Lionel Messi in soccer, Tom Brady in football, Mr. October Reggie Jackson in baseball,
Michael Jordan in basketball, Patrick Roy in Hockey…
What do these athletes have in common? They are all clutch players who have come through under pressure more than most.
Now, you may think that athletes like this are just blessed with some kind of mental ability the rest of us don’t have…and that’s just not true.
Here’s the real truth…
When you look at stats of world-class athletes in all sports, even those greats I just mentioned, you will find that they actually perform worse than they do in non-pressured competition. In other words, you are in good company if you find it difficult to play your best in crunch time…so do they. That should give you some comfort for starters.
However, what makes athletes great under pressure more often than other players to earn their reputation as a clutch player, is that they have learned strategies to manage that pressure…
Lionel Messiand you can learn them too. Mental skills are learn- able just like physical skills
So let’s start with my first tip in this 6-part series:
The last time you had a pressure situation, did a thought come across your mind about what would happen if you did not come through? How bad it would be? The disappointment, maybe the loss of money or respect from others? Carrying the loss with you for years….
Well guess what, every time you entertain those thoughts, you are increasing the likelihood of them happening by programming your inner mind, your subconscious mind.
What you need to do is to imagine yourself being in the typical pressure situation for your sport
hundreds of times in advance of the reality…and imagine yourself being successful in those specific situations.
Winners win in advance. Now, this may not be a huge new learning for you but most athletes don’t do this one thing that really makes this work:
You need to Prepare for and practice exactly what you will THINK at the moment of needing to perform under pressure.
For example, a player could repeat over and over something like:
“I’m a machine, just like practice, focus and execute the fundamentals”
Patrick Roy Hall of Famer
At the moment of pressure in competiton, you’ve got to give your mind something to do or you might leave it wide open to destructive thinking. This negative thinking generates anxiety and tension which interferes with your ability to perform. Crowd out the destruction by directing your thoughts and PRACTICE this thinking before it ever happens.
Thinking this once or twice or once-in-a-while isn’t going to cut it. Just like perfecting your physical skills, mental skills need repetition to make them habit and automatic.
Take a deep breath and let it go…Then repeat to yourself a dozen times after this video: I am a clutch player and imagine yourself doing just that in crunch time.
Let’s do this,
I’m Craig Sigl, mental toughness trainer