Self-Talk Article
As an athlete I have loads of experiences I hope to share with juniors to help them develop themselves into better athletes. As a graduate in psychology, I have also learned a few helpful tools for training and competing. The first tool I want to share is “Self-Talk.” As an athlete (and even as a human being) you probably find that you talk to yourself either in your head, or out loud. Both are examples of what I will refer to as Self-Talk. There are few elite athletes who do not use Self-Talk to help them compete at their highest level. You may find you say positive or negative things to yourself while training or competing, and depending on the person both can work. However, positive thoughts and positive words are generally more beneficial.
I have heard many athletes say things during matches such as, “no more mistakes” or “don’t hit it out.” The brain actually has a funny way of processing what we say to ourselves. Although those sound like good things to say to yourself while training, they are actually not helpful. The way the brain unconsciously processes those statements is by taking out the negative part or the “no” or “not.” So in fact, what your brain hears is, “more mistakes” and “do hit it out.” It sounds crazy but it’s true. This is why it is very important to pay attention to how you speak to yourself. Using positive sayings or words can help increase your performance and motivation. Positive Self-Talk can change your mood and change your thoughts, elevating how you play. I personally, have turned matches around and won them just by changing what I say to myself.
As with anything, you should practice using Self-Talk. You can use it on-court training, while running, during wall-sits, or basically any other time. It often helps to come up with a single word or a few catchy sayings. You may recognize examples like, “one point at a time,” “let’s go,” or “good serve.” Have you ever been on a long run and just wanted to quit, but then you started to say to yourself “one more step” and finished? That is a perfect example of positive Self-Talk. While training on-court saying, “just keep it in” may help you focus on what your goal is and help you have longer rallies. You will never hear an elite athlete say “you suck” or “go slower” while competing. This seems obvious, but it is very easy to start becoming negative when in a slump. That is why having key words or phrases can help turn your head around.
Psychologists have performed tons of research on this topic, and they have found tons of evidence proving that Self-Talk can improve performance. This is one of the many parts of being an athlete that creates a whole package. An old coach once explained that being an athlete is like the spokes on a bike. There are many components needed to make the wheel turn properly. Self-Talk is just one piece of the whole puzzle. Learning tricks to stay motivated, to move faster, and to keep the bird in should be used in practice and tournaments. Most people have a running dialogue in their heads, so if you take a step back to notice what you are saying to yourself you can also take a step back to change it. The way you talk and even think can change the way your body moves and reacts. And of course the way your body moves and reacts can determine the out come of the game.
