Helping Athletes Overcome End of Game Pressure
In this week’s sports psychology podcast, mental game of sports expert Dr. Patrick Cohn talks with Dr. Megan Melchiorre.
Do you have teams that tend to get tight at the end of a set when maybe they didn’t expect to win against the opponent and they tighten up and end up losing the set?
In this podcast, they will answer the question of the week…
“How do you help athletes stay aggressive at the end of a set or match when the game gets tight?”
COHN: We know that then end of a game can be more pressure for some athletes… Maybe they tend to think too far ahead about the outcome…
COHN: What are the challenges for athletes that they tend to get tight at the end of a match? What are they doing?
MEGAN: They try to protect their lead. They start to play safe and to not make mistakes.
MEGAN: When they play not to make mistakes, they tend to overthink and over control instead of trusting their ability and shining on a set and attacking a ball, they try to place it on an open spot on the court.
MEGAN: When they put easy balls over, they give the opposing team an opportunity to attack.
COHN: Good point… and I think if you give the opposing team the opportunity to attack, what is happening is that the opponent will start to make a comeback and sense that the player in the lead is all of the sudden playing safe and protective instead of aggressive and attacking.
COHN: It gives your opponent the ability to take control over the match.
COHN: How do you help players with this issue at the end of the game when the pressure is on the line and you want them to finish the set?
Listen to this week’s podcast to learn what mental game tips Dr. Cohn and Dr. Megan give to athletes about staying aggressive and trusting their skills:
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- How to Grow Competition Confidence
- Why Playing Safe Doesn’t Help You Win
- How Preparation Boosts Confidence
*Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on iTunes
*Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on Spotify
Download a free sports psychology report to improve your mental game!
Learn more about our one-on-one mental game coaching.
The Confident Athlete
“The Confident Athlete” consists of 2 audio programs that include 14 days of confidence fueling exercises and a simple to follow workbook that guides you through the 14 days, helps you apply the strategies, and customizes the exercises to your personal needs.
Let me help you put a stop to the confidence leak. You can learn to have greater levels of confidence in competition than you do in practice by identifying the specific ways you undermine your own confidence and how to convert your practice confidence into COMPETITIVE CONFIDENCE.
“The Confident Athlete” is a ground-breaking system to teach you how to think like a champion and have ultimate self-confidence every time you step on the playing field, court, track, or course. The confident athletes was developed for any athlete – junior to professional –that wants to gain confidence. However, coaches and sports parents can learn how to teach others to perform with ultimate confidence. Use my program if you want to bust a slump or just wanting higher or more consistent levels of self-confidence.