A recent graduate from Ithaca College with a Master’s degree in Sports and Exercise Science, specializing in Mental Performance, Vedika is OMP’s Product and Content Manager. During her studies, Vedika worked closely with Ithaca’s Men’s and Women’s Tennis Teams and Women’s Volleyball Team as their Mental Performance Consultant. Vedika is currently completing her Certified Mental Performance Consultant Certification.
Have you ever found yourself in the groove, in total control of your performance? You know, those moments when you are so locked in that time seems to stand still, and you are just ‘in the zone.’.
If you’ve ever felt that way, you’ve experienced what psychologists call ‘flow’. In this state, external and internal distractions vanish, and you are completely immersed in the activity. Physiologically, the prefrontal cortex in your brain which is responsible for thinking and planning becomes less active. This allows other parts of your brain that are responsible for skill execution and focus to function better. In other words, it’s like your performance goes on autopilot, and you make it look effortless.
Here are a few ways to get yourself into a flow state:
Eliminate distractions
To enter this flow state, you need to confront distractions both internal and external. Internally, the clutter of thoughts and worries can pull your attention away from the task at hand. Practicing mindfulness and meditation can help you regain control by teaching you to observe your thoughts without getting lost in them, keeping you focused on the present moment. Externally, environmental distractions like the crowd can disrupt your flow. Eliminate these distractions to achieve a flow state.
Finding Enjoyment
Discovering joy in your sport is a gateway to attaining a flow state. When you relate to your underlying motivations and your values are aligned with your performance, the experience becomes deeply rewarding. When you do that, fun and enjoyment naturally flows making it easier to slip into that amazing flow zone where everything just clicks.
Setting Clear Goals
Clear, specific goals are like your ticket to the flow state. Goals help to keep you track of your progress and allows you to dive into your tasks with full focus and confidence. Participate in something with a clear goal so that your attention can be focused entirely on what you’re doing.
Challenge and Trust Yourself
Achieving the flow state requires a delicate balance of matching your skills to the challenges at hand. Embrace tasks that push your boundaries and provide just the right level of challenge. It is about welcoming those challenges and allowing yourself to grow through them.
In conclusion, embracing the flow state not only fuels your intrinsic motivation but also sharpens your emotional regulation. Use these strategies to tap into flow and elevate your overall performance.
An award-winning journalist, content creator and photographer, Ryan is OMP’s Head of Content.
40-years ago in Newport Rhode Island a group of Australian sailors broke the world’s longest winning streak of any sport. The plucky crew of Australia II came from 3-1 down in a first to four race series, breaking the United States’ 132-year grip on the America’s Cup.
Australia II’s win in 1983 was a watershed moment for the sport of sailing, with the challenger’s victory previously seen as an impossible feat, especially since 24 previous challengers had tried unsuccessfully to beat the Americans.
The use of a revolutionary winged keel on the Australia II is well known, but the Australians were also ahead of the curve when it came to the use of mental skills training during preparation for the America’s Cup.
The crew, led by captain John Bertrand, included a Sport Psychologist and used Visualization extensively to prepare them for the ‘Race of the Century’.
Why Mental Skills Training?
An experienced sailor, Bertrand won a Bronze Medal at the 1976 Montreal games in the Finn Class, while still an achievement to be proud of, Bertrand felt he should have performed better.
“I realised that I could have won Olympic Gold just as easily as the bronze if I had of been mentally tougher,” he told The Little Fish podcast in 2022.
In preparation for the 1983 tilt at the America’s Cup Bertrand sought out Laurie Hayden – then a consulting psychologist at the Carlton Football Club, an Australian Rules team based in Melbourne.
The addition of a sport psychologist to a team or organization may not raise eyebrows now but in 1983 it was questioned by the boat’s owner Alan Bond and the some of the Australia II’s management.
John Betrand was an accomplished sailor, having won bronze at the 1976 Olympics.
In his biography Born to Win Betrand explained that Syndicate Manager Warren Jones said to him: “Who needs a sports psychologist? We know all that needs to be known. I’ve played plenty of sport. Sure, we need a physical-fitness person for the crew but why should we have anyone screwing around with our minds? We are all tough enough ourselves. We can handle it.”
