The world of sports psychology and in the introduction of mental skills coaches has exploded into the athletic mainstream over the last few decades. Before then, the attitude regarding such training was extremely conservative and âold schoolââthe prevailing philosophy was that âany athlete who needs to talk with a shrink needs to have their head examined.â
Fortunately, with todayâs modern athletes, the dark ages of mental training in sports have gone away and times have changed for the better. But as with any growing industry, there are lots of new and untested pathways to oneâs mental performance training in practices and games. But depending on who you talk to, the advice that is given can vary widelyâand sometimes, even be contradictory.
The Secrets of Sports Psychology Revealed by Rick Wolff, one of the pioneers in the field of sports psychology, is based upon his many years of clinical, hands-on work with top professional and amateur athletes in a variety of sports. He provides real insight into what doesâand doesnâtâwork. Specifically:
Do pre-game visualization techniques really work?
Is it OK to be superstitious, or are those rituals counterproductive?
Does taking a deep breath or two in a tight situation really help?
Whatâs the best way to learn how to make adjustments in oneâs game?
These direct questions, and many others, are presented and answered in this easy to use how-to guide aimed directly at athletes and coaches. The answers are right to the point and are based upon the authorâs observations and work over the years with top athletes.