Focus During Game Time
How often have you heard the word “focus” during your competitive career?
What exactly is “focus”?
The word “focus” is used every day by coaches and athletes throughout the world of sports.
Athletes blame losses on focus. Athletes credit victories to focus.
Athletes talk about how distractions affected their mental focus.
And mental game coaches highlight the importance of “focus” for athletic success…
As the Seattle Mariners battle for a playoff spot, Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon talked about “focus” heading into his team’s game against the Texas Rangers.
McClendon: “I thought it was important that they [the Mariners] come out with a lot of energy and focus and play up to their ability and not get caught up in a lot of different things.”
After a Week 1 loss to the Miami Dolphins, Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis talked about the need for New England to “focus” on their next game.
Revis: “We have to get back to working hard and continue to do that, one game one week, this week is Minnesota. We have to focus on them and continue to get better as a team.”
University of Tulsa Head Coach Bill Blankenship commented the importance of “focusing” on the right things as the underdog Tulsa team prepared for their football game against powerhouse Oklahoma.
Blankenship: “If we focus on Oklahoma, then we step right into the trap that most people do when they play Oklahoma. We’ve got to be about Tulsa.”
What is “focus”?
The definition of “focus” is merely paying attention to what’s relevant when you compete.
The problem with “focus”
The conundrum about focus is that athletes can focus well, but not always on the right things for optimal athletic performance.
You could be focused on technique, your opponent’s talent, the outcome of the competition, personal problems outside of sport, your coach, spectators, your parents, past mistakes, your current slump, etc.
The challenge is that too many things compete for your attention and that your focus changes many times during competition.
What is the optimal focus for achieving peak performance?
The important thing is to focus rather than over-think.
The optimal focus is when you only attend to what’s relevant to performing a skill, such as seeing the ball early as a batter, having a target as a tennis player, or having a balanced landing as a skater.
You should be immersed in “just playing” without consciously trying to control your performance.
Performance is a matter of allowing your instincts (trained skills via practice) to execute.
Try these tips for improving your game-time focus:
Tip #1: Simplify what you focus on during competition. Narrow your thoughts down to one feeling, target, or objective, if possible. More is not always better in sports.
Tip #2: Trust in your skills you grooved during training. Stop the training when you compete. Too many athletes continue to “practice” in competition instead of letting it flow.
Successful athletes have learned how to eliminate distractions and boost concentration in competition!
We’ve created The Focused Athlete Workbook Program to help you do this.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- How to Refocus After Making Mistakes
- How To Refocus Quickly When Distracted
- How to Prevent Mental Mistakes During Competition
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The Focused Athlete
It’s probably no secret that you have many opportunities to become distracted in sports. Athletes are bombarded with both internal and external distractions everyday in practice and competition. Focused athletes are able to get the most from their skills because they are more efficient with practice and more concentrated in competition. Athletes who lack focus let distractions run wild through their mind and don’t know how to adjust or refocus.
The Focused Athlete was developed for any level coach, parent, or junior to professional athlete who wants to improve performance and gain a competitive edge. It does not matter if you are a fledgling junior athlete; or a seasoned professional, plagued with distractions; or you just wanting to learn how to improve concentration…
“The Focused Athlete” is a complete system to teach you how to focus like a champion and harness the power of a zone focus every time you step on the playing field, court, track, or course in practice and games!