Regardless of the scepticism of Bony and Jones, Bertrand pushed on to ensure Hayden would be part of the team.
Identifying Key Areas to Improve
Together Bertrand and Hayden identified two areas of mental performance that the crew would need to work on if they were to beat the Americans led by Dennis Conner.
The first was “motivation without a tangible opponent”, essentially that during their training off the coast of Fremantle, Western Australia familiarising themselves with the yacht, they would not have an opponent, at least not one at the standard of the Americans.
The second was “Stress Control”, primarily during the America’s Cup races and potentially a seventh and final race, the Australian crew would be subjected to stress unlike any they’d faced before.
Part of “Stress Control” dealt with the Australians not knowing what it was like to lead a race, let alone win one. Before the 1983 America’s Cup, Australia’s six challengers had won just three of 22 races.
Bertrand, who had been a member of the 1970, 1974 and 1980 challenges identified that while he knew what it was like to be behind the American boat, he didn’t know what it was like to lead.
Visualization
Visualization would play a major part in the Australian’s preparation for the America’s Cup in Newport.
With Bertrand – the most experienced crew member – having little experience leading in an America’s Cup race, he knew that the race would feel and sound different if or when they took the lead.
In his biography, Bertrand describes that he knew what the race would sound and look like when chasing the American boat, Liberty. They were used to the voices of the American crew when they were losing a race so what would it be like when they were leading? What would those Americans say? This would add a new element of pressure.
The only way the Australian crew could become comfortable in a situation like this was to visualize it in their mind’s eye. As Bertrand put it in his biography – “Remember you cannot go anywhere if you have not first imagined yourself there. People achieve that which they have imagined themselves achieving over and over in their minds.”
Bertrand personally used visualization every night before bed, locking himself away for at least 15 minutes to see himself skippering his crew into the lead. The crew would also gather for group visualization sessions to imagine themselves and how they would win the America’s Cup.
Motivation & Confidence
The Australians were all too aware of the United States’ dominance of the America’s Cup and made sure that it did not play on their minds.
“The antidote to history is logic,” Bertrand said in his biography. “Past has no bearing on the now.”
The now icon Boxing Kangaroo was the Australia II’s battle flag.
Part of making sure that his crew never slipped into being daunted by the prospect of creating history, Betrand had them complete an Attentional and Interpersonal Style Test with Hayden interpreting their responses to give Betrand a better understanding his crew mates’ personalities, reaction to multiple directives, reaction to stress, intrinsic motivations and how best to communicate with them.
This test led Betrand to understand that they responded better to complimentary communication from him and that his own test showed that he had lapses in concentration during the middle part of a race when fatigue and a tendency to linger on the negative thoughts associated with mistakes set in.
To help boost their confidence and motivate themselves, the crew adopted the Boxing Kangaroo flag as their insignia and would play “Land Down Under” by Men at Work when leaving port as a battle song. They also used the song to intimidate the American crew, blasting it towards the Liberty ahead of each race.
Fear of the Unknown
One of the psychological masterstrokes was hiding Australia II’s winged keel. When the boat was out of the water following the qualifying races and then the America’s Cup itself, the Australians kept the keel hidden under a sheet of fabric with around the clock security.
The intention was to instil the Americans with the fear of the unknown. As the Australians dominated their opponents in the qualifying races, the mystery of what was below the water played on the minds of the American crew and distracted the club they were representing.
As the races continued the Americans would never truly know what they were up against.
Performing Under Pressure
The Australians started both the first and second races strongly but lost both after experiencing equipment failure.
Australia II won the third race by a record margin, but then lost the fourth race and were on the praecipes of losing another challenge.
With the series standing at 3-1 the Australians were feeling the weight of pressure knowing that one mistake in the fifth race could be the end of their dream and were frustrated with their performance as they knew they were better than what the ledger showed.
To mitigate the pressure the crew was feeling, they shut out all external noise, removing all the televisions in the crew’s quarters, not allowing newspapers in and stopped all phone calls and focussed on controlling what they could control.
