The Importance of a Positive Self-Image
For some athletes, self-confidence goes up and down like a roller coaster, changing direction with every bump and turn in the road.Over the last 15 years, I have worked with athletes who possess both high and low levels of confidence. What allows one athlete to have a brick wall of confidence and another athlete to have a Lego wall of confidence?
One explanation is self-image. Confident athletes have a positive athletic self-image. For example, when I asked Masters’ Champion Larry Mize about what makes a great putter great, he said that great putters believe they are the best putters in the world.
The most confident athletes in sports do not just have tons of confidence. They also have sturdy levels of confidence built on years of success, instead of fragile confidence based only on the last failed or successful performance.
Anyone can feel confident for a few fleeting moments during practice, but enduring self-confidence is the mark of a champion.
Why do some athletes ride the confidence roller coaster while others ride the steady confidence gondola to the top of the mountain? One reason is that many athletes maintain an unhealthy belief that you are only as good (or as confident) as your last performance.
Self-confidence is simply a belief about one’s ability that sometimes is overwhelmed by other beliefs such as doubts, indecision, and irrational thinking.
One of your confidence improvement goals is to brush aside mistakes, immediate results, or small errors that may influence your current state of confidence. Your confidence should be based on years of practice and play instead of the last shot, play, routine, or point.
Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D.
Master Mental Game Coach
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- How to Perform Under Pressure with Confidence
- How to Build Confidence Like the Pros
- How to Grow Competition Confidence
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Hi Patrick,
I got a question here, if a person has experienced consistent failures in the past, how is he/she suppposed to build ‘sturdy’ self confidence, in order to ride this gondola to the top of the mountain?
Wouldn’t it be wiser to suggest a person of this category to build up small goals first to build up their confidence and then go up from there?
Hi Ivan:
Yes, it is difficult to develop confidence with consistent failures in sports. However, I’m sure you have some small successes you can foucs on too – even if its just from practice.
You do want to set small goals when you compete, but also have the bigger picture burned in your mind.
Patrick Cohn
What is the name of the psychologist who worked with Paul Azinger and the Ryder Cup team. He was one of the assistant captains and rode around with Azinger in the cart during the competition. He wrote a book which was mentioned in the telecast on Sunday I think??
I did not see that during the telecast. I know Bob Rotella has done some work in the past with the Ryder Cup team, but not sure if it was him.
Patrick Cohn