2. What is sports psychology?

Sports psychology coaching helps athletes (1) understand how the mind influences performance and (2) apply mental strategies to help perform their best in competition. We also help athletes improve practice efficiency and focus. You’ll learn how to prepare for competition mentally and how to take your practice game to competition. Sports psychology is not for problem athletes. We help you improve your performance using mental training strategies from sports psychology.

Top Mental Game Questions Athletes Ask

Q: 3. What is mental performance coaching?

Mental Game Coaching (also known as mental training or mental toughness training) is the practical aspect of sports psychology. Mental toughness training helps athletes improve mental skills and overcome mental barriers, such as confidence, concentration (focus) or composure related issues. It requires replacing unhealthy attitudes and beliefs with healthy ones in order to achieve peak performance in sports.

Peak Performance Sports’ Resource Hub

Most athletes put in the work. But very few train their minds as seriously as they train their bodies.

After 40 years of coaching more than 1,000 athletes in the NFL, PGA Tour, Olympics, Motocross, NASCAR, and NHL, Dr. Patrick Cohn has heard the same mental game questions come up over and over again.

Why do I play great in practice but fall apart in games? How do I stop choking when it matters most? Why does my confidence disappear right when I need it? These aren’t signs of weakness. They’re the questions every serious athlete faces at some point. And they all have answers.

This page is a complete guide to the most common mental performance questions athletes, parents, and coaches ask. Each question includes a direct answer from Dr. Cohn’s 40 years of sports psychology experience, plus a link to the full article where you can go deeper.

Struggling with your mental game right now? Book a free mental coaching session with one if our certified mental performance coaches.

Slumps and Mental Game Challenges for Athletes

How do I Break out of a Slump as an Athlete?

A sports slump is when your performance drops below your normal level for an extended period. Most athletes make it worse by focusing on results, over analyzing mechanics, and piling on extra pressure. Breaking out starts with shifting your focus back to your process, lowering the internal pressure on each performance, and rebuilding confidence through small daily wins. The mental component of a slump is almost always bigger than the physical one.

How do I stop choking in big moments?

Choking in sports happens when athletes under perform in big moments because pressure shifts their focus from execution to fear of failure and outcomes. Common mistakes include overthinking mechanics, worrying about mistakes, and holding high expectations. To stay composed, athletes must refocus on the process, trust their training, manage body tension, and accept mistakes. With the right mental strategies, athletes can compete with freedom instead of fear and perform their best under pressure.

About Sports Psychology & Sports Psychologists

What is the role of a sports psychologist?

Today, a sports psychologists can do several things to help athletes with sports and performance. A performance psychologist’s role is more accepted today as a part of the regular coaching staff for sports teams and for amateur and professional athletes–than 10 years ago. A mental performance coach can do are numerous, but they primarily teach athletes mental game skills to improve their performance and learning.

How do you find a top sports psychologists?

Back in the 1980s and 1990, there was only a handful of top sports psychologists and mental game coaches including people such as Bob Rotella, Ken Ravizza, and Jim Loehr. I personally learned from all of these mental game experts and several others as a graduate student at Cal State Fullerton, The University of Virginia, and at conferences.

What is sports psychology?

Sports psychology coaching helps athletes (1) understand how the mind influences performance and (2) apply mental strategies to help perform their best in competition. We also help athletes improve practice efficiency and focus. You’ll learn how to mentally prepare for competition and how to take your practice game to competition. Sports psychology is not for problem athletes. We help you improve your performance using mental training strategies from sports psychology.

What is a mental performance coach?

A Mental Performance Coach helps athletes develop mental skills to perform consistently well in competition. This is similar to a head coach who focuses on the physical and tactical components of sport. Mental Performance Coaches work with athletes one on one or in groups to identify their mental strengths and to break through mental barriers to improve their performance.

All About Self-Talk for Athletes

How Do I Stop Negative Self-Talk During Competition?

Negative self-talk is a learned habit, not a personality trait, and it can be retrained through deliberate practice. The most effective approach uses a combination of thought stopping to interrupt negative thoughts, reframing to replace them with constructive ones, and consistent practice of cue words and personal self-talk scripts. Most athletes see measurable improvements within 4-8 weeks of focused mental training.

The Zone in Sports

Why Chasing the Zone Hurts Athletes’ Performance

The zone in sports, also called a flow state, is a mental state in which athletes perform with full absorption, automatic execution, and no self-doubt. It is widely regarded as the peak performance state in athletic competition. Research on flow states, pioneered by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, describes the zone as a condition that emerges when skill level and challenge level are closely matched. In sports, it tends to appear as a byproduct of preparation and process focus, not as something athletes can summon on demand.

How do I Get in the Zone More Often?

You get in the zone more often by creating consistent routines, narrowing focus to the present, and trusting your training. The zone, or flow state, happens when mind and body work together automatically without distraction. Athletes can’t force it, but they can set conditions that make it more likely—like having strong focus cues, using pre-performance routines, and removing mental clutter. The more you practice these skills, the more consistently you access peak performance states.

