In order to win basketball games you have to be more mentally tough than physical. You can be an outstanding player but without training mentally you will waste your physical training away. Most people believe that the outcome of a game comes down to the mental toughness of a player. If you cannot handle someone telling you that the other team has better players, that they are bigger and stronger or that you are going down, then you will lose. The only way to win is to train and understand sports psychology for basketball.
The outcome of the game can be determined before you even step out onto the court. How are you feeling? If you feel like you are going to lose, it is likely that you will. But if you fire yourself up and concentrate on winning, then it does not matter if you are playing against Kobe Bryant because you will win. You must maintain this basketball mental toughness throughout the game no matter what happens. There is always the possibility of going into the game being positive but by half time your confidence quickly swindles down as your team is behind by a lot. At this point, this is when you have to reach inside and pull out the winner in you.
One man can’t win the game alone but his confidence can. If you can encourage and demonstrate to your team that the game is not over, then they will play fiercely and they will not quit. This has nothing to do with the numerous laps that you run for practice every day this is mental game training. So how can you mentally train on your own?
Visualization – imagine you and your team winning the big game. Don’t just think of the after party. Watch yourself making every shot, watch the grace as you dribble down the court, imagine the entire game going your way.
• Letting Go of Thoughts – You know what you are doing. You were made to play the game. When you are in game mode, let your body flow. You do not need to think of your technique or your plan of attack. Just play and listen to your gut.
• Don’t Be Afraid of Failure – You’re not perfect but you’re working towards it. If you do miss a shot, you’ll make up for it later don’t get stuck on it.
• Focus – Get lost in your concentration. No matter what anyone says to you prior to the game or throughout the game should be blocked out. Just concentrate in what is happening right now, stay in the present.
• Relax yourself – Every game is a big game and there are nerves. The more you can relax your body, the more refreshed and loose your mind will be. If you have a ritual that you do before your games make sure that you do it or you can even try a form of meditation to block everything out, regain your focus and to relax your body.
There is a lot you can do to mentally prepare for a game when you use sports psychology for basketball. The mental game of basketball is just as important if not more than the physical part so make sure that you make the time to prepare mentally to win all of your games.