Mental strategies for winning big points

"𝐖𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞" Paul O'Connell discusses Joe Schmidt's instructions to players, which is great advice that transcends sport - block out thoughts of the mistake and focus on what you need to do. The first part involves blocking out thoughts of the score or previous mistakes: "𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒, 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑐𝑘-𝑜𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒, 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑡𝑦 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑔𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦. 𝐽𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒" When people are anxious about a mistake they have made or the score in a match, they can become distracted, which impacts their future performance. One mistake can cause another mistake from a lack of concentration due to worries about a previous mistake. This is why blocking out negative thoughts is important. 🧠 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀 Nideffer (1992) suggested that as anxiety increases in high-pressurised situations, athletes’ attention shifts from task-relevant (e.g. thoughts about how to execute specific tactics) to task-irrelevant thoughts (e.g. worries about team selection in future matches). Therefore, anxiety acts as a distraction to the athlete, which reduces working memory and task-focused attention. In support of this, Bijleveld and Veling (2014) found that tennis players with a superior working memory were less likely to choke than tennis players with an inferior working memory. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴? I really like O'Connell's instruction to think about the next task, which is a form of approach coping. This involves the athlete confronting the situation and then trying to eliminate it by taking direct action (e.g., focusing on the next action, developing a plan, exerting more effort, etc; Roth & Cohen, 1986). O'Connell said: "𝑊𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒. 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑑𝑜 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑤? 𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑝 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑜𝑟 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝐼 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑖𝑡'𝑠 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒." As alluded to by O'Connell, changing your mindset and how you cope takes time and is something you need to practice, but with time, people can be taught to use more effective coping strategies (see Nicholls, 2007; Reeves et al., 2011).

Starting a match down 0–3. It happens to so many players, and it’s almost never about tennis. It’s about what happens in your head before the first point. Most slow starters start their matches by watching the opponent, trying to understand “Can I win today?” And as long as your brain is busy evaluating, you’re not competing. That’s why the first games always slip away. So how do you change that? First: stop thinking about winning before a single point has been played. Nobody knows the outcome at the start of a match, and that’s the wrong moment to think about it. Second: enter the court with match goals. Ask yourself: What are my 1–3 clear goals for this match? Then commit 100% mental intensity to them from point one. For example, “turn around my backhand and dictate with my forehand as often as possible.” When your mind is focused on a mission, not on the result, you stop reacting. You start playing your tennis immediately. If you’re down 0–3, don’t panic, recommit. Go back to your match goals. Point after point. This is exactly how champions turn matches around: they anchor themselves in what they control. Third: understand that confidence is not a switch, it’s a daily construction. It’s built through small victories: showing up to practice when you don’t feel like it, sticking to your routines, solving one detail at a time, talking to yourself positively... Those micro-wins accumulate. They form the belief you carry with you when you step on court. #mindset #confidence #PlayerDevelopment #TheCoach

“You're playing this Saturday? And you're a bit anxious? Ok, let's talk about that. Tell me, what is it you're trying to achieve in the game on Saturday? Ok, so you want to win? And you're trying to score? It’s a big game so you want to do well. I see! I understand! May I make a suggestion? Perhaps it might be useful to see the game slightly differently, and maybe set some different objectives? Tell me, you say you want to score, so what helps you to score? When you've scored goals in the past what would I have seen you specifically do that helped you to score? Oh I see, when you scored a couple of goals a few weeks ago you were lively with your movement and constantly trying to find space? You did that by feeling that you were scanning almost non-stop. You were constantly considering where the defenders were, and constantly searching for the possibilities of through balls to you. And what I hear you say is that you were aggressively trying to get into the right positions in the penalty area when the ball was deep in the opposition's half. And you attacked the six yard area when the ball was delivered in. I see...can you tell me more? Ok, you had positive body language, and you kept yourself focused by always considering the next action. Nice! Great job. And when you took your shots you did so focused on a great strike...ball and strike. Tell me, is there anything your coach wants you to specifically do with relation to her game model? Ok, so she wants you to defend as a striker, so she wants you working quite hard, looking to close down defenders when they have the ball. Make a nuisance of yourself. So how about this...why don't you set objectives around some of things you’ve been telling me about? What’s the most important thing for you on the pitch - whether that’s to do with your responsibilities or to do with a strength? Ok, so: Number one: lively movement to find space Number two: constant scanning of space to exploit and defend Number three: aggressive runs into the penalty area Perhaps if you focus on accomplishing these rather than on the outcome of the match or trying too hard to score...maybe your anxiety will lessen a bit? Maybe? I’d like to suggest, that you think about, work on, and picture these the next few days going into Saturday. They’re fantastic objectives to have because they’re specific, controllable, and positive. -specific -controllable -positive Place your attention on these. Perhaps take your mind away from the result. I know you want to win, and I understand that because you’re a great competitor. But remember, you can’t control the result. There’s so many variables that influence outcome. And having the objective of scoring - well, I know you love to score and that’s really cool. But I reckon if you focus on the things that will help you score you’ll give yourself your best chance to score. Listen, you’ve got some great objectives now. Good luck, enjoy!" (Achievement Goal Theory in action!)

