How To Play Well When You Feel Uncomfortable
Does your performance suffer when you’re not “on,” you feel uncomfortable, or don’t have your “A” game that day?
Do you struggle with staying confident and grind out the competition if your game is off or the competition is strong?
I often work with perfectionists that have trouble staying composed when their games are not up to self-imposed standards.
They not only want to win, but they want their performance to look good and feel good at the same time. If they don’t perform close to perfection, they lose momentum, entertain doubts, and become easily frustrated.
Why Perfectionists Struggle
Athletes who are perfectionists by nature also struggle with getting the job done when they don’t feel right or are not spot on.
For example, I know basketball players who miss shots early in the game and they stop shooting for fear of missing more shots. I don’t think Michael Jordan ever thought this way… He kept shooting and believing the next shot would go in!
Likewise, I know golfers who struggle with finishing off the round when they don’t have their “A” game. Confidence gets thrown out the window when the round does not go according to plan or at the first signs of marginal shots.
I’ve also worked with a NASCAR driver that self-destructed when he or his team made one mistake early in the race. He was so distracted with thinking “what’s wrong with us” that he could not adjust.
What’s common among all these scenarios? If an athlete or team is not willing to grind it out or make adjustments, they have little chance at winning or performing well.
Why Making Adjustments is Part of being Mentally Tough
I believe one sign of a mentally tough athlete is the ability to improvise and make adjustments when you don’t have your best game that day. You may not realize that it’s impossible to play in the zone or near your peak every day.
Not every athlete has the mindset to play well when he feels uncomfortable. Negative emotions and doubt interfere with getting the job done.
How do you get the most from your performance when you are uncomfortable?
How do you grind it our when you don’t have your “A” game?
Three Mental Game Strategies to Help You Adjust
1. Prepare yourself mentally prior to competition for anything that might happen. You must know that competition does not always go according to plan.
2. Plan for the best scenario, but also prepare for the fact that you might need to improvise or adapt. I like my students to be prepared mentally so they can make any adjustments and cope with any adversity.
3. If you make a mistake, accept it, and refocus quickly back on the game. Ask yourself, “What’s important to focus on right now.” Let the past be in the past.
Workbook and CD Program to Help You Perform At Your Peak:
Staying composed after mistakes, when your behind, or not playing your best it imperative to being a great athlete.
Check out our best program to help athletes stay composed and confident.
The Composed Athlete – A 14 Day Plan for Superior Composure
Your Mental Game Coach,
Dr. Patrick Cohn
p.s. I help athletes build confidence every day with one-on-one mental coaching. Learn more here:
One-one-one mental training – In Person, Phone, or Skype from anywhere in the world!
Boost Your Self-Confidence With Mental Game Coaching!
Master mental game coach, Dr. Patrick Cohn, can help you or your athlete(s), ages 12 and up, overcome mental game issues with personal coaching.
You can work with Dr. Patrick Cohn himself in Orlando, Florida or via Skype, FaceTime, or telephone. Call us toll free at 888-742-7225 or contact us for more information about the different coaching programs we offer!
What are our students saying?
“WOW!!! What a week I had. I was able to perform with a confidence that allowed my style to shine through–no more entering the arena with that “deer in the headlights” look or feeling. I stopped evaluating myself while I was performing, and I actually left the arena after my patterns feeling like I had experienced a lot of fun. Thank you so much.”
~Julia Dreyer, National Champion Equestrian
For All Athletes – Learn Confidence-Boosting Techniques!
D you have a negative self-image of yourself as an athlete that stifles confidence?
No matter ow positive you try to be, are you unable to shake the doubt that rushes into your head when you size up your competition?
Have you labeled yourself as a loser, poor closer, or mediocre athlete and these labels keep you stuck in a rut of self-pity and indecision?
If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, check out The Confident Athlete!
The Confident Athlete CD and workbook program is a 14-day plan for ultimate self-confidence. This program is ideal for any athlete or coach that wants to discover proven confidence-boosting techniques guaranteed to drastically build self-confidence and improve sports performance.
