EBOOKLET

WHEN IS SPORTS
PSYCHOLOGY USEFUL?

Copyright © 2003-2005 by Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D.

All rights reserved.
No part of this book my be reproduced in any
form without written permission from the publisher.

Published by Peak Performance Sports & Publications

7380 Sand Lake Road PMB 5012
Orlando, FL 32819
407-909-1700
http://www.peaksports.com
 When is Sports Psychology Useful?
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Forward
Dr. Patrick Cohn, like you, has been an athlete and a coach. He’s experienced firsthand how
beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors influence performance. That’s why he’s dedicated to helping
coaches, athletic trainers, parents of aspiring athletes, and every athlete—whether junior,
amateur, or seasoned professional—excel in his or her sport. Dr. Cohn’s passion for sports was
born early in life. It grew as he participated in sports such as football, hockey, baseball, lacrosse,
skiing, and golf.
Throughout high school and college, Dr. Cohn has experienced both the joy of winning
and the lessons from failure. After competing in sports for many years, Dr. Cohn went on to
study and research how mental attitudes shaped physical performance. He is a mentor to many
in the field of sports psychology and provides performance enhancement skills through mental
game coaching.
Today, Dr. Cohn is the president and founder of Peak Performance Sports in Orlando,
Florida. Experts in the field of sports psychology consider him the leading authority on mental
skills for entering the zone and pre-performance routines, largely based upon his extensive
research. He has consulted with high profile teams such as the Miami Dolphins, and tour
professional golfers such as Brian Watts and J. L. Lewis. He’s also worked with powerful
corporations such as IBM.
Dr. Cohn has been a sports commentator on the Golf Channel and has been featured in
trade publications such as Golf Magazine and Golf Digest. He has authored books such as Going
Low, The Mental Game of Golf, The Mental Art of Putting, and Peak Performance Golf. In
addition, he has written audio books such as Think to Win and Great Putting Right Now and has
produced videos such as Make Your Most Confident Stroke.

Contact Dr. Cohn at:

Peak Performance Sports
7380 Sand Lake Road, PBM 5012
Orlando, Florida 32819

Phone: 407-909-1700
Toll-free: 888-742-7225
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.peaksports.com

©2003 Peak Performance Sports ● www.peaksports.com ● 888-742-7225

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When is Sports Psychology Useful?

By Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D.

Introduction
Some athletes and coaches are confused about the field of sports psychology
and its role in improving athletic performance. Sports psychology is part of the
larger field of sport science and studies human behavior in the sport
environment; and the effects of sport on the participant; and the effects of
interventions on sports performance. The goal of applied sports psychology is
to help athletes perform their best by improving the necessary mental skills to
excel in a sporting endeavor.

Mental Game Coaching is the segment of sports psychology that concentrates

specifically on helping athletes break through the mental barriers that are
keeping them from performing up to their peak potential. By focusing on the
mental skills needed to be successful in any sporting competition, mental game
coaching seeks to achieve the overall goal of performance improvement.

I prefer to use the tile “mental game coach” because I think athletes can relate
to this title better than “sports psychologist,” as mental coaching is an another
facet of coaching athletes. I make it clear to my students that I am not trained
in traditional “psychopathology” or have a license to practice psychology. My
background is in education, physical education, sports, and sports psychology.
My experience comes from the sports world as a former athlete, instructor, and
for the last 15 years, as a mental game coach to athletes.

©2003 Peak Performance Sports ● www.peaksports.com ● 888-742-7225

 When is Sports Psychology Useful?
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Negative stigma is still attached to the area of psychology, because many

perceive that people in my field deal with abnormal individuals or problem
athletes. This is far from my role in helping athletes in my work as a mental
game coach. I work with normal people who are under additional pressures to
perform in their sport. Unlike psychotherapy, I don't use couches, prescribe
medicines, or work with abnormal behavior. My primary goal is to teach
athletes how to be more confident, focus better, stay composed under
pressure, practice more efficiently, and develop more effective pre-
performance routines. I become an extension of the athlete’s support team.
The main difference between a mental game coach and a psychotherapist is
that a mental game coaches work with athletes on sports performance
enhancement and not personal challenges (such as divorce, grief counseling)
or abnormal behavior.

Most athletes view the mental game and physical aspects of their sport
separately. There is a false belief that athletes must first master “perfect”
technique or knowledge about the sport before working on mental skills. My
philosophy is that you cannot separate the mental from the physical when it
comes to motor skills. Decisions, thoughts, images, and feelings drive motor
behavior. Sports psychology helps athletes develop confidence and focusing
skills in conjunction with the mastery of the technical aspects of the game.

