Feature Mental Game Article

Two Critical Mindsets for Achieving Peak Performance
By Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D.

One of the pioneers in sports psychology was a coach named Tim Gallwey. Tim wrote the popular “Inner Game” series. The “Inner Game of Tennis” was his first classic book he wrote in the 70s. Tim then applied his inner game principles to golf, skiing, and later the business world. If you have not read the inner game of tennis I would recommend you do so and in today’s newsletter I will tell you why his principles are so relevant even today.

Tim contends that in order to reach the zone state you must achieve skill mastery first, which means you must learn the fundamentals of your sport. When you perform at your peak, he would say the mind is quiet and you have a minimum of self-interference - you allow yourself to perform without self-criticism or over-analysis. This is what he called the inner game - what happens in the mind as opposed to the outer game - what happens to your performance.

The basis of his inner game theory states that two contrasting mindsets are always battling for supremacy – sort of a right brain/left brain theory. When the mind is quiet and you allow your performance to flow from creativity, you can get into a state of flow. However, when the mind is overactive and critical, you force your performance. Your game will be awkward at best in this mindset.

He sums up his theory with two concepts of the inner self:

*Self One: The learning mindset filled with self-judgments and criticism. This mindset wants to control and is not the best mindset for performance.

*Self Two: The best mindset for performance is when you are free to react and be creative with your game. This mindset allows you to let it happen.

Gallwey’s goal was to help students suspend self one so self two can be free to take the reins. He used an example in The Inner Game of Tennis. He asked his students to repeat cue words, such as “back-hit” to occupy the trying/analytical mind so the creative mind could do all the work. 

Most athletes perform their very best when the mind is quiet (not overactive) and focused. Not only will you excel in this mindset, you will also have the most fun.

I use the Inner Game principles often in my work with athletes. I do not talk about self one or self two, but instead teach my students the value of having two mindsets: a learning mindset and a performance mindset.

In the learning or practice mindset, you strive to get better and to improve, which is a necessary part of your progress. This mindset is based on a high level of motivation and work ethic, which help you practice hard and master skills. The down side to this mindset is that very motivated or perfectionistic athletes typically get “stuck” in the training mindset and love to practice and perfect technique.

In the trusting or performance mindset, you rely on your ability to let your skills “happen” instinctively by trusting your practice instead of consciously directing your movements. The performance mindset allows you to have a quiet mind - void of self-interference, which allows you to perform freely and allow your skills to flow. When in the trusting mindset you are confident in your skills and ability to put your performance on automatic pilot.

The bottom line… If you are stuck in the practice mindset during competition, you will limit your ability to perform your best because of too much analysis, trying too hard to be perfect, and a loss of trust. If you are stuck in the performance mindset during practice, you might lose some good opportunity to improve your performance.

Your goal should be to balance these two mentalities to get the most out of your physical talents.

Most of my students spend too much time in a practice or training mindset. Therefore, one of your priorities is to learn how to perform functionally instead of correctly. I call this a “functional mindset.” When you are in a functional mindset, you are more flexible mentally and can easily adapt when you are not performing your best.

If you want all my secrets for balancing the practice and performance mindsets, jump over and check out The Fearless Athlete CD/Workbook Program.

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Sports Specific Mental Training Tip

"Our Muscles Do Not Understand English!"

What do most athletes and coaches do in practice? They spend their time in the practice mindset analyzing and assessing performance. Gallwey's theory is that giving yourself verbal instructions - similar to what a coach does - is not effective learning...

"Telling our bodies how to do something is not the most effective way to improve performance. Our muscles do not understand english, and out thinking minds do not understand hand-eye coordination."
~Tim Gallwey

Gallwey believes that you will perform your best with images instead of giving yourself verbal instructions and getting out of your own way. Doubt, tension, and poor focus are the real culprits to errors rather than poor mechanics.

Dr. Patrick J. Cohn
Master Mental Game Coach

Dr. Patrick J. Cohn is the President and founder of Peak Performance Sports of Orlando, Florida. He earned his Ph.D. in Education from the University of Virginia in 1991, and founded Peak Performance Sports in 1994. Dr. Cohn is an author, speaker and one of the nation's leading mental game experts. His coaching programs instill confidence, composure and effective mental strategies that enable athletes and teams to reach their performance goals. Dr. Cohn has helped athletes from a variety of sports backgrounds (both amateurs and professionals) identify and develop the mindset needed to achieve peak performance. World-class golfers, runners, shooters and auto racers, as well as motocross, tennis, baseball, softball, football and hockey players, are among those who have benefited from his mental game coaching and training.

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