“Evaluate wins and losses objectively, focusing more on effort and execution than on the outcome of the game.” Morgan Wootten

Learning how to keep your focus on the game is essential.

Research on sports psychology for basketball suggests that being able to concentrate and focus, especially under pressure improves your mental game which in turn will improve your performance.

Specific strategies are needed to train your mind to focus on the present moment and weed out distractions, below a just a few. The Athlete’s Guide to Peak Performance Series – Focus Like A Champion will teach you more strategies so you can take your game to the next level.

Recognize the Existence of Negative Thought Patterns

Negative thought patterns are performance killer remuneration.

Learning how to recognize and identify these thought patterns as they occur will help you keep them from interfering with your performance.

One negative thinking pattern that is common among players is when they have a terrible game. They will focus on the poor performance and repeatedly say negative things to themselves.

More often than not, the media will criticise the performance, and the player tends to let those negative words enter into their mind and continue with the self-defeating pattern.

When you continuously replay negative scenes and thoughts in your mind, you are ingraining them in your consciousness, and then you are doomed to repeat them.

Create a Positive Mindset

It is important to have a mindset that will help you be successful in the game. Knowing how to stay focus in the present requires a positive mindset that will not allow negative thoughts and distractions penetrate it.

Rhythmically breathing can bring about a clear state of mind. Practicing deep breathing at home will equip you with a technique to use before competition to help you stay focus. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and start to breathe deeply. Inhale fully and exhale completely.

Pay attention to the messages you tell yourself. Your words will shape your mental game. Notice your thoughts and emotions, if a negative thought enters your mind change it quickly to a positive thought.

Declutter Your Mind and Regain Your Focus

Decluttering your mind requires your attention and how you spend your time and energy.

Focus on your priorities and create a mental picture of goals you want to accomplish.

To figure out your top priorities, list your goals, your motivation and how you spend most of your time. Then rank them in order of importance. This is what you consider important.

Be mindful of anything that comes between you and your priorities—is it worth you compromising on what matters most?

Release those useless, negative thoughts of worry. When you do this regularly, you drastically reduce the amount of “stuff” that needs your attention and depletes your energy.

Your mind is full of thoughts in the form of judgments, expectations, and fears that blind you from the truth.

Start monitoring what enters your mind and replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. This will change your performance and your overall outlook on life.

Focusing like a champion is a mindset skill that doesn’t just happen by chance; you must work at it. It requires specific strategies; and you can find these strategies in my workbook – An Athlete’s Guide to Peak Performance Series– Focus Like A Champion. Forward by Dallas Cowboy Legend – Eugene Lockhart – The Hitting Machine.

*Go to www.sportspsychologybasketball.com. Click products and get started improving your Mental Game.