geoff baxter

In many cases when we strive for excellence in any area we concentrate on the acquisition of technique and skill but neglect the psychological component of performance. A typical case is where a golfer plays perfectly well in practice or with friends and then plays far below this standard when playing in a competition. In this case it is clearly not a technical issue but a psychological one so we would work on anchoring the feelings in practice to the competition situation while also working on relaxation techniques to get the golfer in to the right state of mind.

Much research has been done in the sports psychology literature on an optimal level of stimulation. This is simply a way of describing what we sometimes call being in ‘the zone’. Rather than being some abstract state of mind it is actually a definable state. When we perform at a high level it is vital that we have the correct balance between relaxation and tension. If we are too tense or anxious we are obviously distracted from the job at hand but equally if we are too relaxed we are complacent and simply don’t care enough to win. What we need to work on is finding the right balance for each individual and teaching ways to consistently emulate the best performance.

As a specialist in performance I have a great deal of experience in helping Sports people reach their potential. Whether you are a dart player with dartitis, a golfer with the yips, an archer with clicker anxiety or anything else you can learn how to successfully deal with the psychology of competing.  Often when you are performing at a very high level you need to learn to trust yourself and allow the preparation you have put in to come through when you compete. It is often limiting beliefs and negative thoughts that prevent you from performing at you best level.