“Not being restricted by the consequences of losing,” Betrand said. “It’s like cancer. When you move into the world of winning and losing and the consequences of either being a national hero or being a bum.”
“We were in the business of trying to let it flow, maximizing the potential of what we had.
“If we did our job – we’re not talking about superhuman stuff – from the bow to the stern if everyone can complete their job as good as or better than the person in the opposition boat, we’ve got a good chance of being invited back tomorrow. (It was) A very simple philosophy.”
Race Seven
The ploy to shut out all external noise and “release the beast” worked.
Australia II would beat the liberty in the next two races, both by large margins. The wins meant that the 1983 America’s Cup would all come down to a fifth and final race.
The Americans, desperate be competitive in the final race made drastic changes to their boat. The changes worked and they would lead the final race by 57 seconds. Back home in Australia millions watched their TV sets thinking the race was lost.
Despite being so far behind the Americans, the Australian crew stuck to their process and waited for the Americans to make a mistake.
“Don’t give up, don’t panic and don’t do anything rash – just keep on sailing the boat,” Betrand said.
Eventually the American crew did make a mistake and with the Australians following a channel of wind they not only gained on the U.S but overtook them.
As they had visualized, they were in front of the Americans in the final race. Their mental preparation made them ready for the challenge, instead of caving into the pressure being on the cusp of a historic victory, each of the Australians continued to execute their role with excellence.
They continued to put distance between themselves and the American boat. When they crossed the finish line, they were 41 seconds ahead of the Americans and had sailed into the history books.
Victory
Australia II’s victory in race seven the 1983 America’s Cup was the culmination of the Australian crews’ physical and mental preparation.
The Liberty crew were spooked by the mystery that shrouded the winged keel, the Australians never wavered in their self-belief and maintained their composure under immense pressure, and most importantly when they were in the lead, they continued to control the controllables as they had been there before thanks to the use of visualization.
The achievement of Bertrand and his crew still stands as one of Australia’s greatest team or individual sporting triumphs.
References Born to Win – John Betrand as told to Patrick Robinson (Bantam Books, 1985)
A recent graduate from Ithaca College with a Master’s degree in Sports and Exercise Science, specializing in Mental Performance, Vedika is OMP’s Product and Content Manager. During her studies, Vedika worked closely with Ithaca’s Men’s and Women’s Tennis Teams and Women’s Volleyball Team as their Mental Performance Consultant. Vedika is currently completing her Certified Mental Performance Consultant Certification.
How true is the old saying, ‘practice makes perfect’? Is that what elite athletes do to reach that level? Does doing the same thing again and again make you perfect?
We often wonder what makes elite athletes so great. While genetic capabilities play a small role in their success, research has found that athletes go to extreme lengths to perform well consistently while improving their skills and knowledge. They do this through deliberate practice.
What is deliberate practice?
Deliberate practice refers to a special type of practice that is purposeful and systematic. It requires focused attention and is conducted with the specific goal of improving performance. It helps athletes to be more in tune with their body and mind, ultimately aimed at improving performance.
Four aspects of deliberate practice:
Structure: A structured plan, typically orchestrated by a coach or experienced practitioner serves as the foundation. These meticulously designed sessions may vary based on the specific skill in focus, but they all share a common thread of purposeful design.
Goals: The purpose of deliberate practice is to improve performance. This includes setting tailored, measurable goals which are paired with structured activities.
Feedback: The most important aspect of deliberate practice is getting clear feedback about your performance. This can mean getting feedback from your coaches, teammates and self-reflection. It is active engagement with this feedback that can help to improve performance
Repetition: Relentlessly dedicating time to improve performance on a specific skill means performing actions over and over again till you refine a specific skill.
What can you do to achieve deliberate practice?
Deliberate practice will boost your training and performance. Setting clear and measurable goals, engaging with feedback and cultivating intrinsic motivation to repeat the same task over and over again can allow you to practice with intent and purpose.
In the end, it’s not just about practicing – it’s about practicing with purpose and intent that can be the key to unlocking your full potential.