How do you know when you need or could benefit from sports psychology?
Start by asking some key questions. Are you performing up to your ability? Do

©2003 Peak Performance Sports ● www.peaksports.com ● 888-742-7225

 When is Sports Psychology Useful?
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you perform as well in competition as you do in practice? I’m sure you know
some fellow athletes who have been labeled with “great talent” or physical
skills, but haven’t played up to their full potential. This is a primary sign that
one’s attitude may be getting the in way of performance.

©2003 Peak Performance Sports ● www.peaksports.com ● 888-742-7225

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When Mental Training is Indicated

There are several signs that indicated sports psychology or mental coaching
can help athletes. Below is a partial list of the common signals that a mental
breakdown is holding you back.

You perform much better in practice than during competition. Your

practice game is flawless, but in competition, your performance is below par.
You feel free and loose in practice and then are plagued with doubt or
indecision in the competitive arena. Something changes between practice and
competition, but you just can’t put your finger on what it is.

You have a tough time performing well when others are watching you.
When others who you care about, (such as parents, fans, coaches) are
watching you perform, you become too self-conscious of their presence, and
lose your focus on the task. Often you may even worry about letting others
down or failing in front of others, similar to stage fright. Most likely you are
afraid to embarrass yourself in front of others who are watching you perform
because of how it might reflect on you as an athlete or a person.

You maintain many doubts about your sport before or during games.
You perform with a lot of confidence in practice and gain confidence from
practice, but when you play your sport for real, you start to entertain doubts
about your ability to get the job done. I call this “game self-confidence” as
opposed to “practice self-confidence.” You start to think, “Can I really beat this

©2003 Peak Performance Sports ● www.peaksports.com ● 888-742-7225

 When is Sports Psychology Useful?
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person across the net?” “Do I have what it takes to strike out this batter?”
Doubts can be disguised subtly in the form of a simple question. When you
question your ability to perform, it is really doubt in disguise. In the absence of
confidence, you have doubt. When you have doubts, confidence suffers.

You feel anxious or scared when you perform in competition. You

perform free and loose in practice and do not have many worries, but in
games, you are paralyzed by fear and anxiety. Most of the time, athletes with
a fear of failure get tight and anxious in games because they want to win so
badly. Fear of failure causes you to try too hard and worry too much about
outcomes.

You are not sure why you play your sport or what motivates you. You
participate in your sport but are not sure why you do. Maybe you play sports to
please other people in your life or to make someone else happy. Maybe you
participate because your friends do or you think it is cool to play your sport.
You might not have any real goals that you want to accomplish or even know
what motivates you.

You attach your self-worth to your ability to perform. Some athletes are
driven to compete because of what comes with being a successful athlete:
fame, accolades, and respect. You have a desire to get your name in the
paper, get praise from others, or rewards from your parents. These motivators,
although help you feel better about yourself as a person, are not the best type.

©2003 Peak Performance Sports ● www.peaksports.com ● 888-742-7225

 When is Sports Psychology Useful?
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When you are doing well in sports, it’s easy for you to feel good about yourself
as you attach your self-worth to your ability to perform.

You lose focus or have mental lapses during critical times of the game.
When up to bat with the bases loaded, two outs and the game tied, you have
trouble thinking clearly because of the pressure to produce for your coach,
teammates, or fans. You forget the count or don’t pay attention to the sign
from the coach. You commit simple mental errors that you wouldn’t normally
do in other less threatening situations.

After an injury, you are physically 100% recovered, but you can’t
perform the way you did pre-injury. Many athletes who have sustained a
major sports injury have trouble regaining their confidence post-injury. Even
after the doctor gives you a clean bill of health, your mental scars have not
healed. You may be afraid of re-injury and this causes you to play tentatively.
Alternatively, you may have lost your confidence and wonder if you can return
to previous performance levels pre-injury.

You just want to improve your mental attitude or performance. You do

not have an identifiable “problem” or mental challenge in your sport, but you
want to improve your mental game and get better. You are curious about how
mental game coaching can help you improve and get to the next level. You
want to do everything you can to get the edge over your competition, including
the mental edge.

©2003 Peak Performance Sports ● www.peaksports.com ● 888-742-7225

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As stated previously, sports psychology sometimes get a bad wrap because the
association of psychology with pathology or abnormal behavior. For this
reason, most athletes resist working with a sports psychologist because of the
fear of others labeling them as a “head case.” Even today, professional athletes
I work with do not want the public to know they are working with a mental
game coach.

