: Improve Your Mindset Between Points! Parents and Youth Coaches: Boost kids' confidence and success in sports!
Locker Room Talk
"Pursuit of perfection leads to a lose of focus"
"The Fearless Athlete CD program helped me realize that the pursuit of perfection can lead to a loss of focus when it's not achieved."
Read more about The Fearless Athlete CD Program>>
~Matt Cote
Feature Mental Game Article
Do You Step Up in Big Games?
By Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D.
Most athletes train hard all year long to make it to the playoffs or a state level competition. It's clear to me that "the cream always rises to the top" during big games--the top athletes raise the level of their performance when they need it the most. I'm sure you're also aware that some athletes mentally crumble in big games--they allow the pressure to cause them to tighten up. They are overcome by a tsunami of anxiety or fear about not getting to the playoffs.
I know from my experience as a mental coach that athletes tighten up because they worry too much about the outcome, which leads to trying too hard or playing with a tentative mindset. When you’re tense about outcomes and not focused on the current play, pitch, or shot, you can't step up your performance in big games...
Playing in a big game or the playoffs should be the most fun for athletes. It's your season-end reward. It's the fruit of all your hard work during the season. However, in order to enjoy the big game, you must have faith or trust in what you have practiced all season. Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers pitcher, is a good example of this...
The Detroit Tigers played against the Minnesota Twins last week in a double header. In Game one of the double header, the Twins stunned Detroit winning 3-2. Game 2 was a different story. Verlander helped his team win a crucial game. He pitched 8 innings with a season high 129 pitches. As a result, the Twins and Tigers play a tiebreaker for the American League title this week and a chance to go to the playoffs.
Part of Verlander’s success on the field is having a consistent pregame routine. A pregame mental routine helps you mentally prepare for the upcoming game and focus your mind for peak performance.
"Verlander has been doing the same thing through the course of the season. He comes in with his headphones on, and no matter what time it is, he's got the same physical presence. He's just locked in, straight to his locker. He goes ahead with his business, and everybody gets out of his way," said teammate Curtis Granderson.
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______________________________________________________The top athletes love to perform in the spotlight in big games and welcome crunch-time pressure. They want to throw the last strike out. They want the ball with 30 seconds left in the basketball game. Other athletes defeat themselves before they even step onto the field. The tension and anxiety causes them to under perform in the big game. If you train hard all season to earn a spot in the playoffs, you want to embrace the pressure of crucial games...
"I love it. This is what baseball is all about. We're here at the end of September, and we're in the driver's seat a little bit. The Twins are playing catch-up -- not the other way around. We're where we want to be," Verlander said.
In addition to loving big game pressure, you want to use what's worked and what you do the best. You don't abandon your bread and butter pitches or what's worked in the past for a new strategy. You have confidence in your talent and embrace the adrenaline: "I didn't try to do anything extra special, but I knew we had to win," Verlander said. "I knew I could do it (in the eighth). It's adrenaline and the situation and god-given talent. I don't know how else to explain it."
What can you learn from Verlander's mental attitude for performing your best in important games?
1. Embrace big game pressure. You've worked hard all season to have a chance to get into the playoffs. Simply enjoy the fruits of your hard work. Interpret the extra adrenaline as a means to help you focus better and give you extra energy. Feel the pregame butterflies and perform your best anyway (see The Relaxed Athlete).
2. Stick to your regular pregame routine or preparation. Don't take three hours of PB before the game if that's not what you normally do to prepare for a mid-season game. Follow a routine that helps you deflect anxiety and boost your confidence before game time (see The Relaxed Athlete).
3. Trust your talent or skills based on your training or practice. Too many players tighten up and don't trust their skills in the big game. They want to either try too hard or over control when it means more. The reason why you or your team trains or practices for months is so you can trust in your skills when you need to step up your game (see The Fearless Athlete).
Learn the secrets to deflecting pressure with your pregame mental routine... The Relaxed Athlete CD and Workbook program helps you mentally prepare and relax for big games using proven mental game strategies. Read more about The Relaxed Athlete>>
Sports Specific Mental Training Tip
"We came into the game relaxed"
Katie Douglas of Indiana scored 30 points in game one of the WNBA playoffs, which forced overtime with three seconds left in the game. She was relaxed going into the game. When you're relaxed, you're confident in the ability. When you're nervous or tense, you lack full confidence...
"We came in relaxed, and that's why we played extremely well. We've just gotta stay positive; we're in this together and there's no need to put our heads down. It's still a long series ahead."
~Kate Douglas, WNBA Finals
Podcasts of the Month
The Tennis Psychology Podcast of the Month!
In this week’s tennis psychology session, Dr. Cohn teaches you how to help young tennis players who worry about what others think. Many tennis players are worried about what coaches, parents and other player’s think about their game. Listen to the podcast to learn how to help young tennis players who worry about what others think.
- Show me the Tennis Psychology Podcast of the Month!
- Watch the Tennis Confidence Video series!
- Tennis Players & Coaches: Improve your mental game between points with this free report!
The Golf Psychology Podcast of the Month!
Dr. Patrick Cohn, golf psychology expert and author of the "Golfer's Mental Edge" CD program, teaches amateur to tour professional golfers how to improve their mental game of golf. In this week's golf psychology session, mental game of golf expert and author of The Mental Game of Golf, Dr. Cohn, helps a golfer go low when he has a good round going.
Pro Athlete Quote of the Month
"The Mental Grind of the Playoffs..."
“The mental grind certainly is there because you're there in contention a lot, and that adds to how tired you become, and then you do it week in and week out and week in and week out, and it adds to it. I think the Buick, Bridgestone, PGA Championship there, I went one, one, two, that was a long haul there. Going into this playoff event it was nice to have that one week off, to get that break, because I certainly needed it, and I certainly needed the break after Cog Hill, as well, to be fresh for this event, because it is a lot to ask if you're in contention. If you're not in contention, it doesn't really wear on you that bad.”
~Tiger Woods
Ask Doc Cohn
"How Can My Son Beat His Mental Block?"
Sports Parent:
My son can run 3-4 miles and then do 10-40 yard sprints and 10-10 yard shuttles without much problem. However, when he goes to practice with the team, they do drills. One in particular (bear claws on hills) all fours up a hill and down a hill he gets a mental block and almost shuts down before he gets on the hills. Guys he usually beats in running and endurance complete the drill while he struggles through it and stopped. He is fit enough, he just has allowed this hill drill to beat him mentally. How do we get him to face or beat this mental block on the hill drills?
Most Valuable Product (MVP)
Golfers Mental Edge: An 8-Week Plan for Ultimate Golf Confidence NEW!
Golfer's Mental Edge: An 8-Week Plan for Ultimate Golf Confidence. What's the one big sign that your mental game is the weak link in your golf game? When you can't play consistently as well as you can perform in practice! The “Golfer's Mental Edge Program” is a complete brain dump of the TOP eight mental training sessions Dr. Cohn teaches his personal students to help them boost their mental game and improve consistency on the course. In each of his 8 coaching sessions, you eavesdrop as Dr. Cohn teach four golfers his top mental strategies and learn right along side his students.
Read more about The Golfer's Mental Edge CD Program!
Peaksports Members get 25% off (save $100)! Not a peaksports member yet? Go demo our Online Mental Training System at Peaksports Network!
Dr. Patrick J. Cohn
Master Mental Game Coach
Boost Your Success with The Confident Athlete Series!
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Perfect for any competitive athlete or team coach! Buy
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