Focus and Concentration for Athletes

Shooting For Excellence: Going For It In Golf

Go For It Mentality

What Is The “Go For It” Mentality In Golf? Many golfers don’t have the “go for it” mentality. Some golfers are content to play it safe and conservative. The “play-it-safe” mentality is synonymous with caution and caution never transfers into excellence; caution produces average. Playing it safe says, “I’m just happy to be here,” while the go-for-it mentality … Sport Psychology Article…

How to Focus in Front of a Hostile Crowd

Overcoming Hostile Crowds

Do You Get Distracted Easily During A Game? Do you get distracted and emotionally-charged when heckled by the opposition’s fans? Are you distracted and taken out of your game when you perform in a hostile environment? All great athletes have developed their ability to focus in adverse conditions. The ability to cope with distractions when performing is a … Sport Psychology Article…

How Mark Gangloff Overcame The Pressure To Perform

Focus in Sports

Mental Preparation For Competition Have you ever wondered how Olympic-level athletes are able to focus despite all the pressure to perform? Mark Gangloff is an American former swimmer and two-time Olympian. Gangloff won Olympic gold in 2004 and was the American record-holder in the 100m breaststroke. I interviewed Gangloff about his mental preparation for high-level swim meets. Gangloff … Sport Psychology Article…

Princeton Women’s Basketball: The Process of Being Undefeated

Process Focus

Focus On The Process In college sports, outcomes are everything. It’s all about wins and losses, your record, your score or your time. If outcomes are so important to sports, why do so many sport psychologists, coaches and athletes talk about the dangers of focusing on the outcome? Why do we constantly hear of the importance of focusing … Sport Psychology Article…

How Russel Wilson Learns And Grows From Setbacks

Mental Toughness

Wilson’s Mental Toughness Losing can be particularly difficult to handle. Some athletes take it harder than others questioning their athletic talent or ability to play under pressure. Nonetheless, adversity will cross paths with every athlete during their career in sport. How you handle adversity, your level of mental toughness, will determine if and how quickly you rebound from … Sport Psychology Article…

Positive or Negative Self-Talk. Which One Do You Use?

Positive Self-Talk

Carr’s Positive Self-Talk Does negative self-talk make it difficult to focus during competitions? Do you wish you could be more positive after mistakes? Negative self-talk is when you berate yourself for making mistakes during practice or competition. Obviously, negative self-talk hurts your confidence and enjoyment in sports. How can you turn negative self-talk into positive self–talk, the mental … Sport Psychology Article…