Most athletes, unfortunately, seek out my services because of a particular

performance barrier, slump, plateau, or decrease in performance. As a mental
game coach, I often become the last resort after athletes have tried several
other means to get beyond performance slumps. I wish this was not the case.
Most athletes wait until they get into a slump or something needs to be “fixed”
and they have exhausted all other resources before they commit to working on
their mental game. Very few athletes work with me because they want to
become more mentally tough (with no apparent mental block) and improve
performance. I find that coaches are more likely to bring in a mental coach to
give the team every chance of being successful from the start of the season or
pre-season.

©2003 Peak Performance Sports ● www.peaksports.com ● 888-742-7225

 When is Sports Psychology Useful?
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How Can Athletes Benefit From Mental Game Coaching?

Sports Psychology is about improving your attitude and mental game skills to
help you perform your best by identifying limiting beliefs and embracing a
healthier philosophy about your sport. Below is a list of the top ten ways that
you can benefit from sports psychology:

1. Improve focus and deal with distractions. Many athletes have the
ability to concentrate, but often their focus is displaced on the wrong areas
such as when a batter thinks “I need to get a hit” while in the batter’s box,
which is a result-oriented focus. Much of my instruction on focus deals with
helping athlete to stay focused on the present moment and let go of results.

2. Grow confidence in athletes who have doubts. Doubt is the opposite of

confidence. If you maintain many doubts prior to or during your performance,
this indicates low self-confidence or at least you are sabotaging what
confidence you had at the start of the competition. Confidence is what I call a
core mental game skill because of its importance and relationship to other
mental skills.

3. Develop coping skills to deal with setbacks and errors. Emotional

control is a prerequisite to getting into the zone. Athletes with very high and
strict expectations, have trouble dealing with minor errors that are a natural
part of sports. It’s important to address these expectations and also help

©2003 Peak Performance Sports ● www.peaksports.com ● 888-742-7225

 When is Sports Psychology Useful?
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athletes stay composed under pressure and when they commit errors or
become frustrated.

4. Find the right zone of intensity for your sport. I use intensity in a broad
sense to identify the level of arousal or mental activation that is necessary for
each person to perform his or her best. This will vary from person to person
and from sport to sport. Feeling “up” and positively charged is critical, but not
getting overly excited is also important. You have to tread a fine line between
being excited to complete, but not getting over-excited.

5. Help teams develop communication skills and cohesion. A major part

of sports psychology and mental training is helping teams improve cohesion
and communication. The more a team works as a unit, the better the results
for all involved.

6. To instill a healthy belief system and identify irrational thoughts.

One of the areas I pride myself on is helping athlete identify ineffective beliefs
and attitudes such as comfort zones and negative self-labels that hold them
back from performing well. These core unhealthy beliefs must be identified and
replaced with a new way of thinking. Unhealthy or irrational beliefs will keep
you stuck no matter how much you practice or hard you try.

7. Improve or balance motivation for optimal performance. It’s

important to look at your level of motivation and just why you are motivated to
play your sport. Some motivators are better in the long-term than others.

©2003 Peak Performance Sports ● www.peaksports.com ● 888-742-7225

 When is Sports Psychology Useful?
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Athletes who are extrinsically motivated often play for the wrong reasons, such
as the athlete who only participates in sports because of a parent. I work with
athlete to help them adopt a healthy level of motivation and be motivated for
the right reasons.

8. Develop confidence post-injury. Some athletes find themselves fully

prepared physically to get back into competition and practice, but mentally
some scars remain. Injury can hurt confidence, generate doubt during
competition, and cause a lack of focus. I help athletes mentally heal from
injuries and deal with the fear of re-injury.

9. To develop game-specific strategies and game plans. All great

coaches employ game plans, race strategies, and course management skills to
help athletes mentally prepare for competition. This is an area beyond
developing basic mental skills in which a mental coach helps athletes and
teams. This is very important in sports such as golf, racing, and many team
sports.

10. To identify and enter the “zone” more often. This incorporates
everything I do in the mental side of sports. The overall aim is to help athletes
enter the zone by developing foundational mental skills that can help athletes
enter the zone more frequently. It’s impossible to play in the zone everyday,
but you can set the conditions for it to happen more often.

