Serious question: How do you improve in the clutch?

[IndyColtScout]

Please don't just say prep and practice. Sometimes no matter how much you prepare, you can be put into a new/unforseen situation.

Sometimes, I do well in the cluth and sometimes I don't.

I want to hear what some of you have done in sports situations to help you succeed in high pressure situations.

Any tips for me?

How do you shake yourself and get that pressure/anxiety of failure out of your head?

[Somse]

It depends on what is causing you to fail in the clutch...

[IndyColtScout]

I would say its a mixture of emotions in my stomach, and anxiety in my head from the fear that I will not perform.

[Somse]

Originally Posted by IndyColtScout

I would say its a mixture of emotions in my stomach, and anxiety in my head from the fear that I will not perform.

So, first what you don't want to hear:

Preparation, practice, experience, etc. With proper preparation, even if you are nervous, you will be able to perform because it will be second nature, like breathing.

The other part is mental. You need to adopt a mindset like this:



Don't be afraid of failure. Don't think "what if I miss this shot". Change your mindset to "I'm going to take this shot". Don't worry about the result. Either you miss and learn from it/improve or you hit it and win.

Once you realize that you aren't perfect and failure is acceptable you should not feel as nervous and become more clutch. At least, that's what worked for me.

[CashmoneyDrew]

I know a lot of it can come down to ego/wanting to do well. I know every time I play basketball, and my team is in a position to win, I always want the ball so I can either take the shot or make a play that helps one of my teammates make the shot. That might not be what you want to hear, I just know that's how I approach pressure situations in sports.

[wicket]

being a clutch performer is all about believe, confidence and motivation. people often try and relativate the situation but that often results in lacklusterness. Realise it is a situation where you have something to win and nothing to lose(and make you believe that it is so even when it isnt)

[JeffSamardzijaIRISH]

IMO, people are born with this ability. It's a killer instinct that allows someone to put away opponents in the clutch.

[TACKLE]

Shouldn't this be in the 'Relationship Advice Thread'.

[RaiderNation]

Im actually pretty clutch when it comes to basketball. Ive hit(from what I can remember) 4 game winning shots.

For me, dont think about it. Act like its not the game winning shot, throw, run ect...

[Thumper]

I have never had a problem with pressure. You can't think about it, you have to go through the motions just like you would if you were in a normal situation. Block it out. Don't think about not making it, don't think about the negatives just go out there and get it done.

[Rob S]

Being in clutch situations is the main way to get better in the cutch. Look at LeBron.....he was so bad just a few years ago, now he is up there with Kobe (altho not at the same level). You have to do it, gain some confidence and you will start doing it more regularly. If you think you can make the play and have made it before.....there is a better likelihood of actually making said play.

[IndyColtScout]

I have an obsessive type of personality, and think about things too much. I think that is one of if not the main problem.

I know this might sound kind of out there (or maybe from the movie Office Space), but do you think its possible to reduce stress/anxiety in high pressure situations through hypnosis?

[Shahin]

don't think about it.

that's really the best and worst piece of advice i can give. best because that's what you really need to do to be able to perform under situations like that, and worst because i really didn't give you any methods of how to clear your mind completely like that. i'll work on it.

my bad.

[CJSchneider]

I've never had a problem in pressure situations. If anything I turn the scenario around
- this person in front of me -
they have to make this, catch me, block me, tackle me, throw it passed me, hit the ball, whatever...
in order to win.

[bearfan]

I play singles in tennis, so there is the entire match where you are by yourself. Just do what you do best, thats my advice. I dont know what sport you are talking about, but if you're not so good at one thing, then dont rely on it when you need to pull up big. That and play smart, stay calm.

[MichaelJordanEberle (sabf)]

Sometimes, you're just born with it or without it.

Like even before MJ was really good, and he had James Worthy on his team, Dean Smith let a freshman Michael Jordan take the national championship deciding shot, and he made it. Other guys simply never gain clutchness, and choke their whole lives.

[AJHawk50]

I too have had issues with clutch time, playing baseball in left field. Having a line drive fly straight out to me in a critical part of the game...as games went on for me I slowly got more comfortable and even was able to make a diving catch that boosted the morale of the team, play of the season.