A recent graduate from Ithaca College with a Master’s degree in Sports and Exercise Science, specializing in Mental Performance, Vedika is OMP’s Product and Content Manager. During her studies, Vedika worked closely with Ithaca’s Men’s and Women’s Tennis Teams and Women’s Volleyball Team as their Mental Performance Consultant. Vedika is currently completing her Certified Mental Performance Consultant Certification.
The sporting season is in its full swing! August marked the start of the NCAA football season, the return of the English Premier League and the resumption of Formula 1 after its summer break and the NFL kicked off, bringing immense excitement to billions of fans around the globe.
However, for athletes this time can be mentally taxing.
It’s the moment when they get to put all of their off-season training to the test, meaning it’s natural for them to grapple with the fear of injury, failure and performing under pressure.
Here are three valuable tips to help that you as an athlete can stay confident and motivated:
Get Adequate Rest
You should not only prioritize physical recuperation but also embrace the invaluable concept of mental and emotional rest. This kind of rest allows for stress reduction and alleviating the symptoms of burnout and overtraining.
It also promotes mental rejuvenation leading to enhanced focus, concentration and heightening cognitive functioning. Embracing mental and emotional rest includes nurturing self-care rituals – like hobbies away from your sport – and seeking support from loved ones. This will allow your mind to remain nurtured, fresh and thoroughly rejuvenated.
Create Routines
In-season, you may deal with many challenges like tough training schedules, the pressure of competing, and the stress of travelling. Having regular routines can be like anchors that can help you be more prepared and feeling in control.
These routines can help you prepare physically and mentally for your games and make sure they have enough time for important things like rest, eating well, getting good sleep and preventing injury.
Focus on the process, not the outcome
At the start of your season, you may have set goals like winning a championship or getting better at the sport you play. But the season is full of surprises and challenges. It’s important that you remember the big picture, which means not letting one bad performance affect your whole season.
Keeping the big picture in mind helps them you to stay focused on your long-term goals, grow as an athlete and enjoy your sport. This approach leads to success and overall well-being.
In the midst of your season, it’s important for you to remember a few key things: First, taking care of your mind and body by getting adequate amounts of rest can help to reduce stress and perform at their best. Second, maintaining routines can help you to stay organized and better prepared for games and finally, keeping long term goals in mind can help you to focus on the process and not the outcome.
A recent graduate from Ithaca College with a Master’s degree in Sports and Exercise Science, specializing in Mental Performance, Vedika is OMP’s Product and Content Manager. During her studies, Vedika worked closely with Ithaca’s Men’s and Women’s Tennis Teams and Women’s Volleyball Team as their Mental Performance Consultant. Vedika is currently completing her Certified Mental Performance Consultant Certification.
Imagery stands as a powerful tool for elevating athletic performance. It is a psychological tool that is used by athletes through training, competition and injury rehabilitation. Many athletes have used imagery as part of their training.
One of the greatest athletes of all time, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt has spoken about using imagery before races.
“I used to visualize every race before I ran,” he said.
“I would imagine the race and think about how I would run it.”
Usain Bolt
Another sporting great, boxer Muhammad Ali similarly used imagery before many of his bouts. “I used to visualize the mat and the opponents and the moves I wanted to use,” he said.
Sport Psychologists and Mental Performance Consultants often use the PETTLEP model of imagery put forth by Holmes and Collins (2001) when introducing athletes to imagery.
This acronym encompasses a comprehensive 7-point framework that serves as a guide to carry out imagery. Each letter of the PETTLEP model encapsulates a pivotal facet.
P: Physical
This is arguably one of the most important components of the PETTLEP model. To get the most out of the imagery experience, the imagery instructions should be loaded with the performer’s real time physiological responses. For example, wearing the same clothes as during a performance or holding any associated implements like a tennis racquet or a golf club.
E: Environment
This relates to the place where imagery is performed. The PETTLEP model suggests that this should be as similar to the performance environment. Imagery has been found to be most effective when the imagery script mirrors the actual performance environment. Many athletes find the use of video and audio to be useful in aiding mental simulation of the venue.
