Over Thinking
Slows you down
In our last email we discussed mental toughness and the important role it plays in athletic performance. There is yet another side of your mindset that will assist in slowing you down and causing you to perform at a sub par level. The pressure to do things right, can easily cause an athlete to over think, and prevent them from performing at their highest level.
One example that comes to my mind is when the Indianapolis Colts won the Super Bowl in 2007. Their defense was one of the worst in the NFL that year and did not look likely that they would go far in the play offs. The defensive coaching staff cut more than half of the plays out of the play book so the players would not have to think at all and just play heading into the playoffs. The outcome was that the defense played far better in the playoffs and helped the Colts win the Super Bowl. All the defensive players commented after about how much easier it was to not think about what they had to do and just play.
Some tips for avoiding over thinking is given here by our expert Dr. James Chidester:
“A common phrase used by sports psychologists for describing an athlete who over thinks a performance is “paralysis by analysis.” Over thinking can actually paralyze you during your performance because a cluttered mind slows you down. A clear and quiet mind is key to peak performance. Now of course there is a time for game plans, studying opponents, and memorizing plays but right before and during your performance you need just a few brief things to focus on. Right before game time you have to trust your training and play. Another tip for avoiding over thinking during a performance is staying focused on the present. Many athletes struggle to let go of a bad play and they continue to over think mistakes to the detriment of their play in the present. To summarize, avoid over thinking by:
1) Having just a few brief things to focus on before and during your performance
2) Trust in your training
3) Stay in the present”
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