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To get the head edge, try creating your own mind gym. You always can do mental practice, even when you are physically tired or injured. Make your images as vivid and as clear as you can. See yourself overcoming mistakes, and imagine yourself doing things well. Remember, confidence comes from knowing you are mentally and physically prepared.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Chuck Noll defined pressure as “something you feel only when you don’t know what you’re doing.”
Jack Nicklaus, who has won more major championships than any golfer in history, says, “Pressure creates tension, and when you’re tense, you want to get your task over and done with as fast as possible. The more you hurry in golf the worse you probably will play, which leads to even heavier pressure and greater tension.”
tennis star Arthur Ashe: “We have a natural tendency to invest more energy when we are under pressure. But when tension rises, two things happen: the feet can’t move and the diaphragm collapses. It’s automatic. It’s in the genetic code.”
The probability of achieving the outcome you want increases when you let go of the need to have it.
Go into your mental studio, which we discussed in the last section. Recall a time when you broke through, when the pressure worked for you. Notice what you were doing, feeling, and saying to yourself. Were you relaxed or tense? Excited or anxious? Did you fear failure or feel a desire to win? Were you focused on the outcome or absorbed in the process?
