Athletes perform their best under two distinct practice mindsets. The first is skill acquisition or skill mastery, in which athletes master sports skills. Here, coaches help athletes become competent with the technique or the “how to” of execution.
The second type of practice is specificity training, which integrates the mental skills, game strategy, teamwork, and skill mastery that produces peak performance. Practices should be: (1) Goal-driven, (2) focused, (3) varied, and (4) match the demands of competition.
Check out the Mental Game Coaching Professional course for more information on coaching the mental game.