Post by Neversatisfied on May 25, 2007 1:44:46 GMT -5
When athletes train, they focus on drills to improve technique, weight lifting to build strength, and cardiovascular exercises to enhance endurance. But, according to Aimee Kimball, PhD, director of mental training at UPMC Sports Medicine, athletes are most successful when they learn to flex another important muscle — the mind.
It’s called mental training, also known as sports psychology or performance enhancement, and it’s an approach being used now more than ever to help athletes succeed in sports and in life.
“While physical training focuses on teaching the body proper execution of skills,” says Dr. Kimball, “mental training focuses on teaching the mind to think in ways that can enhance an athlete’s performance.”
According to Dr. Kimball, mental barriers that can hinder athletes’ performance range from a lack of focus to negative thinking to succumbing to pressure, and they often can be overcome through visualization, appropriate focus, and stress management.
“Mental training gives athletes the knowledge and ability to control their thinking and emotions, and in turn, their performance,” says Dr. Kimball.
But mental training is not just for athletes who struggle. In fact, mental training is most effective when it’s used to prevent performance problems from occurring, rather than providing a quick fix after they happen. It works for individuals or teams, and even helps injured athletes recover faster from injuries.
“Mental training is basically learning to use your mind to help you consistently perform at your best,” says Dr. Kimball. “Whatever the situation, the more mentally prepared you are, the more likely you are to make the most of your physical skills.”
Use your senses
Visualization is one of the main techniques that Dr. Kimball teaches. It’s a process whereby a reality is created in the mind and then lived out in-person. However, visualization is more than just seeing a situation. According to Dr. Kimball, visualization is most effective when it employs all the senses, a technique she refers to as imagery.
“With imagery, you want to use as many of your senses as possible,” she says. “When you imagine yourself shooting a game-winning free throw, picture the ball in your hand. Hear the crowd cheering for you. Smell the musty gym. Then see the ball going through the hoop.” The more an athlete makes the images real in his or her mind, the easier it will be to turn that visualization into reality.
Peak performance mindset
One of the first steps Dr. Kimball uses to help athletes create their peak performance mindset is to ask them to remember all the details and characteristics of their best performance, one that stands out as their personal peak. It may not have even been a game that the team won, but it was a game where the athlete felt very confident in his or her abilities and was able to successfully meet the physical demands of the sport.
From there, Dr. Kimball asks them to express how they felt during that important performance. Were they calm and relaxed or pumped up? What did they do to get themselves to perform? How did they feel putting on their uniform?
“I ask them to think about what got them into that mindset when they performed at their best,” says Dr. Kimball. “That becomes important in establishing a pre-game routine.”
The athlete then analyzes their attitude during that event, including how they handled critical situations, and how they reacted if they made a mistake. In their best performances, athletes usually are focused on the present and on the task, not on past mistakes or on the pressure of the situation. Focusing on their strengths rather than their weaknesses also helps athletes develop the positive attitude they need to succeed.
“I get them to realize that any negative self-thought eats away at their confidence,” she says. “They have to push the negative thoughts out of their minds and replace them with something positive.”
Use a trigger word
Once athletes characterize their best performances, Dr. Kimball asks them to create a trigger word: one that crystallizes the essence of their best performance. This can be used to create a positive mentality and to help the athletes focus appropriately. The purpose of the word is to mentally snap the athlete back into that moment of greatness and to assist them in replicating their peak performance mentality.
“One athlete I worked with used the word ‘catalyst’ as his trigger because it reminded him to go out there and make things happen,” says Dr. Kimball. From a defensive basketball star who made her trigger word “tornado” to a baseball player who simply used the word “focus,” Dr. Kimball has seen this tactic work time and time again. Players may draw a symbol on their hand to remind them, or write the trigger word on a ball that they carry around with them, but the important part is to pick a word, practice it, and use it in the clutch.
Setting goals
Dr. Kimball also teaches athletes how to set specific, realistic, process-oriented goals and recommends that athletes practice how they want to play. This type of goal setting, where athletes focus on the fundamentals of the sport, encourages constant improvement and allows athletes to take their game to the next level. Many times, she says, athletes – especially young athletes – will just go through the drills and not mentally focus on practice.
