The psychology of a winner
(12/27/04)

At a certain level of professional competition, the skill difference in many top athletes becomes negligible. What is it, then, that separates the number one tennis player from the number fifteen? Why does the number ninety-ninth ranked tennis player double-fault at match point? In basketball, why do some players consistently hit the free throw when the game is on the line, and why do some consistently choke? Top-level players relate feeling calm, energized and positive during performances. This is “the zone,” that all athletes aspire to. Why do some players reach “the zone” while others with equal or even greater talent do not? 

Jim Loehr was one of the first sports psychologists. His pioneering research has helped sports psychologists today better understand what makes an athlete consistently perform at an optimal level. Loehr understood that the mind directly affects the body. If a person is tense, upset, fearful, or anxious, his heart rate and breathing rate increase and his muscles tighten, leading to lowered endurance, negative thinking, and more anxiety. In short, negative emotions keep you out of “the zone.” But how do you stop negative emotions? In Tony Schwartz’s book, “What really matters,” Loehr states, “It’s abnormal to be able to trigger positive emotions in the face of crisis, but the best athletes all develop the capacity to be challenged by stress. …You can be taught how to think and act positively, just the way you can be taught to stroke the ball correctly.” Indeed, Loehr, other sports psychologists, and many coaches believe that athletes can be taught to think positively and perform optimally. But how? Loehr was determined to find out.

Loehr hooked up the world’s top tennis players to tiny microphones while they were playing matches. He also had them wear heart rate monitors. Loehr made two important discoveries. First, the top players did the best when their heart rates fell in between points. The top players who failed to adequately recover during periods of rest (as monitored by their heart rates) did the worst. Second, Loehr found that emotions such as anger, frustration, and anxiety increased the heart rates and made it much less likely that the athlete would be able to recover. Athletes who did the best consistently stayed more positive, breathed deeper, and relaxed more between points. 

Loehr came to realize that it wasn’t so much what the top players did during the points that seemed to distinguish them. It was what they did between the points. Loehr analyzed this further and found that the top performing athletes developed specific rituals between points, such as bouncing the ball a certain number of times before each serve. Loehr also described the way the top performing athletes walked. He termed it “the matador walk,” because it was a walk that exuded confidence. 

From this, Loehr concluded that great athletes must be great actors. In Schwartz’s book, Loehr says, “the mark of a great actor is the capacity to bring to life whatever emotion the script calls for – joy, sadness, aliveness, anger, weakness. In sports, the script doesn’t change so much: the athlete must always bring to life powerful positive emotions, regardless of what he may actually be feeling. …Anytime I can get an athlete to produce the right feelings, he’s going to perform in the upper range of his potential. By learning to control his thoughts and emotions, he gains control of his physiology.” To help control their thoughts, and emotions, Loehr and other top sport psychologists encourage athletes to talk positively to themselves while playing, walk confidently, and to force themselves to smile even when they felt like grimacing. This approach, when followed diligently, has been found to help numerous athletes consistently achieve a higher level of performance. 

We can draw a great amount of wisdom from Loehr and Schwartz’s work and words. And we can apply it to our own lives to maximize our performances by following five simple rules for competition.

Rule 1: Talk positively to yourself during competition. Tell yourself that you’re doing well or that you’ll do better. If you missed a shot, tell yourself it was an aberration and won’t happen again. Don’t get mad at yourself. Remind yourself of how good you usually hit the ball or make the shot. Next time you’ll do it just right. And if you hit the ball right or make a good play, tell yourself that you always make good plays and that you’ll continue to do so.

Rule 2: Whenever you’re not involved in the play, let your body relax. This is important for physical and emotional recovery. Relax and remind yourself of how you need to respond when play resumes.

Rule 3: Walk with confidence. That old adage, “never let them see you sweat” should really be “never let yourself see yourself sweat.” Don’t mind the opponent. Worry about yourself. If you breathe deeply and slowly, your heart rate will decrease, your endurance will increase, and you’ll feel more calm and able to relax. Keep your body posture positive and your emotions will also stay positive. 

Rule 4: Form specific, repetitive rituals that help you focus on the task at hand. Whether it’s in practice or during a big game, before batting, tap the bat on the ground a certain number of times, pull at your sleeves a certain number of times, or say a certain statement to yourself over and over a certain number of times – find a ritual that will help you avoid distracting thoughts, clear your mind, and help you connect with a familiar feeling of performing. 

Rule 5: While it is important to be confident during the competition, and while you can trick yourself into a state of high confidence by acting confidently, remember that there is no substitute for hard work and discipline during practice. Preparing yourself mentally is critical to high performance. But preparing yourself physically is also just as critical.

Remember that these rules are for competition. If used throughout your life, they may not lead to happiness or fulfillment. Consistent confidence in spite of facts to the contrary are critical for high performance on the field, but a more prudent cautious optimism and honest self-reflection may serve you best off the field.


Much of this article is inspired by “What really matters: searching for wisdom in America,” by Tony Schwartz, a book I highly recommend.


Grant Cooper, MD
New York-Presbyterian Hospital
The University Hospitals of Columbia and Cornell

For more related information, check out the following websites:
http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/sports/preventburnout.html
http://wings.avkids.com/Tennis/Features/loehr-01.html
http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/sports/goals.html
http://www.dimdima.com/sports/show_sports.asp?q_aid=105&q_title=Laws%20of%20Success%20in%20Sport