How Mental Training Improves Physical Training
What factor contributes most to your success in sports?
Which of the following would you rank as the most important elements to your training and preparation?
* Nutrition
* Flexibility
* Aerobic Conditioning
* Speed Training
* Anaerobic Training
* Reaction time
* Agility
* Power
* Technical Skills/ Mechanics
Each of these physical elements contribute to improved athletic performance. But where would you rank mental training in this hierarchy for success?
How much attention and time do you dedicate to your mental skills training? Most athletes believe mental factors significantly contribute to elite performance but pay little attention to mental skills training.
Mental training is the difference-maker in sport performance. In other words, physical training can take you only so far.
Mental training is the needed boost that takes you to the next level and gives you a significant edge over your competition.
You can spend hours in the weight room strengthening your body but what good is a strong body if you have a weak mental game?
You can hire private coaches to refine your mechanics but what good are sound mechanics if you can’t perform at a high level under pressure?
You can crush practices but if you cannot focus during a competition, then you will under perform despite your hard work.
Mental training can take you farther than physical training alone. Former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall knows what it takes to be successful in athletics.
Marshall played 13 years in the NFL teams, was chosen for a half-dozen Pro Bowls and amassed 12,351 receiving yards (23rd most receiving yards in NFL history).
Currently an analyst on ESPN, Marshall emphasized the importance of training the mind, yet sees mental training as the single most neglected aspect of performance preparation.
MARSHALL: “Now look, we keep saying that sport is 80% mental, so when are we going to double down on training our mind and making sure we are there mentally? We don’t do it enough as players.”
Neglecting your mental game is like willingly missing half of your practices and expecting to achieve personal bests every time you compete. If competitive performance is 80% mental and you are doing little to no mental training, you will fall short of your competitive goals.
Strong mental skills or a strong mental game does not happen by chance. Competitive mindsets are built through purposeful training.
If you are committed to being the best athlete you can possibly be, the only way to achieve that objective is by adding mental training to your preparation regimen.
Mindset for Sports Success:
Ask yourself the three following questions:
1. How far do I want to go in my sport?
2. Without mental training, will I achieve my ultimate objectives and maximum potential?
3. How do I incorporate mental training into my training regimen?
Once you understand the need for mental training, then it’s a matter of committing to a stronger mental game.
Once all your training is complete, the mental game is the most important skill for success in sports.
Related Articles on Mental Game:
- Embrace Healthy Competition within Your Team
- What Separates Elite Athletes from the Rest?
- Focus on What You Can Control in Sports
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