You can lift weights, run miles, jump rope and eat right, but all that training won't help you during your game or match if you get nervous and "choke." Getting into the "zone" or Ideal Performance State during competition starts with pre-event practice. Understanding how to get mentally tough will help you win more often and avoid losing to inferior opponents.
Mental States During Competition
World-renowned sport psychologist Jim Loehr identified four performance states that athletes experience during competition. Tanking occurs when a player quits, and purposely hits balls into the net or takes wild shots. This protective device lets you believe your opponent didn't really beat you, because your didn't try. Anger occurs when you are losing and act out without any specific purpose. Choking is fear, and occurs when you are trying, but panicking. Choking is better than tanking or anger because you are at least fighting and trying. The Ideal Performance State happens when you are able to perform where you want, how you want, when you want.
Muscle Memory
Many coaches mistakenly have you practice the same movement over and over, thinking this will create "muscle memory." Since your muscles don't have brains, they can't remember anything. Sport skills are learned in the brain, which then sends the correct message to the muscle. In order to imprint the correct motor memory, you'll have to practice the correct movement in the environment in which you will use it. For example, you do not get to hit 100 chip shots in a row during a golf match, so practicing that way on the driving range is not helpful.
Rituals
Help to trigger the correct motor memory by building rituals into your shots and strokes. For example, bounce the ball the same number of times before each free throw you practice. Address a golf ball one way before drives, another way before approach shots and another way before putts, and use these different addresses before every practice stroke on the driving range or putting green. This will help prevent you from thinking too much during competition.
Practice Like You Play
If you want to avoid mental meltdowns on the court, course or field, practice the same way you'll compete. After you have worked on learning or improving a technical skill, practice the new skill in a game-like environment. For example, if you have worked on your cross-court backhand to start your lesson, finish your practice by serving, hitting a forehand then hitting one cross-court backhand to a specific area of the court, just as you will during a match. Add scoring pressure by awarding yourself a point if you make your one backhand shot, or penalizing yourself with five push-ups each time you miss the shot. If you aren't nervous during your practices, then nerves will be a new experience during competition and you won't know how to deal with them.
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