Books

Mental Training for Peak Performance

Top Athletes Reveal the Mind Exercises They Use to Excel

The second edition of mental training is a series of interviews with top skiers, swimmers, runners, fencers, bikers, and tennis players as to how they approach their “A” game. Athletes talk about mental preparation, from imagery to visualization, to mental mapping for their compeititon. The book is written for weekend warriors, high school and college athletes, and just about anyone who wants to bump their game to the next level. A unique chapter discusses frustration, anger management, and channeling negative energy into a positive mind-set.

In this brand-new edition, updated with material on today's best athletes, a top sports psychologist reveals the mental strategies champions use to win in a variety of sports-from cycling and skiing to golf and tennis.

Mental Training for Peak Performance teaches you that sweat isn't enough. Before you can win on the track, court, links, or slopes, you have to win in your head. Revised and updated for the first time since 1996, famed sports psychologist Steven Ungerleider, PhD, looks at the mental aspect of sports performance today, revealing the mind exercises champion athletes use to outshine the competition.

The book provides detailed descriptions of mental techniques that work, explaining how to:

build confidence with affirmations and self-talk
clear your mind with breathing and meditation
maximize performance with mental snapshots
improve your game with guided imagery
use visual rehearsal to fine-tune your style
tap in to the power of dreams

With a new foreword by tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, who has trained Andre Agassi, the Williams sisters, and many other star players, this is an excellent resource and guide for athletes at every level who hope to gain a competitive edge through mental training.