T: Task
The content of the imagery should be appropriate to the skill level and personal preferences of the athlete. This means that the content of the imagery should be specific to each performer.
T: Timing
This refers to the speed at which the imagery is completed. The model suggests that athletes perform the imagery in ‘real time’ as the performance.
L: Learning
This emphasizes that the content of the imagery should be adapted in response to learning. This means that when the content of the imagery should be adapted with learning. For example, changes in physical condition, skill level and physical fitness should be incorporated into the imagery content.
E: Emotion
Sport performance is an emotionally heavy experience and therefore, including realistic emotions in the imagery makes the imagery much more real which will lead to a more vivid imagery experience.
P: Perspective
This is dependent on the athletes’ individual preferences. Some athletes prefer a first-person experience (through the eyes of a performer) while the others prefer a third person experience (viewing oneself through video/film). The imagery experience should be catered to the athletes’ individual needs.
Leveraging the PETTLEP model for imagery empowers athletes to unlock their full potential. This approach has been proven to amplify performance efficacy, making it an integral tool in an athlete’s pre-performance routine.
Holmes, P. S., & Collins, D. J. (2001). The PETTLEP approach to motor imagery: A functional equivalence model for sport psychologists. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 13, 60–83.
A recent graduate from Ithaca College with a Master’s degree in Sports and Exercise Science, specializing in Mental Performance, Vedika is OMP’s Product and Content Manager. During her studies, Vedika worked closely with Ithaca’s Men’s and Women’s Tennis Teams and Women’s Volleyball Team as their Mental Performance Consultant. Vedika is currently completing her Certified Mental Performance Consultant Certification.
In the world of sport, there exists an underlying current that propels athletes beyond their physical capabilities.
This is your why – the driving force that kindles your passion, fuels your dedication and sets your athletic journey apart.
By understanding your unique motivation, you can unlock a reservoir of strength, resilience and fulfillment that propels you to surpass your limits.
The why is the core principle of your athletic experience, encapsulating your core beliefs, aspirations and reasons for engaging in your chosen sport. It is the North Star that keeps you grounded, focused and driven to overcome obstacles.
Here are a few simple steps you can follow to find your why:
1. Self-Reflection
In order to find your why one needs to embark on a special journey of self-reflection.
Asking yourself the right questions such as why do I engage in this sport, what part of this sport brings me joy and satisfaction and how does participating in this sport align with my goals and values?
Delving deep into your goals and values will allow you to find that journaling your thoughts becomes a transformative tool, aligning your passions and desires and the true significance of your involvement in your sport.
2. Aligning with Values
Your values are your guiding principles that shape your decisions and behaviors.
Allowing your motivation for sport to align with your values starts to become a natural extension of yourself.
As your athletic pursuit intertwines with your values a profound sense of purpose emerges nurturing intrinsic motivation and kindling meaningful connections.
Contemplating the essence of your core values unearths the map to your purpose, shining light on the reasons that drive you forward in sport.
3. Setting Meaningful Goals
Setting goals that are rooted in your why can help to fuel your athletic journey with a true purpose.
Rather than fixating solely on end results, embrace the shift towards process-oriented objectives.
By immersing yourself in the journey itself and embracing personal growth, you not only infuse your pursuit with purpose but also embark on a journey unveiling the authentic core of your true passion.
In the grand tapestry of sport, your why is the thread that weaves meaning, passion and purpose into your journey.
By understanding your why, you not only enhance your athletic performance but also embark on a profound voyage of self-discovery.
Take a moment to reflect, delve into your passions and let your “why” guide you toward a future enriched with purpose and fulfilment.
In a highly competitive world of sports, where physical prowess and technical skills are vital there exists an intangible trait that sets champions apart from the rest: confidence.
Extensive research has consistently shown that confidence plays a pivotal role in an athlete’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors, ultimately influencing their performance.
Many renowned athletes have emphasized the role confidence and self-belief have played in their performance.
Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who is often amongst the players considered the greatest of all time, emphasized the significance of confidence in his game. Ronaldo believes that self-belief and a confident mindset are key aspects that helped him to perform at his highest level.
