Sports Psychology Tip:
The Last Day You Ever Choke in Sport
Lisa Lane Brown explains how to cure overwhelming nerves and performance anxiety to perform at your best under pressure in sport..
Whenever I would choke, my coach, Dad, or sports psychologist would tell me that all I needed to do was believe in myself.
They would say things like, "You are a great athlete, why are you second-guessing yourself like this? Just go out there and play the way you KNOW you can." ... Sound familiar?
Fortunately, I refused to give up on figuring out the sports psychology mindset needed to win under pressure. I soon realised that you need to ask yourself WHY you choked rather than ignore the fact that you have choked. If so, you know how ridiculously superficial and UNHELPFUL this advice is.
Case Study in Choking
Here is a typical case study from an athlete (Branden, a badminton player) I worked with recently:
"Lisa, I won the first match and was up 18-12 in the second. I just needed three points to close it out. But I got anxious. I hit the bird into the net and then out. He got momentum, I got frustrated, I ended up losing the tournament. Lisa, I need more mental strength."
Can you see Branden's MAJOR problem? ... What is he missing?
He is doing what 97% of athletes do. He is thinking that he got nervous and choked and is putting himself down for choking. He forgot to ask WHY he got so scared. If you try to fix your mental sports game without answering this question first, you will spin your wheels forever.
So, I asked my badminton player the one question he WASN'T asking: "What was happening in this match that made you so nervous?"
It turns out his opponent was a long-time rival. Branden beat him five months ago by moving him around the court. See, Branden is a smart player. He is quick and specializes in exhausting the other player, so he cannot get shots back. That is how he won five months ago. But then the inevitable happened.
After he got beat, Branden's rival got mad. Then he got better. When he saw Branden again, he was returning Branden's shots. This unnerved Branden, who counts on his opponent not getting the bird back.
And here is the truth: There is a story behind every match, every game, and race. There are physical, technical, and tactical REASONS why one side wins. There are not many flukes in sport, and that is why it is so sweet when you win.
But Branden forgot to dig up the story, and I guess he did not want to face the story. But that is how you prevent choking, my friend.
How to Prevent Choking
When you get scared, you need to figure out WHY you are so afraid. There is usually a perfect reason, and it is often technical, strategical, or physical.
Something is happening out there that is making you scared. Once you know what it is, your power is back. You are now in a position to solve the problem. Ignore the problem, and your nerves will only get more intense.
That is why you need to learn sports psychology to prepare yourself for every scenario emotionally.
Courage to Win® in Sport Process
Using the Courage to Win® in the Sport process, you will have an answer for every challenge. It is a simple process to figure out poor performance and make sure it does not happen again.
- Start a mental toughness journal
- Take it with you to training and practice as well as competitions
- After every event, write your best thoughts on the following questions:
- What did I do in this competition that worked?
- What did I do in this competition that did not work?
- Was there anything unique about my opponents and their strategy that might have affected me mentally or emotionally?
- Did I stick to my game plan and execute it? Why or why not?
- Was I affected by any person in my competition environment? (Teammate, coach, parent, official)? ... How so?
Once you have answered these questions, you will know what happened and make any necessary adjustments.
Healing Your Disappointment
If you did not have your best showing, you might find yourself disappointed (or even crushed) by some of your mistakes or flaws.
This is perfectly okay. Facing and dealing with your disappointment is crucial to eliminating nerves. ... Why?
You can treat your heart of any disappointment. Because if you want to be confident and motivated, you need to be "whole" emotionally. This means healing your disappointment over past losses or failures.
Years ago, I owned a summer training camp for kids to learn my sport. One day we took some girls rollerblading, and a five-year-old girl, Lyndsay, could not find a pair of rollerblades to fit her.
When it became apparent she could not go, Lyndsay sobbed in disappointment. Then Lyndsay's mother showed up, tired and impatient. "Lyndsay, stop crying." Lyndsay's tears turned into hysterical sobs. Her mother: "If you keep this up, you will not be back tomorrow."
After a few moments, Lyndsay looked up at her mother and said, "I just want to cry a little." Sometimes there is just loss, and when that is the case, the crying IS the healing. Lyndsay was only five years old, but she got it.
I have an assignment for you
The next time you feel sad about poor performance, and you get a lump in your throat, let go and cry a little. If you need to weep for a long time, do it for as long and as hard as you need to (after the event, of course!)
The only caveat is that you cannot fall into self-pity or feel worse and spiral downwards. You cannot protest what has happened to you or become self-righteous about it.
You will be surprised how optimistic, energetic, and confident you feel and how easy it is to be convinced. Nurturing your heart is only part of being mentally tough.
Courage to Win in Sport Newsletter
There are several practices of mental toughness that you need to stay confident, courageous, and in control no matter what the circumstances. You can get free, instant access to several of them by subscribing to my complimentary Courage to Win in Sport Newsletter.
As a thank you for signing up, you also get a copy of my Guide:7 Amazing Mental Toughness Secrets of Superstar Athletes. Go Here.
Your friend, Lisa Lane Brown - The Courage to Win
Page Reference
If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:
- LANE BROWN, L. (2015) Sports Psychology Tip: The Last Day You Ever Choke in Sport [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article186.htm [Accessed
About the Author
As an elite athlete, Lisa Lane Brown became interested in mental toughness, confidence, and self-mastery as she struggled with extreme confidence swings when competing. What followed was the development of her Courage to Win® mental toughness strategies. Lisa can be contacted via her website.