Seeing your game unravel in front of millions of people. That’s not something you dream of as a top sports professional. But it has its upside. If you know how to learn! In 2011, Rory McIlroy went into the final round of the Masters with a commanding four shot lead. He was nailed on for his first Major. Then at Amen Corner, his game fell apart. His final round 80 was a powerful lesson at the University Of Golf. Since then Rory has won four Majors. And he cites his Masters meltdown as the turning point. When your game collapses […]
Read More...Sports Psychology Blog
Welcome to the Sports Psychology blog. Here you will find insights on current sporting events, from the perspective of a sports psychologist.
The purpose of this blog, is to get inside the sporting drama…why the player or team do what they they do…their thinking…mindsets…attitudes…their fluctuating state of confidence…and all the other mental and emotional pieces that create the psychology of sports.
The most recent articles are at the top of the List Of Sports Psychology Blogs Index.
Cricket Psychology: Michael Clarke – The Secret World Of Champions!
It’s hours before the opening action of the World Cup Final. The famous Melbourne Cricket Ground is deserted. Apart from the groundstaff. And Australia captain Michael Clarke. The rest of his team-mates are still relaxing back at the hotel. Not Clarke. This match is too important. It’s the World Cup Final. And it’s also Clarke’s last one-day international. He is on the ground hours early for one reason only. To connect to the sense of occasion. Before the place gets too busy. The night before big Wimbledon finals, Martina Navratilova would gain access to the stands of the Centre Court. […]
Read More...Cricket Psychology: South Africa – Choking?
It’s Sky Sports cricket analysis show The Verdict. The team are de-constructing the World Cup semi-final. Bob Willis is firmly of the view that this isn’t another South Africa World Cup choke that has cost them this tight match. But that victory belongs to New Zealand boldness and daring. On the surface this is a reasonable analysis. But South Africa made a number of unfortunate contributions to this painful defeat. To be sure nothing on the scale of Allan Donald in 1999 or Shaun Pollock in 2003. But nevertheless it appeared that the shadow of history was upon their shoulder, […]
Read More...Football Psychology: Sunderland – Who Runs The Team?
It’s mid-way through the first half at the Stadium of Light. And Sunderland manager Gus Poyet is watching his team crumble without any sort of fight in a big relegation match. Aston Villa are running through Sunderland at will. You would expect him to be raging on the touchline. Demanding a response from his players. But no. His face is blank. As if he has no idea what is happening in front of him. And no idea of what to do about it. For this is a manager who is no longer in control of his team. When a team […]
Read More...Football Psychology: Ian Holloway – Re-Imagine!
Where now for Ian Holloway? It was only four seasons ago that he was leading Blackpool in their ‘we will score more than you’, populist Premier League campaign. Now sacked at relegation threatened Millwall. the Bristolian appears to have lost his mojo. Holloway is a man of strong emotions. Thus when things go well he can create a feeling of euphoria around his place of work. But in difficult times, his melancholy and darker moods can impact negatively on his teams. This is a man who needs to keep a keen eye on his emotional well-being. When he was sacked […]
Read More...Cricket Psychology: England – A Losing Mentality!
It’s England coach Peter Moores after the defeat to Bangladesh. ‘We thought 275 was chaseable. We will have to have a look at the data’. It’s a regrettable comment from the England coach. For it gives the impression of a man unable to make a critical judgement on events without data support. For he shouldn’t need data to tell him why England lost this match. He should know why in an instant. But when a losing mentality holds sway, insight can be in short supply. As winning can be a habit, so can losing. And this England cricket team appeared […]
Read More...Cricket Psychology: Peter Moores – Sleepwalking To Failure?
Another day, another World Cup defeat for England. This time it’s the Sri Lankan batsmen helping themselves to the generous offerings from England’s bowlers. This England team are approaching rock bottom. The captain Eoin Morgan doesn’t have a problem fronting up and telling it like it is. But one person notable by his absence from the front-line is coach Peter Moores. It is Moores who bears the ultimate responsibility for England’s critical under-performance. Peter Moores is clearly an effective coach. After all he was won county titles with two different counties. He is known for his planning and organisation skills. […]
Read More...Football Psychology: Jose Mourinho – Injustice!
It’s Sky Sports weekly football show Goals On Sunday. Former Blackburn and Southampton striker James Beattie is due to be the morning guest. But at the last minute he is bumped off. On the sofa is Jose Mourinho. It’s not the Mourinho way to open himself up for a cosy chat, whilst blandly discussing the relevant issues from the weekends action. And sure enough he has an agenda. Virtually the first half of the programme is given to Mourinho, so that he can vent about Martin Atkinson’s refereeing mistakes from the previous days draw with Burnley. Chris Kamara and co-host […]
Read More...Tennis Psychology: Andy Murray – Motivation!
It’s the Rotterdam Open and Andy Murray is playing Gilles Simon in the quarter finals. To maintain a mental focus, Murray reads from handwritten notes between games. Those notes were photographed by a Dutch sports journalist and published online. They make surprising reading. The notes are the sort of instructions you might remind a sixteen year old player to remember. For example the seond notation is ‘Try Your Best’. This is strange. Andy Murray always tries his best. It’s one of his most consistent qualities. Why does he need to remind himself of this? Notation three is ‘Be intense with […]
Read More...Cricket Psychology: England – No Plans!
England coach Peter Moores has promised to review England’s death bowling, after they conceded a massive 105 runs in the final ten overs of Australia’s innings in Melbourne last week. England bowled to plans in allowing the Aussies to build an unreachable total. And plans are very much a part of contemporary cricket strategizing. But the down-side of plans, is that it means that experienced cricketers simply follow pre-set orders. We have a plan. We follow it. There appears to be little room in the modern game for players to simply work things out for themselves. Smart experienced players don’t […]
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