MESSAGE #1330 HOW TO PERFORM UNDER PRESSURE

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Golfer, Jack Nicklaus (above) once said…

When fear starts to hit me, my best chance of overcoming it lies in facing it squarely and examining it rationally. Here’s what I tell myself. ‘OK, what are you frightened of? You’ve obviously played well or you wouldn’t be here…Well, go ahead and enjoy yourself. Play each shot one at a time and meet the challenge.’

Pressure is created in your mind. It is your choice whether you look at a situation as pressure or as a challenge. Who doesn’t love a challenge?

The next time you are in a “pressure” situation, coach yourself like Jack Nicklaus and react rationally. If your thoughts are irrational, accept them, let them go and then go out and kick some butt.

MESSAGE #1329 HOW TO BE UNSTOPPABLE

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Manny Banuelos, New York Yankees, Spring Training 2011

Have you ever been nervous before a big game?

Have you ever tightened up at a crucial point in a game?

Have you ever doubted yourself?

Of course you have, you’re human.

One thing I have unearthed by talking to some of the greatest athletes in the world is that the world champions and the weekend warriors feel the same feelings. They think the same thoughts. So what sets them apart?

Their perception of the situation.

The actions that they take.

Yankee pitcher, Manny Banuelos just turned 20 years old on Sunday. And on Monday, he was slated to pitch on ESPN versus the Boston Red Sox. The biggest game of his life.

What did he do?

He pitched 2 and 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up 2 hits, 3 walks and striking out 2.

Pretty impressive for someone who was a teenager just two days before.

What’s more impressive is how Man-Ban reacted to the pressure.

His perception was excitement, not pressure.

Banuelos admits he gets nervous, but it doesn’t last long.

In the second inning, Banuelos got into a jam, having the bases loaded and only one out. He stepped it up and forced the next two hitters to ground out.

Then, on his last pitch, the pressure was on again with a 3-2 count. He threw a change-up to Kevin Youkllis and struck him out.

Wow.

The bottom line is that you can either let pressure hurt you or you can let it help you. It’s your choice how you react, and if you are able to do your best when it means the most.

It is then that you will be unstoppable.

Speaking of being unstoppable, I shared my new mental skills workbook, “How to be Unstoppable” with some of the Yankees players when I was down at Spring Training last week. You can pick up your own copy by clicking HERE.

MESSAGE #1321 SECRET FORMULA

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I recently sent this secret formula to a pitcher on the New York Yankees via Facebook message:

T + T + T + T + T = C

Today + Today + Today + Today + Today = Your Career

The best way to have a Hall of Fame career is to ACT like a Hall of Famer TODAY. Then do it again tomorrow. And the next day and the next day…

Focusing on the past and the future is weak.

Focusing on the present moment is powerful.

MESSAGE #1319 MORE ON FOCUS

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Try this exercise:

1. Find three red things in the room you are in.
2. Close your eyes and quickly think of something green in the room.

If you are like most people, it was difficult to think of something green. This is because you were focused on the red items in the room. How does this affect you?

You get what you focus on.

During peak performances, athletes focus on the right things: their target, strategy or game plan.

During poor performances, athletes focus on the wrong things: results, bad calls, bad conditions, spectators or the score.

Focus is important, but make sure you focus on the right things.

 

FOR A COPY OF MY NEW MENTAL SKILLS WORKBOOK, CLICK HERE: https://edtseng.com/purchase-game-set-life-the-book/mental-skills-workbook

MESSAGE #1317 FIFTY OUT OF SEVENTY-THREE

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Greg Maddux was one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.

Maddux once left a game with a 2-1 lead, in the seventh inning. The reliever gave up a run to tie the game, which ruined Maddux’ chances of getting the win; frustration for any pitcher. But when Maddux was asked after the game, “How did it go out there tonight?” his reply was, “Fifty out of seventy-three.”

What does this mean?

It means he threw fifty strikes out of seventy-three pitches.

Maddux knows the secret. The key to being a successful is to focus on your execution, not the results. If you stick with your plan and execute properly, your job is done. The beauty of this is, you will get better results. On the other hand, if you focus on things out of your control, like results, the media, or the approval of others, you will decrease your chances of getting the results you want.

What was Maddux’ mantra?

“One at a time.”

How can you argue with someone who won 355 games in his career?

*BONUS FACT*
Greg Maddux faced 20,421 batters in his career and only 310 of them saw a 3-0 count (approximately one in every three starts).

MESSAGE #1314 HERE’S TO YOU, BOB RYLAND

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Speaking with Bob Ryland at Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education in Philadelphia

As we close out Black History Month, my thoughts are with a good friend of mine, Bob Ryland, the first black professional tennis player.

If you’ve been following this blog, you know that Bob was Arthur Ashe’s hero. In fact, when Arthur Ashe was 14, he said, “I only want to be good enough to be able to beat Bob Ryland.”

