| Nothing is more important to your mental | | | | done. " ~Tiger Woods |
| game than the ability to stay grounded | | | | How do you stay in the present when you |
| in the present moment. | | | | constantly are bombarded with |
| Many athletes cannot do this | | | | distractions in sports - your own mental |
| easy-to-understand but hard-to-apply | | | | traps and outside distractions? |
| concept. Some of my students become | | | | You simply have to catch yourself when |
| mentally trapped by their own thoughts. | | | | your focus wanders and act quickly. This |
| They focus on what just happened during | | | | means you must be aware when your mind |
| the last play or shot or on what may | | | | wanders away from what is really |
| happen in the future. | | | | important. |
| The classic mental trap is when you | | | | *Refocusing* is a simple three-step |
| begin to think ahead to the end of the | | | | process that all of my mental coaching |
| game or performance. Will my team get it | | | | students learn. This mental strategy |
| done today? What score will I shoot | | | | helps them pull their focus back to the |
| today? Will coach be happy with my | | | | present moment. |
| performance today? | | | | The lesson today - you can't be perfect |
| Thinking ahead about the *what ifs* does | | | | with your mental focus. No one is |
| not help you perform well in the | | | | perfect. Not even Tiger Woods. But he is |
| present. But many athletes have a hard | | | | the master at refocusing or regaining |
| time staying grounded in the present. We | | | | his concentration after is slips. |
| live in a result-oriented society. | | | | The mental strategy of refocusing should |
| Everyone remembers winners - not losers | | | | not take you longer than 2-4 seconds to |
| or who finished second. | | | | complete in competition. The sooner you |
| Regardless, you must train your mind to | | | | can refocus - the better your |
| focus on the process - or what I call | | | | concentration and thus, performance! |
| execution - if you want to enter and | | | | Want to learn simple, proven mental |
| stay in the zone. | | | | toughness skills that you can apply to |
| The number 1 golfer in the world, Tiger | | | | competition? Grab my free online mental |
| Woods, is a master at the present-focus | | | | training newsletter, Sports Insights |
| mindset. | | | | Magazine - for athletes, coaches, and |
| "You just have to stay in the moment. | | | | sports parents Dr. Patrick Cohn is a |
| Golf is one shot at a time. You cannot | | | | master mental game coach who work with |
| live in the past. You have to play the | | | | professional and amateur athletes, |
| shot at hand. That's what I've always | | | | sports parents, and teams of all levels. |