So how does someone get mentally prepared for competition? When should they concentrate? How does an athlete strike a balance between relaxing and thinking about the results they want to achieve?
It’s different for everyone. Some athletes need to focus in an intense manner before they compete, while others don't want to think about anything related to their competition. However, everyone should have a consistent plan that they use on a regular basis.
What pro golfers do
Golf is a sport that requires intense concentration and focus for brief periods of time. One of the keys to golf success is not just the ability to hit greens in regulation and to consistently one-putt greens, but to be mentally prepared and have a consistent pre-shot routine.
Most professional golfers take time to mentally visualize their round the night before they actually play. Many golfers believe that mentally working out how they will approach each hole is just as important as driving a cart around the course to check yardage.
Visualization
Visualization is the new buzzword in sports psychology. Essentially, visualization is the ability to see something before it actually happens.
There are two ways to visualize: The first is visualizing events as if you are watching a movie of yourself competing. This is called disassociative visualization because it emphasizes your role as spectator over participant in the exercise.
Associative visualization is just the opposite, with you watching yourself compete as through your own eyes. Athletes may find one technique works better for them than another, while some athletes may combine these two together into a powerful routine to get them ready for competition.
To successfully visualize be sure to imagine not only successful results, such as hitting the perfect shot, but also your response to adversity, such as hitting the ball against a tree. By blending the two you bring confidence and preparation to any contest you participate in.
Preparation involves developing a consistent routine before you compete both on the mental side and the physical. Just as you stretch before you compete, you should also mentally stretch. Taking time the night before to think about your event and visualize yourself successfully completing your event, will give you a much greater chance for success on the actual playing field.
Dr. Andrew Jacobs has produced numerous teleseminars about youth sports as well as audio programs to help you relax and visualize success before competition. Check out his Web site at www.winnersunlimted.com. Also his show, The Sports Psychology Hour, can be heard 8-9AM Central time and can be heard by clicking on www.810whb.com. He can also be reached at 816-561-5556.
cool article
Posted by: | March 07, 2007 at 02:44 PM
eah bro I got the 7 minute warm up and unbreakable abs. both are good dude.If you're just going to get one though-- Unbreakable abs is more expensive but really worth it. He has you doing some crazy stuff but it really works. really i jsut liked it because it was stuff i hadn't seen before. I also like his other blog. but I'm not sure about million dollar hitter. has anyone used that I really liked the other two but that one is so expensive i don't want to get it until i hear from someone who used it.
Posted by: hollister clothing | September 10, 2010 at 12:19 AM
Fabulous article! is from my Bookmarked!!
beautiful blog.. i like read this page. thanks and God bless..
Posted by: Generic Viagra | September 15, 2010 at 03:58 PM
Thank you so much for sharing such an interesting piece which is definitely worth sharing. The ideas and insights are very worth reading.
Posted by: psychiatry emr | October 05, 2010 at 08:18 PM
at the us!! I was appalled and would expect this behavior from a child, not an adult. We, as parents should have received an apology, but did not! Mr.
Posted by: abercrombie & fitch uk | October 28, 2010 at 04:05 AM
I think am just having some problems with subscribing to RSS feed here.
Posted by: abercrombie uk | April 17, 2011 at 06:36 AM
You made some respectable factors there. I appeared on the web for the problem and found most individuals will associate with with your website.
Posted by: abercrombie Deutschland | April 17, 2011 at 06:50 AM
I so enjoyed every bit of this site and I’ve bookmarked your blog to keep up with the new topics you will post in the future.
!!!
Posted by: Jack wills | April 17, 2011 at 06:59 AM
You made some respectable factors there. I appeared on the web for the problem and found most individuals will associate with with your website.
Posted by: Jack wills | April 17, 2011 at 07:04 AM
There is noticeably a bundle to learn about this. I assume you made sure nice points in features also.
~~~
Posted by: Jack wills outlet | April 17, 2011 at 08:37 AM