Bob has taught tennis to the Williams sisters, Barbra Streisand, Bill Cosby and many others in his career. I recently had lunch in New York City with the living legend and every time is like the first time. What impresses me about Ryland is that even though he lived through segregation, he stays one of the most optimistic people I know.

You think it’s hard to play tournament tennis nowadays?

I remember when Bob told me about a time when he got accepted into a tournament in California because of his high ranking. But once he arrived, and the tournament director saw that he was black, Ryland was told to “Go get some lunch and come back.”

When he returned, the tournament director said that his opponent showed up and Ryland wasn’t here, so he was disqualified. Of course, this was intentional because of the color of his skin.

Ryland also frequently was pulled over by the police for no reason. There were blacks strung up on trees and also dragged down the street when he was a young boy. He lived through hell.

Bob Ryland could easily be bitter and angry at those situations, but he isn’t. According to him, “It is what it is.”

Much of life is not what happens to us, but how we react.

I am proud to say that Bob Ryland is a dear friend, hero and role model. Bob will be 91 years young this June 16th and you can be sure he will be around the Central Park Tennis Courts once the weather warms up.

Many people say, “Be like Mike.” Today, I say, “Be like Bob.”

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #1311 HOW TO WIN

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I have a feeling someone reading this wants to win more. Here’s how you do it…

Look at the letters of “WIN”…

What’s Important Now.

When you are competing, giving a presentation, or taking a test, focus on what is important. Focus on what will help you win. This is not the time to focus on the results. You can’t control results anyway.

So what’s important now?

Your effort, your attitude, and your reactions.

Give a full effort and trust your game.

That’s it.

MESSAGE #1310 FORGET IT

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Suppose you are playing a tennis match and the score is tied. Your opponent hits you a weak shot and you…hit the ball into the bottom of the net.

How do you react?

If you’re like most people, you will either, let out a sigh of frustration, say something like, “How can you miss that?!?” or perhaps even hit your racquet on the ground.

Do these reactions help you or hurt you?

They hurt you, of course. Plus, you will give your opponent increased confidence to “finish you off.”

Here’s a better response for next time:

1. Transfer the racquet into your opposite hand.
2. Immediately turn away from the net.
3. Walk confidently.
4. Take a long, deep breath.
5. Think about how you can make an adjustment next time.
6. Say an affirmation to yourself like, “That shot is in the past—I can’t control the past. Let it go and focus on this point.”
7. Move your feet like a boxer, and get ready for the next point.
8. Think about your strategy for the next point.
9. Trust your game.
10. Just play.

The greatest athletes in history have something in common, and that is, they are able to let go of past. You can too, it’s a choice.

Thanks for reading.

JUST RELEASED! How to be Unstoppable—A Mental Skills Workbook by Ed Tseng. If you are an athlete, coach, parent or just someone who wants to be more mentally tough at work or in life, pick one up today! In a few weeks, Ed will be introducing the workbook to some Yankee players down in Spring Training. Email for team discounts, otherwise order above under PRODUCTS.

MESSAGE #1309 NEVER USE THESE THREE WORDS

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If you want to become successful (which I know you do because you’re reading this blog), cut these three words out of your vocabulary.

CAN’T

NEVER

IMPOSSIBLE

You CAN’T win if you use the word CAN’T.

You will NEVER succeed if you use the word NEVER.

It will be IMPOSSIBLE to reach your goals if you use the word IMPOSSIBLE.

Homework: Today, use words and phrases that will motivate you, not words and phrases that will de-motivate you.

MESSAGE #1303 YANKEE TIPS FOR SPRING TRAINING

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Pitchers and catchers have already reported to spring training camp and position players report in a couple of days. Baseball is in the air again, and players are getting ready for their upcoming season. Some are  trying to get in shape and others are trying to make an impression.

At the professional level, everyone has the physical skills, but part of what sets the minor league players and the major league players apart, is the mental side.

I know some baseball players in the Yankees organization who will be trying to make an impression down in Tampa this spring. You know who you are, and if you’re reading this, here’s my advice to you:

1. Go all-out—Be the most energetic player on the field. If you hustle on and off the field, not only will the coaches notice, you will actually FEEL more energetic and your performance will increase.

2. Ignore that little voice inside your head—There will be times that your inner voice will speak negatively to you. That’s normal. But you don’t have to believe that voice. Accept it, let it go, and act like the most confident player on the field.

3. Just do it—The great philosopher, Yogi Berra said, “A full mind is an empty bat. You can’t think and hit at the same time.” Trust your game and all the hard work you’ve put in.

4. Visualize—The more you visualize how you want to perform, the more likely you will perform at a high level. Most athletes leave their performance to chance—something YOU don’t want to do.

5. Focus on the process—Don’t worry about results, you can’t control that. Worry, instead about the things you can control, like your effort, your attitude, your energy level and your reactions to situations. When you do this, you will get better results. Oh, and have fun!

That’s it. See you in Tampa on March 9th.