©2003 Peak Performance Sports ● www.peaksports.com ● 888-742-7225

 When is Sports Psychology Useful?
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I will add that sport psychology may not be appropriate for every athlete. Not
every person who plays a sport wants to “improve performance.” Sport
psychology is probably not for recreation athletes who participate for the social
component of a sport or do not spend time working on technique or fitness to
improve performance. Young athletes whose parents want them to see a
sports psychologist are not good candidate either. It’s very important that the
athlete desires to improve his or her mental game without having the motive
to satisfy a parent. Similarly, an athlete who sees a mental game expert only
to satisfy a coach is not going to fully benefit from mental training.

Sports Psychology does apply to a wide variety of serious athletes. Most of my

students (junior, high school, college, and professional athletes) are highly
committed to excellence and seeing how far they can go in sports. They love
competition and testing themselves against the best in their sport. They
understand the importance of a positive attitude and mental toughness. These
athletes want every possible advantage they can get including the mental edge
over the competition.

How Does Mental Game Coaching Work?

The first step in mental coaching is to identify your mental game strengths
and weaknesses. I send all my students my AMAP or Athlete Mental Aptitude
Profile. This serves as a guideline and helps you think about the right
questions. When we first meet in person or talk over the phone, I ask you
more questions about your attitude and beliefs based on your AMAP so we
can develop a complete picture of your mental game.

©2003 Peak Performance Sports ● www.peaksports.com ● 888-742-7225

 When is Sports Psychology Useful?
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The next phase is to develop a mental game plan outline, which guides the
work we do together. The mental game plan outlines what we need to
improve and includes some basic mental game skills I teach all my students
such as how to focus on the process and identify self-limiting expectations.
Once the mental game plan is developed, we would begin our work on
mental skills that apply to your specific challenges. I try to present a mental
game program that is customized to your needs, but I do include a few
foundation skills for all of my students.

Here is an example of how I would work on with a Bowler:

1. Dr. Cohn’s Formula: Identify expectations and replace with

manageable objectives and high self-confidence.
• Identify self-liming expectations such as what you think is a good
score for a game and other outcome expectations (number of
strikes, spares, etc. you should get).
• Replace expectations with manageable objectives such as focusing
on one shot at a time and setting objectives around execution in
the present moment. Example: Committing to the plan for each
shot prior to execution.
• Confidence is not an expectation. Confidence is belief in your ability
without judgment of how you are doing (based on expectations).
Here we would discuss the differences between confidence,
expectations, and goals or objective.

©2003 Peak Performance Sports ● www.peaksports.com ● 888-742-7225

 When is Sports Psychology Useful?
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Once you grasp the basic concepts and skills, the application phase of
mental coaching starts. This is where I help you apply what you learned in
the sessions to your sport performance. We apply your mental skills to
practice, preshot or preperformance preparation, warm-up routines, and
post-performance assessments. I often go with you to your sport
environment and help you integrate mental skills into your regular practice
and performance routines.

Finally, the follow up phase of coaching helps you apply what you have
learned on a consistent basis. I have found that the best results come from a
long-term application of mental training as you need to apply the
information, day after day. The best option is to be followed over several
months. In fact, I structure my programs this way. I help my students stay
committed to good thinking and a positive attitude until good thinking
become second nature and the dominate habit.

Good luck and please contact me if you have any questions.

Contact Information:

For more information about sports psychology or mental coaching, email Dr.
Cohn at [email protected]. call 888-742-7225, or visit
http://www.peaksports.com. To read more mental game articles by Dr.
Cohn, visit www.peaksports.com and click on “Success Tips & Resources.”

©2003 Peak Performance Sports ● www.peaksports.com ● 888-742-7225

 When is Sports Psychology Useful?
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Peak Performance Sports offers a variety of mental game programs including

one-on-one programs in Orlando, virtual or phone coaching, teleclasses, and
mental game assessments. For more information, visit www.peaksports.com
and click on “Programs & Seminars.”

©2003 Peak Performance Sports ● www.peaksports.com ● 888-742-7225

 When is Sports Psychology Useful?
17

Other Publications by Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D.

