Getting
the Edge Over Your Opponent Even
if They are More Physically Gifted than You
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How do you gain the edge over the competition?
One way is to improve your mental approach to the game.
The great players all have one thing in common: they believe in themselves. They know they will come out on top.
Some of you may remember when Magic Johnson was an NBA rookie, and the Lakers were playing the Celtics in the finals.
Kareem (who played center and was the team captain) hurt his ankle, and Magic had to jump center the next game, and lead the offense as the point guard.
Lead them he did. He scored 42 points and helped them win the championship. That's what great players do.
Attitude and confidence help separate good players from average players, great players from good players, and the legends from everyone else.
So how do you improve your mental approach to the game? How do you gain the mental edge over your opponent? There are several ways.
First, walk onto the floor believing in yourself. No matter what your background is, no matter how many games your team has won or lost, each game is a new battle. You start with a clean slate. If you go into a game scared or intimidated, guess what's going to happen? The other guy (and team) is going to walk all over you. By going into a game scared, you're already half defeated. You're already half done.
I don't mean to approach a game with false confidence or bravado. Rather, walk onto the floor knowing that you are going to outwork, and outsmart your opponent. Walk onto the floor knowing that your are going to compete on every play. Walk onto the floor knowing that you are going to play at your best, regardless of what your opponent is going to do.
Be confident in yourself, and let the game happen. Don't force shots. Don't try to do things you normally wouldn't do. Play your game. Play it hard. And go after it. Take it to your opponent. Capitalize on their laziness and mistakes. Play with poise and confidence, with aggressiveness and passion, and make it a battle. Take the floor believing in yourself and your game, and you're halfway there.
Next, work on your ability to focus for the entire game. If I told you there were 10 seconds left in the game, don't you think you could focus and play hard for 10 seconds? Of course you could. You'd be totally into the game, playing hard the whole time, completely zoned in.
But when it comes to a full game, it's a lot tougher to focus and play hard the whole time. You get tired, your mind wanders, you hustle on some plays, and not others. You might forget who you are guarding, miss block outs, or force shots because you are tired.
So, you have to make a conscious effort to develop and build your ability to focus for an entire game. Keep the mental edge. Force yourself to play through stress, nerves, and tiredness.
Keeping focused and at the top of your game will separate you from other players who let their games drop when the going gets tough. By making the effort to re-focus yourself often throughout a practice or game, you'll be way ahead of your opponents.
Here's what you do: every time there is a stoppage in play (a time out, free throw, etc.), re-focus yourself. You'll have to fill in the words you'll like to use, but here's an example of what you can say to yourself to re-focus and keep your game clicking: "OK, let's pick it up here. Keep the pressure up. Box out every time. Keep pushing. Get back on D. Let's take this to another level."
Reminding yourself to keep playing at a high level and to keep putting pressure on the other team will go a long way to helping you stay focused, and on target during games. Try it. It works.