How to Avoid Choking


Even Michael Jordan makes mistakes. No matter how good an athlete is, "choking" is inevitable. The difference is that the pros have trained both mentally and physically to reduce its likelihood and to recover from it. Sports psychologist Robin Vealey of Miami University of Ohio and Daniel Gould of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro offer some tips:

FOCUS

Choking often occurs when your thoughts are on the past or the future. Focus on the present, and be conscious of your emotional and physical reactions to a stressful situation.

Practice

Practice in stressful situations in order to get used to physical and mental tension. Mental and muscle memory interact, and you can train them together to create conditioned responses to tense circumstances.

Relax

Stress makes your mind hurry and your muscles tense up. Use breathing techniques to relax, and consciously loosen tight muscle groups.

Talk to Yourself

Self-talk can calm, remotivate and remind you of your best technique. Use a "mantra with meaning" - for example, an ultimate player can remind herself to have "quick feet" so she is moving and ready. And don't obsess over a mistake; instead replace a negative mental image of yourself with a positive one to bring you back into the game.

Know Yourself and Your Environment

Perceived pressure from teammates, coaches, and yourself can cause you to freeze up. Remember: it's just a game. Pick the challenged and competitions you think you can handle.

References

Noami Lubick
Scientific American: Building the Elite Athlete