Just How Much of Sport Performance is Mental?
In most post-game interviews, professional athletes are asked to talk about what made the difference in the win and loss.
After a comeback, many athletes talk about their team being able to handle adversity, to fight to the last whistle, never giving up, and believing in each other. Some athletes talk about “feeling in the zone,” being able to work together well, and trusting the coach. All of these factors can be attributed to the mental side of sport performance. The ability to remain confident, believe in the team, having the competitive mindset, and trusting each other are all influenced by an athlete’s way of thinking.
“The most important attribute a player must have is mental toughness” — Mia Hamm
You don’t have to be an elite athlete to have your mindset influence performance. Many parents witness their youth athletes struggle with confidence and performance anxiety. I have worked with coaches and parents who talk about their athletes performing well in practice but can’t seem to put it together in the game and play poorly. Some athletes have an expected drop off in performance in high pressure situations or experience the dreaded choke.
On the other side of the continuum, some athletes have their best performance when the pressure is all on their shoulders. Even when the team goes down by double-digits in the first half, they are able to pull it together to eventually win the game. These types of events don’t rely on the physical strength of an athlete but the mental strength.
What matters more, the mental or physical side?
There is a debate in many articles about what is more important for the best performance. The physical ability to compete with the best or the mental strength to overcome any challenge and stay focused on the task?
I’ve seen articles and sport psych folks who argue that sport performance is 90%, even 100% mental. The idea is that you need mental processing to do just about anything, sport is no different. You need your brain to tell you to take action, to run, to work out, and play.
Can’t get anywhere without the physical side
Plain and simple, you cannot compete without the physical ability to perform your chosen sport. You can have all the mental toughness, dedication, discipline, confidence, and every other mental skill but you won’t even be in the competition without the physical attributes.
No matter what sport you play, you need the necessary strength, agility, speed, balance, etc. of your specific performance. Without these physical skills it is very likely you will not be a very successful athlete.
This is not to say you can’t be under the average in physical statistics like height, weight, and strength. There are an incredible number of stories of the physical underdog overcoming the odds to become a success in their sport. Jim Abbott played baseball at the highest levels with one arm. Wilma Rudolph learned to walk without leg braces after polio left her leg severely damage. She then went on to become a gold medal Olympic track athlete. These athletes overcame physical barriers by strengthening other areas.
The foundation of physical skills needs to be there to compete.
“I worked very hard. I felt I could play the game. The only thing that could stop me was myself.” — Jim Abbott
The Mental Side Separates the Great from the Good
Once the necessary physical attributes are there, an athlete’s mindset will take their performance to a new level.
There comes a point where physical abilities max out. Not only for yourself but for your competition as well. Aside from a few phenomenal exceptions, at the highest levels, athletes are fairly similar in physical ability.
In addition to their head coach, the top athletes have strength and conditioning coaches, nutritionists, and athletic trainers. All aligned with the purpose of getting the athlete into the best physical shape as possible. The slightest edge over their opponents can make a huge difference in competition.
In a season, an athlete’s physical skills remain relatively consistent, barring any injury. They have been training all off-season to keep their spot on the team. As the season goes on rest and recovery become as important as the training itself.
Yet an athlete’s performance can fluctuate greatly from pre-season, to mid-season, and in the playoffs. What changes throughout the season is the amount of pressure riding on each game, the confidence each athlete has, the ability to remain disciplined, focused on the goal, and the game strategies each coach develops. All factors that deal with the mental side of sport performance.
“Under pressure you can perform fifteen percent better or worse.” — Scott Hamilton
The Mind Makes the Difference
The difference between an athlete’s best and worst performance can more often than not be boiled down to their mental training.
An athlete can gain an advantage through mental skills training. Athletes who can consistently put forth their peak performance have a greater chance of a successful career.
“Everything negative — pressure, challenges — is all an opportunity for me to rise.” — Kobe Bryant
There are many athletes who have mental strength qualities that never received any formal mental skills training. Yet they demonstrate the importance and value those skills can have. NBA stars like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant put all that they had into training, goal setting, being disciplined, and leading their teams to success.
“I’m a firm believer in goal setting. Step by step. I can’t see any other way of accomplishing anything” — Michael Jordan
So how much of the performance is mental?
The answer is a personal one to you and your goals. In my opinion, it depends on your level of competition.
The higher the level of competition, the more valuable your mental skills become. If you’re an elite athlete or plan to become one, implementing mental skills training will only help you on your journey to your goals.
Mental skills are not the entire answer to success and sport performance. They are a tool that can assist you in reaching that next level. Unlock your potential through building a peak performance mindset.
