The #1 reason athlete clients come to us is that they their thinking gets in the way of their athletic performance improvement. This typically prevents them from performing well under pressure, even though they know they have the skills to do so. They want the competitive edge, but have no idea how to get it. If you want to improve your athletic performance, start by looking inside.
Jenn, an elite teen gymnast, suffered an ankle injury during a competition. Her ankle healed after a few months, and she got the ok from her doctor to return to gymnastics full force. Although her body was ready, her mind had a different agenda. She was unable to get herself to do the same skill she did when she was injured. She described it as “my brain just won’t let me do it”. As a result, she grew anxious and discouraged.
Rick, a 12 year old catcher on an elite travel baseball team, overthrew the ball to the pitcher during a critical play. As a result, his team lost the game. After that incident Rick developed the dreaded “yips”, and was unable to throw the ball to the pitcher without hesitating several seconds, This significantly impacted his athletic performance. He wanted to learn the mental skills to turn this around, but didn’t know how or where to learn them.
George, an elite club tennis player, does not feel his sport is fun anymore like it was when he was in college. He longs for the days when he could just go out there and play “without thinking” as he describes it. He feels he is under so much pressure to succeed, and his mindset, motivation and performance seem to be diminishing every day.
What do Jenn, Rick and George all have in common?
Their minds are getting in the way of what their bodies already know how to do. This leaves them feeling perplexed and out of control. They try to analyze the problem, or think over and over about it to “figure it out”, but they cannot. No matter what they do, nothing changes. This is not their fault. They really want to get past their problem and regain self-confidence, but they have no idea how. This is because they have not learned the mental skills that can help them.
Their attempts are coming from a true desire to change, and they are only reinforcing the problem. They end up feeling increasingly more desperate to be able to do what they know they are capable of. Their athletic performance continues to diminish. Some athletes in this situation will talk to a therapist, or try things like visualization. They may get temporary improvement. However ultimately their problem returns and often gets worse.
What’s the real solution that everyone ignores?
The real problem is that these athletes are treating the symptom, rather than addressing the underlying problem. Our applied sport psychology and sports hypnosis formulas help athletes uncover and eliminate the real problem that is causing the symptoms. Once the problem is eliminated, the athlete is free to do what they already know how to do, allowing them to once again enjoy the flow state on a regular basis.
Check out our interview discussing sports hypnosis with Equinox online magazine Furthermore.
Want to make a positive change? There’s no better time than NOW!
Lynne,
Your Mindset Mental Coach