“The more you can learn to set goals, focus on the drills, and make practice more like a competition, the more you will see the skills you are practicing show up in a game,” says Dr. Kimball.
Other techniques
Stress reduction is another important life skill, on the field and off. As an exercise to help the process, Dr. Kimball asks the athlete to write down all the major stressors in their life. If they can control the factors, she encourages them to do something about them. But if the stressor is out of their control, she asks them to simply throw it away.
Similarly, she says we can reduce stress by focusing on the positive. “A lot of times, athletes start focusing on what they are trying to avoid, which creates tension and a negative attitude,” says Dr. Kimball. “If you teach them instead to focus on what they want to accomplish, it is much more motivating.”
For any athlete, staying positive also means not allowing negative momentum to pull you under. Momentum often shifts in a sporting event. Knowing you’re on a roll increases confidence, which then increases performance. Conversely, concentrating on how someone just scored two touchdowns on you can hurt performance. To help offset those negative effects, Dr. Kimball advises that athletes just take it one play at a time.
“Every play, every second, is different than the one before it, which gives athletes who are in the right mindset ample opportunity to think positively and begin to turn the tide in their favor,” says Dr. Kimball.
Have fun
Studies show that the more people enjoy what they do, the better they are at doing it. “Part of my job is making sure people have fun,” she says. “Even as the level of competition increases, I ask athletes to focus on the intrinsic joy they feel for the activity.” The idea works equally well for anyone starting an exercise program. Dr. Kimball’s advice is for people to choose a fitness program they enjoy because they will be more likely to stick with it.
According to Dr. Kimball, athletes are not the only ones who can benefit from enhancing their ability to control their mind. Whether building confidence for the big match, increasing concentration for a sales pitch, or controlling anxiety before a big test, everyone can benefit from mental training.
Ten tips for improving your mental game
Set specific, realistic, process-oriented goals for practice and competition.
Focus on skill improvement (not outcome) and self-improvement (not comparison to others).
Remember why you enjoy playing.
Know that the situation does not change the task (a foul shot is still a foul shot even if it’s to win the game).
Align expectations with reality.
Control the controllable.
Stay in the present and on task; don’t worry about consequences, distractions, or past mistakes.
Have a routine that includes a deep breath and a trigger word.
Know everything about your best performance (thoughts, feelings, physical state) and what got you there (warm-up routine, music, imagery).
Develop a mental game plan.
It’s called mental training, also known as sports psychology or performance enhancement, and it’s an approach being used now more than ever to help athletes succeed in sports and in life.
“While physical training focuses on teaching the body proper execution of skills,” says Dr. Kimball, “mental training focuses on teaching the mind to think in ways that can enhance an athlete’s performance.”
According to Dr. Kimball, mental barriers that can hinder athletes’ performance range from a lack of focus to negative thinking to succumbing to pressure, and they often can be overcome through visualization, appropriate focus, and stress management.
“Mental training gives athletes the knowledge and ability to control their thinking and emotions, and in turn, their performance,” says Dr. Kimball.
But mental training is not just for athletes who struggle. In fact, mental training is most effective when it’s used to prevent performance problems from occurring, rather than providing a quick fix after they happen. It works for individuals or teams, and even helps injured athletes recover faster from injuries.
“Mental training is basically learning to use your mind to help you consistently perform at your best,” says Dr. Kimball. “Whatever the situation, the more mentally prepared you are, the more likely you are to make the most of your physical skills.”
Use your senses
Visualization is one of the main techniques that Dr. Kimball teaches. It’s a process whereby a reality is created in the mind and then lived out in-person. However, visualization is more than just seeing a situation. According to Dr. Kimball, visualization is most effective when it employs all the senses, a technique she refers to as imagery.
“With imagery, you want to use as many of your senses as possible,” she says. “When you imagine yourself shooting a game-winning free throw, picture the ball in your hand. Hear the crowd cheering for you. Smell the musty gym. Then see the ball going through the hoop.” The more an athlete makes the images real in his or her mind, the easier it will be to turn that visualization into reality.
Peak performance mindset
One of the first steps Dr. Kimball uses to help athletes create their peak performance mindset is to ask them to remember all the details and characteristics of their best performance, one that stands out as their personal peak. It may not have even been a game that the team won, but it was a game where the athlete felt very confident in his or her abilities and was able to successfully meet the physical demands of the sport.
