"Master"ing Your Mind: Tips from Mental Conditioning

With the upcoming 2018 Masters Tournament, athletes, fans, professionals, and aspiring next generation stars will all be watching as the best of the best take to the greens of Augusta. Inside IMG Academy, all student-athletes, including our golf students, have access to a renowned mental conditioning team who coordinates training around focus, mindset, and perspective, depending on the sport and season.

We wanted their insight as to how top players, such as Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas, as well as on-the-rise players, may approach the Masters:

Going into a tournament as the dominant competitor or the expected-winner oftentimes proves to be the downfall of certain players, especially if you're paired with a so-called "underdog." Now, you're faced with the question of whether they're actually better than you on that given day, or are you simply beating yourself?

Or, are you the "underdog" in this situation, and you're up against the defending title-holder? You may approach this situation with immense relaxation and little to no expectations except to execute what you've been doing in practice. (Deep breaths!)

Fans, athletes, and coaches understand that games and tournaments have been won or lost depending on the mindset of the athletes, but few really know how to develop a "Champion's Mindset."

Developing this mindset begins with learning how to approach training.

Michael Jordan stated “I play to win, whether during practice or a real game. And I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win.” Many great athletes will state that their enjoyment of winning is far outweighed by their hatred of losing. Jordan loved to compete and hated to lose, and those are important aspects of the Champion’s Mindset.

Vince Lombardi said "all of our games are won in practice." An athlete’s consistent approach to training is often the determining factor of whether or not an athlete achieves long-term success in their athletic career.

Practice, training, and preparation may be where games and championships are actually won and lost. Those who have out-prepared their opponents and believe they can and will be successful tend to win more consistently and come through in those final moments. Athletes who win on a consistent basis are not only focused and have a solid work ethic, but they are also willing to put in the extra work that others can't, don't or won't. You may say you want to win, but it takes hard work to actually win. Working on having a Champion's Mindset along with being detailed and prepared leads to the confidence needed to win. Confidence comes from knowing that you have out-worked your opponent and deserve to win. Earning the right to succeed is much deeper and more authentic than simply showing up and assuming you're going to win.

If you fall inside the "underdog" umbrella, you'd want to ensure you follow these tips and tricks to assist with winning perhaps the "biggest" title or tournament of your life.

1. Every rep matters. Before you even get to this point, remember that every day, every moment, and every rep is an opportunity to focus on producing your best performance. Do not go through the motions when training or practicing. When you have “competitive enthusiasm” like Michael Jordan, it’s unlikely that you will go through the motions at practice. Loving to compete and loving doing your best are important ingredients of a Champion’s Mindset. A short yet high-quality practice is much better than a long, uninspired practice. You cannot expect to win if you haven't been practicing with a winner's focus and outlook. 
2. Dominate the details of preparation. The best athletes know that there are many factors that go into becoming a world-class athlete. Talent, some luck, great coaching, and timing are definitely part of it. However, the detailed training plans, film review, strength and conditioning sessions, mental practice, rest and recovery cycles, nutrition plans, sleep plans, travel plans, competition schedules, rehab, injury prevention, training partners, training environment, and equipment play a role in the success of an athlete or team on any given day.
3. Earn the right to have confidence. You can believe in yourself everyday, but, without the actions to back-up your confidence, the body begins to doubt itself. Quality action builds confidence. Many believe that if they win, they will then have confidence. Do everything necessary and put in the hard work to become great.
4. Every practice, day, and game are opportunities to win. If you give that big game too much significance, you may put yourself at risk for being too tense or nervous to compete
   • Quote from Andrea Wieland, Ph.D., Olympian and Head of Mental Conditioning at IMG Academy: "At the 1996 Olympics in front of 25,000 fans, playing in my hometown against the defending World and Olympic Champions, Australia, I told myself “I have done “this” [played the sport] thousands of time. It’s just another game and I need to trust my training.” As a goalkeeper, I shut out the eventual Olympic Champions during the half that I played. I did my job, and so can you.