“Practice makes perfect,” they say! But real progress isn’t about perfection, it’s about building confidence and consistency. The problem? If we don’t learn when to turn off our analytical approach, the habits that make us great in training can hurt us in competition.
In practice, we analyze, correct, and fine-tune every detail. But in competition, we must TRUST our preparation and execute without overthinking. Slipping into practice mode during a game leads to second-guessing, hesitation and a completely different look on the field. It’s not that we forget what to do. It’s that overthinking disrupts our automatic execution.
Why do great warm-ups crash under pressure? Research in sports psychology and neuroscience shows that overanalyzing during performance interferes with muscle memory. Dr. Sian Beilock’s studies on choking under pressure reveal that too much focus on mechanics in high-stakes moments disrupts well-trained skills, leading to poor performance.
Choking doesn’t just happen on the foul shot to win the game with seconds on the clock. It can happen after walking the first batter, losing the first 50/50 or watching your first put go wide.
I thought about this while jumping rope. At first, I just jumped…smooth, natural, and automatic. Then, I started thinking about my feet and rope speed. Suddenly, I got slower and stiffer. The moment we shift from doing to thinking, we disrupt the fluidity that makes us successful.
We can jump, throw, shoot and do SO MUCH MORE without conscious thought. But for some reason, when the pressure mounts, we can’t just let it be!
Performing at our best means relying on automaticity, executing movements without conscious thought. This process involves the prefrontal cortex (planning), basal ganglia (refining patterns), motor cortex (executing skills), and cerebellum (ensuring smooth coordination). The more we train a skill, the less cognitive load we need to perform it, allowing for faster, smoother execution. But if we insist on controlling everything, we hold this system hostage.
So how do we flip the switch? It starts in practice! Most training focuses on deliberate practice. We analyze and refine. But we also need performance practice to simulate competition. Sports psychologist Dan Abrahams’s Think Box and Play Box concept is key. In the Think Box, we plan and adjust. In the Play Box, we commit and perform. No second-guessing. If we start thinking again, we step out, reset, and re-commit. Practicing this process makes it automatic in games.
I like this idea because it puts boundaries around what we do and where. Once we step into the playbox, we DO WHAT WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO DO. PERIOD! No thinking. Just committing and performing.
We must also move to the Play Box under pressure! If you only practice in a controlled, low-pressure setting, you’re training to be a great practicer, not a great performer. Musicians rehearse as if performing, simulating pressure situations. Athletes should do the same!
A musician’s performance practice might look like this: 1. Set the stage. Press record, leave the room, and re-enter as if stepping onto a stage or into competition. 2. Fully commit. No stopping, no restarting. Perform as if you have an audience (one that matters!!!), even if it’s just your phone recording the rehearsal. 3. Do it again. 4. Evaluate with purpose. Use a simple post-performance self-reflection sheet to rate your performance quality (1-10), rate your mental performance (1-10), make a note of what changed from your first recording to the next and make a note of what you were thinking right before you started and during the “performance”/.
Athletes should do something similar: announce their name, step into their arena, imagine the person they want to impress the most is there, and the championship is on the line and execute without stopping. Record the performance and evaluate it objectively.
Another mistake? Relying on pre-performance routines in competition but skipping them in practice. Research shows that consistent pre-performance routines increase accuracy and reduce anxiety by shifting focus from “what if” thinking to execution.
A pitcher I worked with recently returned from an injury and realized she needed a pre-performance routine for consistency. When things are going well, we don’t think we need structure. But in high-pressure moments, certainty is crucial—and it must be practiced. So, how is she getting caught up? She’s rehearsing it…in practice in her mind…in other stressful situations. She’s preparing to perform!
Another performance-enhancing strategy? Shift focus to outcomes rather than body mechanics. This doesn’t mean we focus on the outcome of the skill, meaning "I have to throw a strike!". It means we focus on where we want the ball to go, not every step we need to take to get it there!
Dr. Gabriele Wulf’s external focus theory shows that focusing on a target (e.g., getting the ball to a spot) rather than mechanics leads to smoother execution. Thinking about “how” disrupts movement efficiency. And you know as well as I do that we talk about ‘how’ A LOT!
Breathing techniques, like box breathing or physiological sighs, activate the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing stress and improving motor control under pressure. A calmer nervous system improves reaction time, decision-making and motor control under pressure.
And if we train under stress inoculation by getting our heart rate up and throwing in distractions to disrupt the comfort of the practice environment, this gives us a chance to practice using this technique before the rubber meets the road. Stress inoculation training through uncomfortable scenarios prepares athletes for real-game pressure by reducing amygdala-driven stress responses. Mentally rehearsing these scenarios can have similar effects!!
When you train in performance mode, big moments feel like opportunities, not threats. Great performers don’t just train physical skills, they train the ability to FLIP THE SWITCH from training to trusting. As LeBron James once said, “You put in the work in practice so that in the game, you don’t have to think. You just react.”
We must constantly remind ourselves and our athletes that our brains and bodies are built to execute what we’ve practiced! Our brain is amazing, and we don’t need to help it do its job.
When we do, we’re doing our opponent’s job for them! Manage the moments!
Julie
P.S. Get your team started with a mental performance training program! Are you a high school coach? Check out our 5-week program to help you get to and through your conference play at your peak! You can find out more about it HERE.
Julie Jones
Mental Performance Coach
SSB Performance
juliej@ssbperformance.com • 234-206-0946