[IndyColtScout]

Originally Posted by bearfan

I play singles in tennis, so there is the entire match where you are by yourself. Just do what you do best, thats my advice. I dont know what sport you are talking about, but if you're not so good at one thing, then dont rely on it when you need to pull up big. That and play smart, stay calm.

Baseball, Golf, Bowling

[IndyColtScout]

Originally Posted by AJHawk50

I too have had issues with clutch time, playing baseball in left field. Having a line drive fly straight out to me in a critical part of the game...as games went on for me I slowly got more comfortable and even was able to make a diving catch that boosted the morale of the team, play of the season.

It's so frustrating with baseball sometimes. You play a better team, you beat them all game long comfortably, then the last few innings the most basic things become hard. Making throws from 3rd to 1st, fielding a tough ground ball, even when talking about other sports like golf it becomes harder to sink an easy put or with bowling becomes harder to strike or pickup a routine spare. It's really frustrating.

[Job]

Something I learnt from hockey experience in important games is : don't try to do too much, and don't go against your style. When I played hockey, whenever I felt I needed to impress or was in an important situation, I started giving more of an "all-out" effort, meaning I started skating as fast as I could, trying to give as many body checks as I could and what not. (I was usually more of a dangler/playmaker) Result : I couldn't see as well what was happening around and was losing awareness, missing chances I normally wouldn't miss. The day I understood that, everything went better in clutch situations.

[Malaka]

It just comes to me honestly I don't think about it.

In football I make clutch catches, plays etc., but in other sports like baseball not so much. That to me makes me think it has to come naturally, and you just can't think about it.

In football, I once made a game winning like 20 yard catch for a TD, and I also once had an INT in the endzone on the last possession of the game, and I also batted a ball down in with 2 minutes left on a 4th down. In football these things come very naturally to me. I don't think, it is all instinct and it just happens, when I made that INT, I just so the ball jumped, when I opened my eyes I was on the ground with it cradled in my arms, same with the batted ball.

However in baseball, I don't want to brag but, I was the best player on the team, but I was so unclutch it wasn't even funny. I had the most HRs, most steals, etc. but in crunch time, I remember this one game i had a runner on first and 3rd 2 outs down 1 run, and I strike out. Another time, I was playing shortstop and me and the 2nd baseman miscommunicated and ended up giving up an infield pop up as a hit and that started a rally against my team. I remember trying to steal 2nd and being thrown out, when we were down 2 in the bottom of the 9th, I remember pulling a Bill Buckner in the outfield, giving up 2 runs to the opposing team. In my 4 years of baseball, I was really not clutch although I was a good player, and I won't ******** you there.

Basketball, I was always the defensive player of the year, I never was a high scorer, every team I ever played for I always ended up winning the defensive award. But when it was my time to shoot in Basketball I didn't think I just did it, and I have had some clutch shots in basketball, I remember a game tying buzzer beater, and also a game winner with 15 seconds left.

The reason I am telling you my whole sports life story, is that, when you think too much thats when you don't do well. Baseball was my favorite sport, so I wanted to be the best, which caused me to think to much and that made fold under pressure. In football it was all instinct, and basketball I just didn't even think about it. If you can let go of your fears, you can be a clutch performer.

[Sniper]

The biggest thing is not putting extra pressure on yourself by constantly thinking "Oh ****, there's two (or whatever) minutes left," or "Oh ****, we're in OT and how sweet would it be to score the winner?". Treat it like any other time. Don't think about it. I've had my share of successes and failures in the clutch. Most of the time that I failed was when I thought about it. Just play.

[PACKmanN]

Originally Posted by IndyColtScout

Please don't just say prep and practice. Sometimes no matter how much you prepare, you can be put into a new/unforseen situation.

Sometimes, I do well in the cluth and sometimes I don't.

I want to hear what some of you have done in sports situations to help you succeed in high pressure situations.

Any tips for me?

How do you shake yourself and get that pressure/anxiety of failure out of your head?

knowing that my opponent feels the same so if I don't "wake up" I will cost my team a game.

[princefielder28]

I believe it's all about believing you can get the job done

sometimes you fail but continue to believe

[Mr. Hero]

rub one out in the clubhouse.