Staying Positive in Diverse Playing Conditions
Bad weather, less-than-optimal course or field conditions, poor playing surfaces and unfavorable arena circumstances can derail some athletes before the competition even starts.
For example, a swimmer who enters the warm-up pool, finds the water temperature colder than usual and concludes he cannot swim fast in cold water…
Or a golfer who has to start a round under windy conditions and assumes he won’t play well in the wind…
Or a soccer team who is playing a semi-final match in the rain and is dejected about playing in the wet conditions…
If you adopt a negative attitude about poor playing conditions, you are setting yourself up for failure.
Since you can’t change the playing conditions, you have to learn to change your reaction or attitude about the playing conditions.
And with the right attitude, you can use those playing conditions to your advantage.
Most athletes do not like competing in poor or unfavorable playing conditions, but most all competitors face the same conditions.
Knowing that other athletes may hold back when playing in poor playing conditions, if you can stay confident and can grind it out, you have the mental advantage from the very start of the competition.
Here’s an example from the pros…
Former world No. 1 LPGA golfer Shin Ji-Yai refuses to allow bad playing conditions to derail her mental game.
Prior to the final round at the 2017 Women’s PGA Championship, Shin talked about how she deals with bad weather, in particular, the expected windy conditions on the final day of the tournament.
SHIN: “I think tomorrow [the last day of the tournament] is going to be a little bit hotter and also windy, so I try to enjoy the wind, like a friend.”
What a great perspective! Imagine the advantage you have over your competitors when you welcome those so-called “bad playing conditions” as a friend.
Let’s refer back to the examples earlier…
The swimmer who is competing in cold water can instead of complaining, watch the other swimmers shivering during warm-up and tell himself, “They hate this water, but I love it.”
The golfer playing in windy conditions can remind herself, “Everyone is experiencing the same conditions. I know how to play shots with windy conditions.”
The soccer team playing in the rain can talk about how they will remain aggressive and take control of play early in the game, knowing their opponents will probably play cautiously due to the weather.
Remember, it’s not the harsh playing conditions, but your attitude towards those conditions that matters most.
Mindset for Playing in Tough Conditions:
What are the tough conditions that many athletes in your sport would struggle with. Consider weather, sports arena, traveling, opposing fans, not enough time to warm up, etc.
What can you do to embrace these circumstances? How can you change the way you think about these circumstances to make it work for you?
Also, have a plan of attack to deal with these conditions ahead of time. Having a plan will help you feel more at ease when facing some difficult playing conditions.
And always remember, half of the athletes will panic or complain about harsh conditions! Do you want to be in that half or embrace the conditions as your friend?
Improve Concentration in Sports!
If you’re an athlete who is frequently distracted, loses focus in competition, or wants to learn more about how to focus better under pressure, The Focused Athlete is for you!
Concentration and the ability to focus under adversity is what championship athletes do best.
It only takes one distraction to enter your mind for you to lose a critical point, miss a putt, or lose a second off your lap time. You cannot afford to let distractions run wild in your mind and cause you to make errors at critical times in the game!
The Focused Athlete is a complete system to teach you how to focus like a champion and harness the power of a zone focus every tie you step on the playing field, court, track or course in practice and games!
This workbook and CD program consists of 2 audio CDs that include 14 days of focus boosting exercises and a simple to follow workbook that guides you through each of the 14 days, helps you apply strategies, and customizes the exercises to your personal focus challenges.
Discover:
- How to use pregame routines to help you harness the power of zone concentration before competition.
- How to use preshot routines before shots or serves to help you be more task-focused instead of worrying about results.
- How to quickly identify distractions that sabotage your concentration and how to quickly refocus after distractions.
Learn more about one of our most popular CD programs in The Confident Athlete Series…
The Focused Athlete: A 14-Day Plan For Superior Concentration
What are customers saying about our mental game programs?
“I enjoyed ‘The Confident Athlete Series’ very much. I particularly liked the format, the ease of the program, and the 2 CDs that accompanied the workbook – 10-20 minutes a day was simple to adhere to and put in my busy schedule. I love the part about confidence with grace, and what I want to portray and feel the minute I step foot into Los Angeles for nationals. I love the affirmations, the relaxation techniques, and just the entire perspective of the program.”
~Sarah, US National Aerobic Gymnastics Team
“I just finished ‘The Confident Athlete Program‘. Improving confidence is a never ending process. I think that confidence boosting is an awesome area. Having a daily mental plan for mental “work outs” can turbo charge anyone’s confidence level…. Studying almost all of Dr. Cohn’s mental game materials gives me a real EDGE over my competitions and most importantly – a boost in my daily life.”
~Radek Sefcik, peaksports.com member
“I can see that ‘The Confident Athlete Series‘ program is really sort of a lifestyle change. Just as weight loss involves a change in eating habits, confidence involves a change in thinking habits. I recently participated in a registered Skeet tournament and shot the best doubles score I’ve shot in four years. I attribute that score to your program!”
~Kevin Lutgen, Shooter
Boost Your Self-Confidence And Focus With Expert Mental Game Coaching!
If you’re a top performer during practice but find yourself under-performing in competition, the most likely culprit holding you back is your mental game.
Master mental game coach Dr. Patrick Cohn can help you overcome your mental game issues with one-on-one personal mental game 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 mental game coaching students, parents and coaches saying?
“Maggie had such a great weekend. As always, after she works with you she just seems more grounded and focused. She’s less likely to look around and get distracted during her match. She’s more focused on one point at a time. Also, as a parent, I’ve learned to encourage her process goals and not outcomes. Consequently, she played well and won her first doubles match, upsetting a seeded team in a really really close match!”*
~Katherine Johnson Cannata, Maggie’s mother
“Thank you for all the knowledge, tools, material, and guidance you have given me throughout the MGCP course. It was truly a great experience. I am looking forward to integrating your mental training system to students at the club, as well as to athletes that truly are committed, and strive towards reaching their peak performance.”*
~Tim Whitehead, Tennis Coach
“On behalf of all of our coaches who attended the 2004 ITA Coaches Convention, I would like to thank you for serving as a featured clinician. I know that the coaches felt it was both enjoyable and informative. We greatly appreciate your taking the time to prepare and present such an outstanding clinic for the benefit of our coaches.”*
~Nancy Breo, ITA Convention
“Since you last worked with AJ in early September, his National ranking has improved from 349 to 148. His tournament record at one point, since talking with you was 17-4, with 3 of the 4 being in third sets or tiebreakers and 2 of those matches being the same player, whom he has since beaten (you may recall he was on an 0-9 losing streak when we contacted you). His tie-breaker record is at least 90% through last weekend when he won the 18s District tournament with a semi and final match tiebreak win. Your help has definitely improved AJ’s results and his on-court demeanor has substantially improved.”*
~Dawn Woodman, A.J.’s Mother