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Mental Training Techniques

Camilla Sheppard provides an overview of how you can improve your performance with simple mental training techniques.

Sports psychologists and professional athletes have, for a long time, hailed the benefits of mental training to improve performance. Research has shown that having self-belief, a high level of concentration, and self-control can vastly enhance the abilities of even the most successful athletes. Not possessing these mental skills can be the difference between remaining an amateur and becoming a professional.

Cristiano Ronaldo is just one professional sportsman who benefited from a sports coach's guidance. During the 2007-2008 season, football coach Rene Meulensteen helped Ronaldo work on his mental skills and emotional control. He highlighted that often Ronaldo displayed negative body language and compared that to video clips of other professional sportsmen and women who did not allow their emotions to distract them from the game in play. During this season, Ronaldo's performance on the pitch dramatically improved. He always had physical skills, but the mental training helped him reach his full potential.

In 2014, Japanese neurologists looked at the brain activity of Brazilian footballer Neymar and compared their findings to footballers of varying levels and individuals who did not play at all. The results[1] showed that Neymar conducted basic motor tasks with less than 10% of the cerebral function of the other participants. By using less brainpower, he could also complete the tasks much faster. A similar study looked at the brain activity of poker players of varying levels. Leading sports psychologist James Hazlett interpreted the findings, who explained that the expert players showed a much higher level of self-control and focus than amateurs.

Mental techniques

How can you improve your performance by using mental techniques?

Visualisation

If you do not believe you can set that record, score that goal, or win that match, you cannot possibly play your best. However, this type of self-belief does not always come naturally to sportsmen and women. However, imagining yourself in these scenarios can do wonders for a confidence boost. Tennis star Evonne Goolagong is just one sportsperson who combined visualisation into her training, "Every time I hit the ball on the wall I used to pretend I was there (Wimbledon). When I went to sleep, I used to pretend I was there".

Self-talk

Set yourself realistic performance goals during training and encourage yourself to meet your targets. Sometimes giving yourself a pep talk is all you need to stay focused and improve your confidence. Sports teams can also benefit from group talks to boost morale. When the whole team feels confident, your opponents suddenly will not seem so intimidating.

Meditation

Many professional sportsmen and women have used meditation as part of their training, including Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan. Concentrating on breathing techniques and letting go of negative thoughts can help you control your emotions to avoid feelings like anxiety, fear, and frustration by taking the focus away from your performance.


References

  1. EIICHI, N. and SATOSHI, H. (2014) Efficient foot motor control by Neymar's brain, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8 (594)

Page Reference

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  • SHEPPARD, C. (2015) Mental Training Techniques [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article191.htm [Accessed

About the Author

Camilla Sheppard graduated from Kings College London with a 2:1 in Hispanic Studies and wrote on various topics, including travel, technology, sport, and the arts.