Get Your Head in the Game

Golf, like all sports, is a head game—something that 32-year-old LPGA superstar Cristie Kerr is well aware of. "I practice mental conditioning as much as I practice hitting chip shots," she says. To keep her nerves at bay and her mind focused, Cristie regularly works with noted sports psychologist Joseph Parent, Ph.D., author of the popular book Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game. Just as important as all the physical training is the training that nobody really sees—the kind that happens inside an athlete's mind, explains Parent.

Sports psychology, once written off as a New Age-y field, has exploded in recent years—in fact, many of today's top athletes have a sports psychologist on their payroll. And while most of us will never land a back handspring, attempt a triple axel, or set a record in the giant slalom, we can still prevail on the playing fields that matter to us (the office, the gym, even the bedroom) by employing these simple strategies.

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Do a Mental Dress Rehearsal

Ever notice how top athletes never seem to be overwhelmed by the big moment? Usually, it's because they've been there before—either in real life or in their mind. "Studies show that the parts of the brain that are used when thinking about a task are the same ones used when actually doing it," says sports psychologist Shane Murphy, Ph.D., editor of The Sport Psych Handbook. So visualizing a good performance can give you the same confidence that comes from having performed well in the past. Got a presentation coming up at work? Have to give a toast at a friend's wedding? In the days leading up to the event, try this exercise: Close your eyes and imagine hitting all of your talking points and getting (intentional) laughs, and the audience rewarding you with a big round of applause at the end. When it's time for the real deal, you'll be more relaxed. In fact, you'll feel as if you've done it before. Because, in a way, you have.

Ignore the Haters

Athletes are always trying to psych one another out, and sometimes your detractors can be just as intimidating and cutthroat. Letting negative thoughts sink in can rattle your nerves, so when rivals try to play mind games, Nicole Detling Miller, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Utah, tells her athletes to consider it a compliment. "If they're targeting you, it's probably out of jealousy," she says. "Own that. Tell yourself, If they're gunning for me, I must be doing something right!"

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Find the Words

Sports psychologists often tell their athletes to find a few words or phrases that can automatically bring their performance into focus. "Key words help you get connected with the way you want to feel," says Wayne Halliwell, Ph.D., of the University of Montreal, who helped guide Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette to a bronze medal at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics just days after her mother's sudden death. Stand tall was one of the phrases she kept in mind as she took the ice—a double reminder to watch her form and her mood. Ask yourself, What do I want to achieve? If you want to stay open-minded on a blind date, your key word might be open; if you're running a 5-K, it might be steady.

Know When to Let Go

During training sessions, athletes are hyperaware of every move they make. But under the pressure of competition, overanalyzing what they're doing (say, a tennis swing or figure-skating jump) can lead to indecision and tightening up. The result? Costly mistakes. One way to calm an overactive mind is by using diversionary tactics, says Sian Beilock, Ph.D., a psychologist at the University of Chicago and author of Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To. For example, before making a free throw, some basketball players will distract themselves by concentrating on the logo written on the ball. And Beilock instructs golfers to count backward by threes—starting at 25—a few seconds before striking the ball on a crucial shot. When you're swallowed up by a wave of performance anxiety, try using the same technique.


Learn to Let It Go

Regular meditation can strengthen your mind and release stress.

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To stay focused, lots of sports stars—including the NBA-champion Los Angeles Lakers—are turning to meditation. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Wisconsin at Madison suggests that people who were trained in meditation for just three months had significant improvements in their ability to pay attention. According to Shane Murphy, Ph.D., you can relax your mind and improve your concentration by doing this four-step exercise every day:

1. Concentrate on your breathing, taking in long, deep breaths through your nose, and exhaling slowly through your mouth.

2. Now imagine you're in a Zen garden, sitting beside a brook. You can hear wind chimes tinkling and feel a soft breeze against your cheek.

3. Picture all the stress inside you rolling up into a ball and gradually becoming smaller and smaller until it finally disappears.

4. Now relax your body, one muscle group at a time. First, tighten all the muscles in your neck and shoulders, then let them go. Make tight fists, then release them. Work your way down to your feet, curling your toes, then releasing them with a flex.

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