Improving your mental toughness and focus

There are plenty of very talented basketball players out there at all ages. What separates the good from the elite? The mental focus and toughness can be the thing to te you to the next level.

There are plenty of very talented basketball players out there at all ages.  What separates the good from the elite?  So often the mental side of the game is the difference maker.  You see talented players all that run around ad take bad shots and turn balls over.  Mental toughness and focus take that player to the next level.

Here are some good tips to hel you become mentally tough and focused.

1) A shooter needs to have confidence. One good way to give yourself confidence is to remember that two balls will fit through the hoop at a time. This gives you a large margin of error to work with.

2) Strive to improve everyday... both physically and mentally. Play against players that are better than you... that´s how you get better.  Watc games on TV and learn from them. Never stop learning!

3) When playing against teams or players who are not quite as talented, it is important to play at YOUR best. Do not drop your level of play simply to defeat the opponent. Compete against your own personal best every time out, and try to achieve that.

4) Mental Rehearsal: This is almost as important as practicing the action itself. The brain patterns during mental rehearsal of an action are the same as those when preparing for the action before the motor skill is selected, so the more you mentally rehearse a shot, the quicker and easier it will be to prepare to carry out the shot.

5) The main reason that players don´t perform well in games is nervousness, and the main cause of nervousness is lack of self confidence. You have to believe that you can play with the people on the court and not get intimidated. You must believe that no one on the court is better than you. Have a good attitude. Believe in yourself.

6) Pay attention to how you prepare for each game, especially when you play well. Competing in athletic contests can often be a matter of routine, and anything you can do to keep that routine similar from game to game, especially when you have played well, can help.

Follow the same pre-game routines, think about the same type of things, relax but focus on the game at hand. Most importantly, learn to visualize what you are going to be doing in the game, always seeing yourself being successful.

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