#60 - Dan Abrahams | Improve your Psychological Game
Jan 25, 2021
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Sport psychologist and former pro golfer, Dan Abrahams, discusses topics such as productivity in training, creativity in training, mindset, and processes to set your mind right in your sport. They also explore the importance of scenario-driven practice, self-coaching, and the psychological differences between golf and football.
Having a framework for the mental side of the game helps athletes maintain attention, intensity, and intent.
Setting match scripts before a game helps athletes focus on specific aspects of their performance that they can control.
Process-oriented goals focusing on specific tasks improve athletes' focus, performance, and long-term improvements.
Deep dives
Importance of having a framework for the mental side of the game
To optimize performance in any sport, it is crucial for athletes to have a framework for the mental side of the game. This framework helps them maintain attention, intensity, and intent. While each athlete's framework is unique, there are universal mental skills that play a key role. These skills include attention, intensity, and intent. They need to be individualized, but having a framework in place helps athletes perform closer to their best, whether they are bowling in cricket or playing other sports. Teammates can also support each other by understanding and reminding one another of their individual frameworks.
The importance of specific and controllable match scripts
Match scripts are specific, controllable goals that athletes set for themselves before a game. Instead of focusing on outcome-driven goals, athletes should focus on specific aspects of their performance that they can control. For example, a football player might have match scripts like 'always look for space,' 'non-stop defending from the front,' and 'get shots away.' These match scripts help athletes stay process-oriented and focus on their individual responsibilities in the game. By breaking down performance into specific, controllable, and positive tasks, athletes can enhance their performance and avoid being solely outcome-driven.
The value of process-oriented goals over outcome-focused goals
Process-oriented goals are more valuable than outcome-focused goals in sports. Outcome-focused goals, such as winning or scoring, are less controllable and specific. In contrast, process-oriented goals focus on the tasks that athletes need to execute well during a game. These goals could be technical cues, physical cues, or mental cues that relate to an athlete's role or specific areas they want to improve. Process-oriented goals help athletes maintain their focus, enhance performance, and develop a deep understanding of their game, enabling them to make improvements in the long run.
Sports Psychology in Golf and Football
The speaker discusses their background as a sports psychologist, specializing in golf and football (soccer). They have worked with various organizations, including England golf and rugby, and Premier League football clubs. Their expertise lies in understanding the mental side of the game. They emphasize that success in golf and football requires not just technical skill, but also a strong mental game. They challenge the notion that golf is 95% mental, suggesting that all aspects of performance, including technical, tactical, physical, mental, and emotional, are equally important. They advocate for a task-oriented mindset, focusing on executing one's tasks and controlling what one can control.
Parental Involvement and the Psychological Game
The speaker reflects on their own experience with the psychological aspect of the game as a golfer. They highlight the importance of being mentally strong and how their own performance could have improved with better mental skills. They praise their parents for their supportive role, even though they lacked the knowledge about the intricacies of the game. The speaker warns against the potential negative impact of parents who push their children to win or perform based on societal expectations. They advocate for parents to ask open-ended questions, focus on the child's experience, and strive to understand what the child wants rather than impose their own opinions or expectations. They emphasize the importance of a nuanced and adaptive approach to performance and competitiveness, recognizing that sports should also be enjoyable and provide opportunities for free play.
I'm delighted to have Sport Psychologist and Former Pro Golfer Dan Abrahams on the podcast. Dan hosts The Sport Psych Show Podcast. Our conversation goes into the mind of sport and a range of topics from, productivity in training, creativity in training, your mindset and processes that you can use to help set your mind right in your sport.