I've worked with 100+ Olympic athletes and discovered something shocking: Elite performance isn't about talent. It's about overcoming 7 critical mental barriers that BLOCK peak performance. Here's what I learned 🧵👇 2/ First, let me be clear: At the highest level, skill gaps are TINY. What separates champions isn't physical ability - it's mastering the mental game. These barriers silently kill potential. Most athletes don't realize it. Barrier 1: Self-Doubt This is the biggest killer I've seen. It makes athletes question: • Their belonging • Their abilities • Their right to compete But here's the truth: Self-doubt is manageable. How to beat self-doubt: 1. Focus on preparation (what you've ALREADY done) 2. Challenge negative self-talk with evidence 3. Build a "success bank" of past wins I've seen this transform athletes from doubters to closers in clutch moments. Barrier 2: Distracted Thoughts Focus is EVERYTHING in elite sports. But here's what most don't realize: Even Olympic athletes struggle with performance anxiety. The key? Having a system to stay locked in. The Focus Formula: 1. Create a pre-performance routine 2. Practice mindfulness daily 3. Use ONE focal cue (like "quick feet") I've seen athletes go from scattered to sharp using these three steps. Remember: Focus is a SKILL, not a talent. Barrier 3: Performance Anxiety The silent performance killer. It creates a vicious cycle: • Worry about mistakes • Make more mistakes • Worry more But here's what champions do differently: Anxiety Management Blueprint: 1. Reframe nerves as excitement 2. Breathe to regulate your physiology 3. Focus ONLY on controllables Barrier 4: Fear of Others' Opinions FOPO paralyzes even elite athletes. The truth? When you're worried about others, you can't trust yourself. The FOPO Fix: 1. Ask: "What's in MY control?" 2. Build unshakeable self-belief 3. Master self-awareness Remember: Caring less about opinions isn't selfish - it's necessary for peak performance. Barrier 5: Leadership Conflicts Fact: This is the #1 stressor for Olympians at the Games. It destroys focus and creates mental noise. But there's a solution: • Direct communication • Control what you can • See feedback as growth Barrier 6: Limiting Beliefs The invisible walls holding you back. Common thoughts: "I'll never..." "I should be better..." "I can't..." Here's how champions break through: Limiting Belief Breakers: 1. Challenge thoughts with "Is this true?" 2. Focus on progress, not perfection 3. Build a strength-focused support system Barrier 7: Mistake Management Here's what most get wrong: Thinking about mistakes ≠ Fixing mistakes The champion's way: 1. Have a reset routine 2. Evaluate without emotion 3. Next play mentality The truth about mental barriers: They're not permanent. They're not personal. They're not insurmountable. They're challenges waiting to be overcome. Want to perform like a champion? Pick 1 barrier. Take 1 action. Start.

Don't tell your athlete to "focus." Give them an if-then. The research says it's far more likely to actually work.   Willpower is finite. It fails exactly when the pressure is highest. But there's a well-studied tool that doesn't rely on willpower at all: the implementation intention. The "if-then" plan.   Decades of psychology research show that pre-deciding your behavior in the format "If [situation], then [action]" dramatically increases follow-through compared to a vague goal. Why? Because it hands your brain a trigger instead of a decision to make in the heat of the moment.   "Stay focused" is a wish. "Compete harder" is a wish. An if-then is a pre-loaded reflex.   Turn the breakdowns into if-thens before the game: "If I fall behind 0-2, then I shrink the zone and battle one pitch." "If I make an error, then I take a breath and lock onto the next hitter." "If the crowd gets loud, then I find my target and slow my exhale."   You don't rise to the moment. You fall to the plan you wrote in advance. Write better plans.   Write three if-thens before your next game. Drop one in the comments and I'll help you sharpen it.

The toughest moment in sports isn’t a grueling workout or fierce competition. It's the instant right after you mess up—a missed shot, a dropped ball, a critical mistake. Why? Your brain immediately spirals into panic. And it's really hard to escape that. Even for the best. Rory McIlroy's near-collapse at The Masters shows exactly this: even champions face moments of spiraling doubt. But they figure out how to navigate it. That single mistake can trigger an "action crisis". Our focus shifts from the present task to the past failure, from executing the next play to replaying the last one. Negative thoughts snowball – "I blew it," "I can't recover," "It's over". This internal debate between persisting and giving up drains mental energy and primes our bodies for a threat response, making refocusing exponentially harder. Why do we choke or spiral after a screw-up? As I write about in Win the Inside Game, our sense of self, our identity, feels threatened by the failure. Our brain, a prediction machine, gets stuck in a loop: it anticipates disaster (loss of status, humiliation), overweights negative signals, and ignores information that contradicts the doom narrative. This misalignment between reality and prediction fuels the downward slide. We've got to re-align our brain with a better reality. We've got to get out of that fear and survive mode. Here's how: 1. Approach, Don't Avoid Your brain, when threatened by mistakes, naturally tries to avoid repeating the error. Yet avoidance heightens anxiety and narrows your focus on the mistake. Adopt an approach-oriented mindset: focusing on what they want to achieve, not on what they're afraid might happen. Always ask, "What am I moving towards right now?" “It’s much better to play to win. If you play to win and you don’t hit the shot that you want to hit, I think you can live with that. But if you play not to — if you play to not lose, you’re never really giving yourself the best opportunity, and that’s hard to swallow." 2. Find control. Have a "reset ritual." Rafael Nadal has his "towel-off" ritual between acts. It could be a deep breath, adjusting gear, or a simple phrase whispered to oneself. Routines bring back control. This consistent action sends a clear signal to your brain: the past moment is over—time to anchor yourself in the present and focus on what's next. When we feel like we're losing control, our inner alarm screams. Grasp on to the smallest thing you can do to re-establish control. 3. Slow Down. Respond Instead of React Researchers found during penalty shootouts in soccer, players who missed shots tended to shoot quicker and look away from the goalie. The stress and anxiety that came with the pressure push the athletes to escape, to get it over with it, to put an end to the situation by getting the heck out of there. Those who tended to score took longer to shoot, they slowed things down, and basically approached the situation instead of avoiding it.