From there, Dr. Kimball asks them to express how they felt during that important performance. Were they calm and relaxed or pumped up? What did they do to get themselves to perform? How did they feel putting on their uniform?
“I ask them to think about what got them into that mindset when they performed at their best,” says Dr. Kimball. “That becomes important in establishing a pre-game routine.”
The athlete then analyzes their attitude during that event, including how they handled critical situations, and how they reacted if they made a mistake. In their best performances, athletes usually are focused on the present and on the task, not on past mistakes or on the pressure of the situation. Focusing on their strengths rather than their weaknesses also helps athletes develop the positive attitude they need to succeed.
“I get them to realize that any negative self-thought eats away at their confidence,” she says. “They have to push the negative thoughts out of their minds and replace them with something positive.”
Use a trigger word
Once athletes characterize their best performances, Dr. Kimball asks them to create a trigger word: one that crystallizes the essence of their best performance. This can be used to create a positive mentality and to help the athletes focus appropriately. The purpose of the word is to mentally snap the athlete back into that moment of greatness and to assist them in replicating their peak performance mentality.
“One athlete I worked with used the word ‘catalyst’ as his trigger because it reminded him to go out there and make things happen,” says Dr. Kimball. From a defensive basketball star who made her trigger word “tornado” to a baseball player who simply used the word “focus,” Dr. Kimball has seen this tactic work time and time again. Players may draw a symbol on their hand to remind them, or write the trigger word on a ball that they carry around with them, but the important part is to pick a word, practice it, and use it in the clutch.
Setting goals
Dr. Kimball also teaches athletes how to set specific, realistic, process-oriented goals and recommends that athletes practice how they want to play. This type of goal setting, where athletes focus on the fundamentals of the sport, encourages constant improvement and allows athletes to take their game to the next level. Many times, she says, athletes – especially young athletes – will just go through the drills and not mentally focus on practice.
“The more you can learn to set goals, focus on the drills, and make practice more like a competition, the more you will see the skills you are practicing show up in a game,” says Dr. Kimball.
Other techniques
Stress reduction is another important life skill, on the field and off. As an exercise to help the process, Dr. Kimball asks the athlete to write down all the major stressors in their life. If they can control the factors, she encourages them to do something about them. But if the stressor is out of their control, she asks them to simply throw it away.
Similarly, she says we can reduce stress by focusing on the positive. “A lot of times, athletes start focusing on what they are trying to avoid, which creates tension and a negative attitude,” says Dr. Kimball. “If you teach them instead to focus on what they want to accomplish, it is much more motivating.”
For any athlete, staying positive also means not allowing negative momentum to pull you under. Momentum often shifts in a sporting event. Knowing you’re on a roll increases confidence, which then increases performance. Conversely, concentrating on how someone just scored two touchdowns on you can hurt performance. To help offset those negative effects, Dr. Kimball advises that athletes just take it one play at a time.
“Every play, every second, is different than the one before it, which gives athletes who are in the right mindset ample opportunity to think positively and begin to turn the tide in their favor,” says Dr. Kimball.
Have fun
Studies show that the more people enjoy what they do, the better they are at doing it. “Part of my job is making sure people have fun,” she says. “Even as the level of competition increases, I ask athletes to focus on the intrinsic joy they feel for the activity.” The idea works equally well for anyone starting an exercise program. Dr. Kimball’s advice is for people to choose a fitness program they enjoy because they will be more likely to stick with it.
According to Dr. Kimball, athletes are not the only ones who can benefit from enhancing their ability to control their mind. Whether building confidence for the big match, increasing concentration for a sales pitch, or controlling anxiety before a big test, everyone can benefit from mental training.
Ten tips for improving your mental game
Set specific, realistic, process-oriented goals for practice and competition.
Focus on skill improvement (not outcome) and self-improvement (not comparison to others).
Remember why you enjoy playing.
Know that the situation does not change the task (a foul shot is still a foul shot even if it’s to win the game).
Align expectations with reality.
Control the controllable.
Stay in the present and on task; don’t worry about consequences, distractions, or past mistakes.
Have a routine that includes a deep breath and a trigger word.
Know everything about your best performance (thoughts, feelings, physical state) and what got you there (warm-up routine, music, imagery).
Develop a mental game plan.