Similarly, Simone Biles, widely regarded as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, has discussed the importance of confidence in her performance. She has mentioned that when she feels confident, she is able to perform difficult routines more effectively and with greater precision.
A qualitative study conducted in the United Kingdom on world class performers explores the relationship between confidence, world-class sport performance shedding light on the cognitive, affective and behavioral aspects that are impacted by confidence.
The study revealed that high confidence is closely associated with effective competition focus. Athletes with elevated confidence levels demonstrate the ability to concentrate on the task at hand, maintaining focus on their routines and minimizing distractions.
This enhances cognitive focus, allows athletes to optimize their performance under pressure, reducing anxiety, fear and panic before competitions. Moreover, confident athletes exhibit positive affective states, fostering productive achievement behaviors.
They approach competition with a bold and decisive mindset, believing in their ability to execute their skills. Self-assurance empowers them to make optimal decisions and perform with conviction. This positive affective state fuels motivation, effort and persistence, contributing to improved overall performance.
The study also highlights that confidence has a profound influence on an athlete’s ability to focus, maintain concentration and execute routines effectively.
Confidence is a game-changer in the world of sports, influencing an athlete’s cognition, affect and behaviors. High confidence levels enable athletes to maintain effective competition focus, minimize distractions and perform optimal under pressure.
It is by addressing barriers to confidence and providing athletes with the necessary support we can create an environment that cultivates and sustains their self-assurance. Confident athletes can strive to unleash the champion within themselves by recognizing and harnessing the transformative power of confidence.
To find ways to build or maintain your confidence, download the Optimize Mind Performance App here.
Lionel Messi is considered one of, if not the greatest player to set foot on a soccer pitch.
A World Cup winner and seven times voted by his peers as the best player in the world (the Ballon d’Or), the Argentine is headed to Inter Miami in the MLS and faces one of his greatest challenges yet – taking the world game to new heights in one of the world’s most crowded sports markets.
So, what makes Messi one of the greats? Known for his clinical passing, incredible vision and composure in front of goal, the 35-year-old is considered a footballing god, but what is often overlooked is the mental side of his game.
Writing exclusively for Optimize Mind Performance, Geir Jordet, a Sport Psychology Professor specialising in soccer and coaching at the at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, shares insight into Messi’s psychology and what makes “the G.O.A.T” so good.
Decision Making
Messi obviously has a wonderfully sensitive and powerful left foot. His touch on the ball, his precision in passing and shooting, and his drive while running with the ball are all unparalleled in soccer history.
However, I would argue his most exceptional body part is his brain.
A key to Messi’s performances is his ability to pick up critical information in his surroundings, process it lightning-fast, and flexibly adapt his actions to the events unfolding around him. This is most striking when he has the ball at his feet and opponents are moving in on him to try to tackle. Messi seems to register the opponents’ actions just early enough that he can react to them and move away accordingly. He sees what the opponent is doing, then acts based on it to functionally adapt. Every time.
This display of cognitive flexibility is indicative of a marvellously effective brain process, which psychologists usually label Executive functions. These Executive Functions also typically involve processes such as cognitive updating – the ability to constantly revise old memories and situational representations with new ones, and cognitive inhibition – the ability to stop an already begun thought or action. Although I doubt anyone has ever tested Messi’s executive functions, his movements on the soccer pitch suggests he is outstanding at them, particularly in soccer specific situations.
In our studies of Messi’s cognitive-perceptual skill, we have followed him with a video camera in games, to produce full-figure, close-up videos of him in action. Here we find that Messi visually scans his surroundings for information prior to receiving the ball, with a scanning frequency that is just a little bit higher than other elite players in his position.
Lionel Messi has an extraordinary ability to perceive & act appropriately upon critical information on the pitch.
Here is a breakdown of his perceptual, cognitive & emotional performance in key moments of the 2022 World Cup final – starting with his 3-2 goal. Thread 1/12 pic.twitter.com/OgTfrDV9VT
Basically, he constantly looks around, seemingly collecting information that can guide his upcoming actions. Messi starts this process early. When a new situation arises, as for example the ball is passed from left to right, we can observe Messi starting to prepare for what will come by scanning just a little bit earlier than those players around him. This suggests again that he looks for, and then picks up information, faster than others.