Learn more about one of our most popular CD programs in The Confident Athlete Series…
The Confident Athlete: A 14-Day Plan For Ultimate Self-Confidence
Check out all of the products in The Confident Athlete Series!
What are customers saying?
“I first purchased The Confident Athlete to see how the program went and immediately saw results. I then purchased the rest of the confident athlete series and have noticed a dramatic improvement in my level of play or should I say consistency. I currently play NCAA Division 1 baseball for Lamar University, and even my coaches have noticed a change in the way that I approach the game. My attitude and confidence at the plate.”
~Tylor Prudhomme (Listen to his success story)
“I am a ASP world qualifying professional surfer and after beginning the ‘The Confident Athlete’ I had an almost instant change in attitude about my own surfing ability and my mindset going into competition. By using the Confident Athlete strategies, my confidence has done a complete 180 degrees. I won a local pro/am a few weeks back, and just had my best result of the year in one the last big events on the world circuit this last week in Brazil! It is my secret weapon!”
~Shaun Burrell, Professional Surfer (Listen to his success story)
For Young Athletes and Parents – Learn More About How to Help Kids Improve Confidence Quickly!
We’ve got a great program for you called “The Confident Sports Kid: A 7-Day Plan for Building Ultimate Self-Confidence.”
The Confident Sports Kid is a 7-day program for sports parents and kids to boost young athlete’s performance, happiness and success… in sports and life!
The Confident Sports Kid is two programs in one. There’s a manual and CD for parents/coaches, and a workbook/CD for young athletes.
Packed with mental strategies that you and your kids can start using immediately, this program teaches your athletes how to identify confidence busters, proactively deal with them, manage expectations that undermine confidence, and mentally prepare to stay confident when faced with adversity.
What’s more, our program teaches you, as sports parents and coaches, how you may be hurting your kids’ confidence and gives you instructions for changing your behavior in ways that will improve your athletes’ performance, confidence and enjoyment.
Learn more about one of our most popular CD programs in The Confident Sports Kid Series…
The Confident Sports Kid: A 7-Day Plan for Building Ultimate Self-Confidence
Check out all of our products in The Confident Sports Kid Series!
What are parents and coaches saying about our program?
“I appreciate the advice to parents as to how to help your child become more mentally resilient to bullying in sports. The specific advice and scenarios are extremely helpful for any child on a team and very helpful in guiding parents, coaches and administrators in how to deal with bullying in sports. I cannot thank you enough for your input, and I am so reassured to know that there are people like you who are writing articles and doing interviews on such timely and important matters.”
~Julie Goot
“Dr. Patrick Cohn and Lisa Cohn are to be congratulated! Together, they offer a wealth of knowledge, information, and practical mental tools for sports parents on the substantial “mental game” challenges and pressures facing today’s young athletes.”
~Marc D. Anderson, LCSW, MGCP, Mental Game Coach
For Mental Coaches – Add More Value To Your Mental Training Programs!
This workbook series was designed for coaches and mental coaches to use with their athletes.
The Athlete’s Mental Edge workbooks complement your existing mental training program. Each of the 15 workbooks in the Athlete’s Mental Edge System teaches your athletes a specific mental skill to improve their performance.
For mental coaches, this system is ideal for between session education.
For sports coaches, you’ll be able to conduct 15 team seminars using the workbook system.
In the Athlete’s Mental Edge workbook system, you receive 15 easy-to-read, practical Mental Edge Workbooks on PDF, as well as 16 coaches’ game plan MP3 audio files.
Athlete’s Mental Edge Workbook System
What are coaches saying?
“I am really pleased with the Athlete’s Mental Edge workbooks – they are fitting in really well with my coaching! I find they offer a great framework for doing workshop sessions. I have also used the workbooks with a few individual athletes – for the younger ones (12 and under). They are giving a good structure and framework to our sessions. The workbooks have worked well with all of them!”
~Kerri Morgan, Mental Game Coach
“I am impressed with the willingness and openness of Dr. Cohn to share all of his assets (intellectual, products, etc.) with the MGCP students. You have developed an incredible model/package for mental training. Even though we are paying for your service, you are passing on a legacy built on your contribution to the world of sports. Thank you for that.”
~Tony Melito, MGCP