How to Tap the Power of the Zone for Peak Performance in Sports

All athletes love the magical, sought after state of mind known as the “zone.” This state of supreme focus helps athletes in all sports perform at their peak. Many athletes who want to reach their peak potential are always in search of secrets to hop into the ‘*zone.* But the zone is really not that complicated or hard to achieve when the right mental game strategies are put into place.

What are the Mindsets That Help Athlete Perform in the Zone?

How often do you or your athletes perform in the “the zone”? What is the zone? The zone is simply a mental state of total focus in the present moment. We call this being “immersed” as it indicates you don’t worry about outcomes or are not distracted when you perform. You trust your skills and react without worry, doubt, or fear about results.

Improve Your Mental Game

If you want to improve your mindset during competition, learn more about how mental performance coaching can help you improve. Book a free mental coaching session to learn more about how to build confidence, handle pressure, and perform your best when it matters most:

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Sports-Specific Mental Performance Coaching

Frequently Asked Questions About the Mental Game

What is the mental game in sports?

The mental game is your ability to manage confidence, focus, motivation, and emotions in competition. It’s the difference between performing freely and holding back under pressure.

What is sports psychology?

What is mental performance coaching or mental training?

Mental Game Coaching (also known as mental training or mental toughness training) is the practical aspect of sports psychology. Mental toughness training helps athletes improve mental skills and overcome mental barriers, such as confidence, concentration (focus) or composure related issues. It requires replacing unhealthy attitudes and beliefs with healthy ones in order to achieve peak performance in sports.

What’s the difference between sports psychology and therapy?

Unlike psychotherapy or therapy, sports psychology doesn’t use couches, prescribe medicines, or work with abnormal behavior. Instead, the goal of mental game coaching and/or sports psychology is to teach athletes how to be more confident, improve focus, stay composed under pressure, practice more efficiently, and develop better pre-performance routines. The main difference between a mental game coach and a therapist is that mental game coaches work with athletes on sports performance enhancement and not personal challenges (e.g. working through a divorce, coping with an addictive behavior, etc.) or abnormal behavior (e.g. schizophrenia). Read more about The Roles of a Sports Psychologist.

When should I work with a sports psychology expert?

The most common sign that an athlete needs to work with a mental coach is when he or she is unable to perform up to maximum ability level in competition. This is often characterized when an athlete is able to perform well in practice, but seems to flounder or freeze up in competition. Smart athletes and coaches recognize the warning signs–an inability to cope with the pressures of competition, becoming easily distracted, or having difficulty with performance anxiety or fear of failure.

Another situation in which work with a sports psychologist is appropriate is when an athlete is performing after an injury or in the recovery stage of injury and needs help working through issues, such as diminished confidence, which may manifest during the healing process. Read more about What is a Sports Psychologist.

What kind of results can I expect from mental training?

Sports psychology and mental toughness coaching is not a one-size-fits-all solution to performance issues in sports. Results vary from athlete to athlete and are contingent upon factors such as a desire to improve mental game skills, the ability to implement sports psychology strategies, and willingness to overcome the mental obstacles that get in the way of performance.

However, anticipated outcomes include improved confidence; greater composure; keener concentration because of increased ability to cope with distractions; and entering the zone faster and staying there longer.

How do I know if I need mental coaching?

If you play great in practice but struggle in games, get nervous under pressure, or lose confidence after mistakes, mental coaching can help. These are the exact struggles athletes ask about every day.

Can parents and coaches support the mental game?

Yes. Parents and coaches play a big role in shaping athletes’ confidence and mindset. Learning how to support athletes without adding pressure makes a major difference.

Do you work with athletes or teams in all sports?

We work with any athlete, team, or performer who is open to change and motivated to improve his or her mental game. Our programs can be applied to any level of competition, including young athletes and parents, junior, high school, college or professional. We work with individuals as well as teams.

Peak Performance Sports mental performance coaches‘ experience is varied, but he has provided mental game coaching in sports such as: golf, auto racing, motocross, running, shooting, gymnastics, skating, soccer, tennis, football, basketball, baseball, softball, hockey, BMX racing, swimming, triathlons, skydiving, surfing, competitive sailing, billiards, and bowling. Our programs and assessments allow us to concentrate on the particular needs of each athlete, regardless of the specific sport. To see some of the feedback we’ve received about experiences of athletes in all sports, visit our client list.

Can mental training help my child to perform better in sports?

Mental training for sports parents and kids can help you identify the areas in your child’s mental game that are holding back his or her performance. It will also teach you the mental game skills, practice routines, and communication skills to positively impact your child’s performance. Learn how to become the Ultimate Sports Parent by visiting our Youth Sports Site.

Patrick Cohn, Ph.D. Owner, Master Mental Coach

Dr. Patrick Cohn is a sports psychology Ph.D. with 40 years of experience coaching 1,000+ athletes, from the NFL and PGA Tour to the Olympics. He founded Peak Performance Sports in 1996 and has published 25+ books and workbooks on mental performance training. He’s the architect of the Mental Edge Framework for athletes, coaches, and parents seeking competitive advantage. He is also the creator of the MGCP certification programs for coaches and life coaches.

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