Finally, Messi often engages in what we call micro-scanning. This means that he doesn’t always turn his body or head around to pick up information, but sometimes just uses small micro-movements of his head or just his eyes. He can do this unbelievably fast and because the opponents aren’t aware of such microscopic movements, they are concealed from them, which makes Messi even harder to read and predict. All together, these details that characterize Messi’s information gathering and processing, are his real superpowers.
Performing Under Pressure
One of the things making Messi so special under pressure is that he doesn’t do anything special under pressure. He consistently delivers the same displays of skill under pressure as he does under less pressure. Just like for many absolute top sport performers, for Messi, normal is enough.
This is not as easy as it may sound. To act “ordinary” under “extraordinary” circumstances, Messi relies on his truly exceptional soccer skills and the experience he has of delivering over and over under pressure. This gives him sufficient confidence in these skills. This confidence will most likely protect him from the threats inherent in pressure situations that take down so many other athletes – the thoughts about consequences, negative expectations, and anxieties. For Messi, it seems that he just lets his skills run the show. There’s no need for extra, he does what he always does.
That’s for his performance in open play. As for Lionel Messi’s penalty kick performance, this has never quite matched his extraordinary levels of performance in other parts of his game. Across his career, Messi has scored on only 77.9% of his penalty kicks, which is just UNDER average for all players in the European top leagues. Yet in the 2022 World Cup, under extremely high pressure on him personally, he scored on 6 of 7 penalty kicks which most certainly helped Argentina become world champion (86% goals).
Did he do anything different with his penalties in the World Cup? Yes, more than in the past, he relied on a penalty technique that probably makes him get more out of his unique cognitive-perceptual skillset. For the majority of his World Cup penalties, Messi used a goalkeeper dependent strategy, where he looks at the goalkeeper’s movements, lets him make the first move to left or right, and then places the ball in the other direction. With this technique, he steps up to the ball while looking at the goalkeeper, waiting for him to make the first move. There is a big risk to this technique, because you basically have not decided where to shoot the ball while you lift the foot to kick it, and unless you have complete composure and cognitive control, you will miss it. Sometimes, with some players, this may look foolish, but executed well, these shots are very difficult to stop. Essentially, the goalkeeper makes the decision about where to shoot. The cognitive flexibility required to execute this shot is extreme. Several elite players now use this technique, but Messi is the only one who has done it under the immense pressure in a World Cup final, which he did in Qatar, twice.
Goalkeepers are on to this strategy and perform counter measures. However, Messi has the answer to this too, he alternates technique. Sometimes, he uses a different strategy, the one he has predominantly used in the past with mixed success, the goalkeeper-independent strategy where he has decided in advance where to shoot the ball. Alternating from penalty to penalty makes him very difficult to predict for the opponent goalkeeper. In the World Cup, he used both these techniques, but his only miss came from the goalkeeper independent technique – where he had decided beforehand where to shoot.
Leadership
Messi was the captain of the Argentina team who won the 2022 World Cup, and the undisputed leader. Messi is not a big leader with words. His leadership is built on actions. One example is how he led his team through two World Cup penalty shootouts, in the Quarterfinal against the Netherlands and in the Final against France.
Messi scored both his kicks, but more interesting was how he connected to his teammates.
When Messi’s teammates scored their shots in the penalty shootouts, Messi could be seen far outside the mid circle, walking towards his teammates as they walked back to the team, congratulating them and getting them back into the group. Given that the rules clearly state that you cannot walk outside of the mid circle during a penalty shootout, Messi showed that it was worth taking a risk of a referee sanction for the benefit of his teammates.
What would Messi do if a teammate missed in the penalty shootout?
They didn’t miss in the Final, but when Enzo Fernández missed in the Quarterfinal, Messi oozed character by being first to receive him back to the group.
