Perform Smarter, Not Harder
Just give a 110% effort! Has anyone ever told you that prior to a performance?
The more valuable advice may very well be… “Perform smarter, not harder.”
Trying harder, shooting for perfection, or attempting to meet crazy-high expectations rarely produce better results.
In fact, these false motivators generally cause athletes to try too hard…
Trying to do too much triggers an athlete’s muscles to tighten, interferes with split-second decision-making and interrupts with the natural flow of your mechanics.
Trying to do too much causes you to force plays instead of allowing your body to perform as you have trained it to do.
Many football analysts suggest that Andrew Luck, franchise quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, has been trying too hard to carry his team to a championship.
Luck carries the hopes of a city squarely upon his shoulders every time he steps on the gridiron.
Being one of the most talented and smartest quarterbacks in the NFL, Luck has had huge shoes to fill since taking over the starting role from Peyton Manning since being drafted number one overall in 2012…
And with so much talent comes nearly impossible expectations that require a near-perfect performance every week.
Luck played well enough to put the Colts in the playoffs each of his three seasons, but he has hit many speed bumps along the way. Since entering the NFL in 2012, Luck has been picked off 48 times and fumbled 30 times.
The Colts started the 2015 season losing its first two games and Luck is trying to make up for an inexperienced offensive line, lackluster running game and few weapons to utilize on offense.
So rather than taking what defenses are giving him, Luck is trying to force throws leading to incompletions and interceptions.
Luck is trying to do too much, trying to play too fast, and attempting to make up for his mistakes on the field leading to more turnovers.
Colts veteran backup QB Matt Hasselbeck has stated that Luck is just trying to do too much.
HASSELBECK: “He’s trying so hard to make everything right. I don’t know what to say other than I’ve seen Hall of Fame hitters in baseball have a slump and the best 3-pointer shooters in the NBA go cold. The reason is that, sometimes, they’re just trying too hard.”
Bob Tewsbury, former Major League pitcher and mental performance coach, explains why effort is required to succeed, but too much effort can lead to disaster.
TEWSBURY: “People think that the harder they try, the better the results. But effort versus success is not a straightforward upward graph but rather a curve. Once a player goes beyond a certain “effort” threshold, it actually begins to hurt their performance.”
The only way to succeed in sports is to perform within your capabilities no matter what the game circumstances are.
Tips for “performing within yourself” or playing your game:
“Performing within yourself” is a matter of playing relaxed and controlled instead of playing at a higher level than you practice.
Review past successful performances and rate your level of effort and emotion from 1-10 (10 being playing out of control or trying to do too much).
Rehearse your performance and imagine playing relaxed and effortless. When athletes perform at their peak, they report it feels easy, not forced.
Shoot for producing quality performances. By performing within yourself, staying in the moment and staying relaxed, you are far more likely to play at an optimal level.
Check Out Our Video of The Week, What Is Mental Toughness For 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)
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?
“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
Boost Your Self-Confidence And Focus With Expert 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?
“The books/CD’s in ‘The Confident Athlete’ are very good. My swimmer has responded very favorably to them, in fact, her father purchased all three programs. You have done a great job consolidating and simplifying the myriad of ideas in sports psychology.”
~Nick Baker, Olympic Swim Coach, Peak Performance Swim Camp