Elite athletes know: The real game is mental. But here's what most business leaders miss: When millions watch, mental strength decides who wins. The same psychological edge that wins Olympic medals Is what separates average from exceptional in business. Sports psychologists discovered something crucial: ↳ The more you care, the more exposed you become. ↳ The bigger the opportunity, the more vulnerable you feel. This isn't just about athletics: - Before sending that bold proposal  - During high-stakes presentations - Leading major change initiatives The mental game determines your results. I learned this firsthand last week.  When my work met unexpected resistance,  I found myself hovering over email, checking responses obsessively. Not my normal. Something was off. A conversation with a trusted advisor revealed what athletes have always known: ↳ When you put your heart into the work ↳ You expose yourself to more than results. ↳ You make yourself vulnerable to impact. Elite athletes use three proven strategies: 1️⃣ Signal Recognition Your normal patterns shift when you're deeply invested. Watch for: → Constantly checking for responses → Seeking others' approval more than usual → Getting distracted by others' reactions Just like athletes before a big race, These signals mean you're in the game, not out of it. 2️⃣ Pattern Interrupt Championship athletes have a reset routine. Here's what works in business: When you notice your game is off: → Stop and name what's happening → Reach out to someone who gets it → Take a strategic pause for perspective 3️⃣ Purpose Reconnection Elite athletes don't rely on motivation. They anchor in purpose when pressure hits. First, ask yourself: → "What change are you fighting for?" → "Why does this deeply matter to you?" Then go deeper: → "What possibility are you creating?" → "Who would be impacted if you succeeded?" → "What's the bigger game here?" Because here's what champions know: Mental toughness isn't about avoiding vulnerability. It's about performing powerfully because of it. How do you maintain mental resilience in high-stakes moments? Drop your best practices and let’s learn from each other Share to help others build their mental game. 📌 Follow Holly Moe for more high-performance insights.

Most golfers lost to Tiger before they even teed off. Not because he hit it farther. Because he thought differently. He turned golf into psychological warfare. And in the process, built one of the most dominant careers in sports history. Here’s how Tiger Woods mastered the mental game: 1. Obsession > Talent Tiger didn’t warm up. He outlasted. While others went home, he stayed on the range—alone, in the dark. Success wasn’t about “natural ability.” It was reps. Discipline. Relentless iteration. 2. Control the room without saying a word Tiger’s presence broke people. Players stopped focusing on their own swing— They just watched the leaderboard for his name. He didn’t need to talk trash. He was the trash talk. 3. Use symbols as weapons Sunday red wasn’t superstition. It was a signal: I’m here to finish you. Your appearance is part of your strategy. Tiger knew every detail told a story—and made opponents tighten up. 4. Play for legacy, not likes Tiger wasn’t chasing checks. He was chasing Jack. Every round, every rep, was about building something timeless. That’s why he didn’t fold during slumps—he zoomed out. 5. Rebuild even at the top After winning his first Masters by 12 strokes, Tiger changed his entire swing. Why? Because good wasn’t enough. He was building for the long game. That’s how champions think. While others protect what they have, Tiger reinvents, intimidates, and executes. Not once. Every time.

New evidence shows that mental imagery is more than just “visualization,” it can measurably improve performance. A 2025 meta-analysis of 86 studies with over 3,500 athletes concluded that imagery practice enhances performance, with especially strong gains in agility, muscle strength, tennis, and soccer. The researchers also identified an optimal dosage: about ten minutes of imagery, three times per week, sustained over 100 days. Shorter programs produced smaller effects, and excessively long sessions did not add value. Interestingly, the benefits were greatest when imagery was combined with one or two other psychological skills, such as self-talk or feedback, rather than used in isolation. The strongest results appeared in healthy amateur athletes with no prior experience of psychological training, while tennis and soccer players showed particularly clear improvements. The takeaway is that structured, bite-sized imagery practice is not simply a form of mental preparation. It is a proven performance enhancer, and we now have empirical guidance on how best to apply it. https://lnkd.in/gtF2ZWZD