Perhaps more importantly, Messi also did this when his teammate (as this only happened once) missed. When Enzo Fernandez missed his shot, it was Messi who stepped away from the group to greet him and receive him back into the warmth. This sends a powerful message to the rest of the group: If I miss my shot, our leader, Messi, will still welcome me into the group. In addition, immediately after the win in the penalty shootout against the Netherlands was secured, all the Argentina players ran over to Lautaro Martinez who scored the last and decisive penalty. Messi, never one to follow the group, ran in a completely different direction. He ran to their goalkeeper Emi Martinez, who obviously had been instrumental in securing the win.
Messi sees the big picture and shows this with his actions, even when constraints in the situation coerces people to behave in another way. That’s character. And that’s leadership.
In today’s digital age, athletes face a unique challenge when it comes to maintaining optimal mental focus and performance.
Social media can contribute to mental fatigue, which can have a detrimental effect on decision-making abilities and overall athletic performance.
However, recent research has shed further light on an effective strategy that can help athletes mitigate the harmful impact of mental fatigue: motivational self-talk.
Tiger Woods is known to have used Motivating Self-Talk.
G.O.A.Ts Use It
Tennis superstar, Serena Williams has been vocal about her use of positive self-talk to improve her performance.
Williams, considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, used statements like “I am strong” and “I can do this” to maintain her mental edge during her record-setting career.
Similarly, former world number one golfer, Tiger Woods has spoken about his use of self-talk as a crucial mental strategy in his game.
He has mentioned repeating phrases such as “Commit to the shot” and “Stay Patient” to maintain concentration, manage pressure and optimize his performance on the course.
How it Works
Motivational self-talk involves the deliberate use of positive and affirming verbal cues to boost performance and self-regulation.
It has been widely studied and recognized as an effective strategy for enhancing motor performance in various domains.
By incorporating strategic self-talk into their routine, athletes can effectively manage negative emotions, enhance focus, and optimize their overall performance.
The study included two experimental conditions: mental fatigue alone and mental fatigue coupled with motivational self-talk, along with a control condition.
Mental fatigue was induced using a 30-minute Stroop task, a cognitive demanding exercise known to deplete cognitive resources.
The findings of the study revealed the powerful influence of motivational self-talk on endurance performance, particularly in the context of mental fatigue.
Athletes who engaged in motivational self-talk exhibited significantly improved performance compared to those who did not receive the intervention.
The positive effects were attributed to the heightened engagement with the task and the ability of self-talk to counteract the negative impact of mental fatigue.
What do these Findings Mean?
The implication of these findings is substantial, especially for coaches and athletes to optimize performance in endurance sports.
Coaches should familiarize themselves with the concept of self-talk and its functions empowering them to guide and encourage athletes to adopt effective self-talk strategies.
By incorporating motivational self-talk into their training and competitive routines, athletes can develop resilience against mental fatigue, bolster their self-efficacy and maintain a positive mindset during their performance.
Breathing exercises have long been used by athletes to high degress of success with the greatest Olympian, American Swimmer Michael Phelps, having employed breathing techniques and visualization to power him to a record 23 gold medals.
These improvements can be attributed to the psychological and physiological advantages that breathing techniques offer.
The addition of breathing techniques into training protocols enhances athletes’ focus, concentration, and mental processes.
By reducing anxiety and stress levels, these techniques create an optimal mindset for peak performance.
Athletes also experience improved emotional regulation and cognitive function, enabling them to excel in their sporting endeavors.
Breathing techniques also benefit athletes physiologically. Improved oxygen delivery to the muscles contributes to enhanced endurance and overall performance.
Increased lung capacity allows for more efficient breathing and better utilization of oxygen during physical exertion.
These physiological adaptations can positively impact an athlete’s athletic prowess across various sports.
Past research into breathing techniques and their impact on sport found it had a positive impact on sporting performance and these recent finding further highlight the potential of incorporating these techniques into training as a means of assisting athletes to perform at their optimal level.
Head to the Visualization and Breathing section of the OMP app to find Breathing Exercises from the world’s leading coaches in mental performance. Download the OMP App.
