Improving and understanding psychological functions such as motivation is key to success in sports

We’ve all heard of winning mentality and getting in the zone, but what is the science behind it? Is developing one’s psychological mindset actually effective in improving sporting ability and success? Here we take a look at some of the brain techniques used not just by sportspeople, but those who need to tap into their mind’s full potential to succeed at their game of choice.

When thinking about how to use psychological methods in sport, it would be wise to analyse how players put the brain to good use in a game that is heavily linked with psychology. In poker, being dealt strong cards is only a minor factor that contributes to winning. The reason why professional players like Sam Trickett and Phil Ivey continuously make it to the final tables of the world’s biggest tournaments is their superior psychological skill and ability to read opponents.

Sometimes the techniques used can be the simplest of things. This article from 888poker explains that the University of Michigan State found that merely thinking of positive things can improve your game. According to the same article, chatting with and being around friends can also strengthen this outlook. Of course, bluffing is a big part of the game, and players must analyse what their opponents do in certain situations and play against them accordingly. Studying players’ habits like this can be beneficial in games like tennis and cricket, and penalty shootouts in football.

The idea of positive thinking is certainly something that can be taken into sport, and it can lead to winning streaks and building momentum. But it goes much deeper than this. Research from USTA, the national governing body for tennis in the USA, have found that maintaining a high level of performance can be mentally straining and stressful, and using psychological methods to counter these feelings is imperative. These methods include building self-confidence, goal setting/developmental planning, stress management, imagery and visualisation, concentration and attention control, and motivation.

Many would agree that strong motivation is the key foundation to build sporting success on, and this goes hand in hand with the idea of goal setting. Motivation can exist extrinsically in terms of getting positive reinforcement from overcoming obstacles, or intrinsically in terms of an individual’s sense of mastery over a set of circumstances.

Look at Leicester City’s incredible title win as an example of this. Their initial motivation was to achieve 40 points and ensure consolidation in the football Premier League for another season. In that time they overcame a number of goals that started small and grew bigger as the campaign progressed. For example, early wins over Sunderland, West Ham United, and Aston Villa proved they could beat their lower league rivals, but later on victories over Chelsea, Everton, and Tottenham Hotspur gave positive reinforcement that the Foxes could cut it against the big boys.

Once the motivation is there and the sportsperson has received positive reinforcement, self-confidence should follow suit. Then it is all about raising goals and setting higher standards to meet. Of course, with success bring greater stress, so using stress management techniques such as relaxation training is important. Get your mind in order first, and the sporting success will come.