The mental side of performance is often the hardest part of sports. It’s easy to get caught up in the game, but if you don’t have a good mental approach, your performance will suffer. In this blog post, I’ll show you six ways you can prepare your mind for any upcoming match.
Have A Positive Mindset
As you prepare for your match, it’s important to have a positive mindset. You want to be as confident and relaxed as possible during your matches. If you’re thinking negative thoughts or having doubts about yourself, this will affect how well you play.
You should also try to visualize success in advance of each match–what shots do I need to hit in order for me to win? How am I going to get those shots? These visualizations will help keep your confidence high when things aren’t going perfectly during the match itself.
Stay Focused
The most important thing to remember is that you need to stay focused on the task at hand, says Dr Eugene Kramer. Don’t let outside distractions distract you, and don’t let your mind wander. If you’re going into a match with high hopes and expectations, it’s easy for those thoughts (and emotions) to get away from you if they’re not firmly rooted in reality.
Don’t Overthink It
You’ve just finished a match and you’re feeling pretty good. You think back on the match, but then something happens: your thoughts take over and start to get in the way of your happiness. Your mind starts racing with all kinds of questions like “What if I had played better?” or “I should have done this instead.”
Dr Eugene Kramer It can be tempting to dwell on mistakes or think about what could have been different in order to improve future performances–but don’t do it! Instead, focus on the next play and keep moving forward toward success.