From Peak Performance Sports
To order books & audios, visit www.peaksports.com or call 888-742-7225

Going Low: How to Break Your Individual Golf Scoring Barrier by Thinking Like a Pro
After shooting a great front nine, do you blow up on the back nine?
Drawing heavily from the experience of top tour pros career low rounds
and his work, Cohn provides specific mental tools that will guide you,
lesson by lesson, toward fulfilling your fantasy personal best round. You
will learn how to harness the power or momentum and play beyond your
comfort zone.
170 Pages ……………………………….. $14.95 US

Peak Performance Golf: How Good Golfers Become Great Ones

For serious students of the game who are struggling to improve their
overall performance, this unique guide teaches intermediate to better
golfers how to get the most out of their abilities, prepare their best for
competition, and lower their scores. Dr. Cohn teaches you how to
develop a plan for practice, reaching for your dreams, take care of your
body, eat healthy foods for golf, improve physical fitness, prepare your
mind for play, and improve practice habits. Contemporary Books.
221 Pages ……………………………….. $16.95 US

The Mental Game of Golf: A Guide to Peak Performance (Book)

Written by Dr. Patrick J. Cohn, noted consultant to Tour pros, The Mental
Game of Golf teaches golfers how to master their mental game and play
with greater confidence and composure. It also helps golfers learn how
to find the zone more often. It combines the author’s work, research,
and tips from Tour pros to illustrate the mental skills and routines
needed to play your best. Peak Performance Sports, 888-742-7225 or
www.peaksports.com.
169 pages ………………………………… $16.95 US

©2003 Peak Performance Sports ● www.peaksports.com ● 888-742-7225

 When is Sports Psychology Useful?
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The Mental Art of Putting: Using Your Mind to Putt Your Best (Book)
Written by Dr. Patrick J. Cohn and Robert Winters, M.A., it’s the first book
that helps players master the mental side of putting. Based on their work
and research with 20 of the greatest putters on Tour, this book helps you
be confident, focused, and fearless on the green. You are provided with
the keys to scoring better on the greens by developing powerful preshot
routines and warm-up routines. Peak Performance Sports, 888-742-7225
or www.peaksports.com.
139 Pages ………………………………… $16.95 US

Think To Win: How to Manage Your Mind on the Golf Course (Audio CD)
Read by author and mental game coach, Dr. Patrick J. Cohn, this two tape
audio program teaches golfers how to avoid self-sabotage and take their
practice game to the course. This unique instruction program gives
golfers field-tested practical strategies to help transfer their skills to the
course, practice better, find the zone, and play with confidence,
composure, and consistency. Peak Performance Sports, 888-742-7225 or
www.peaksports.com
1 Audio CD; 110 minutes ……………… $18.95 US

Great Putting—Right Now! Mental Keys to Confident Putting (Audio)

Narrated by authors Dr. Patrick J. Cohn and Robert Winters, MA., two
leading experts in putting psychology, this audio tape teaches you how
to create a great putting attitude right away, putt with more confidence
and a fearless attitude. Learn how to putt and think like a great putter
and use the power of choice to be more confident and focused. Perfect
for golfers who are streaky putters or players who struggle with putting!
Peak Performance Sports, 888-742-7225 or www.peaksports.com.
1 Audio Tape: 74 minutes ………………….. $12.00 US

©2003 Peak Performance Sports ● www.peaksports.com ● 888-742-7225

 When is Sports Psychology Useful?
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Make Your Most Confident Stroke: A Guide to a One-Putt Mindset (Video)

Dr. Patrick J. Cohn along with PGA Tour Player Grant Waite provide you
the secrets to being confident, focused, and free on the greens. They
show you how to develop a confident putting routine so you can focus on
the task and make more putts. Drills for developing touch to eliminate
three-putting are also included. Peak Performance Sports, 888-742-7225
or www.peaksports.com.
1 Video, 37 minutes…………………………. $19.95 US

Focus! Mental Strategies for Zone Concentration

Just recently released, this e-book approaches the concept of focus for
performance enhancement. Dr. Cohn shares with you the fundamental
principles of how focus plays a critical role to finding “the zone”. Perfect
for athletes and corporate professionals alike, this publication offers
strategies to refine concentration to conquer distractions, identifying the
cues that are relevant to successful execution, and overcome obsessive
tendencies that hinder focus. Peak Performance Sports.
1 E-book, 57 pages…………………………. $12.95 US

Confidence! Mental Strategies to Think Like a Champion

Do you doubt your skills before competition? Without confidence, you
have doubt, indecision and fear. Dr. Cohn helps you identify beliefs that
hurt confidence and how to get into a confident state of mind every time
you compete. Self-confidence is THE NUMBER ONE ASSET that separates
great athletes from mediocre ones. Dr. Cohn gives you 13 confidence
boosters to help you play your best in competition. Peak Performance
Sports.
1 E-book, 60 pages …............................... $12.95 US

To order books & audios, visit www.peaksports.com or call 888-742-7225

©2003 Peak Performance Sports ● www.peaksports.com ● 888-742-7225

 When is Sports Psychology Useful?
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