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How Do You Perform Better Under Pressure?
Summary: Pressure isn’t the enemy, how you interpret it is. This article explains why your mind can freeze up under pressure and how reframing those nerves as your body getting ready to perform, rather than something to fear, can actually help your game.
Performing under pressure is a quality of great soccer players. Particularly as you move to a higher level in soccer, the ability to compete under pressure will become more and more important.
Here is a question a soccer player asked on our Soccer Psychology Survey:
“During every game and practice when I am performing under pressure my mind over thinks everything and I tend to mess up on the simplest things. When I am under pressure the feelings of nervousness mixed with my fear of messing up causes my head to not think clearly and I can’t focus on where to move or what to do on the field. How can I play better under pressure?”
Under pressure, soccer players’ intensity and physiological activation increases, which causes their heart rate, breathing and other physical signs to increase. This state can be very positive as it can help you focus better in crunch time. For many players though, it can cause them to tighten up, make bad passes, or miss goal-scoring opportunities.
One of your objectives when you feel the pressure to perform well is to interpret your anxiety and tension, such as pregame jitters as positive. Tell yourself that you are just pumped up and focused.
Welcome these pregame nerves as a natural part of soccer.
Focusing too much on the tension you feel from being under pressure only heightens anxiety, causes you to over think, and ultimately under perform. When you feel nervous, do not bring more attention to the knot in your stomach or a rapid heartbeat. Accept that your body is just getting ready to perform your best in competition.
The key is to handle your pregame nerves rather than allowing it to handle you!
Pressure can cause you to doubt or question your ability, if you let it.
Whether you think positively or negatively about being in high-pressure situations will determine if you will react well or poorly to it. Players who choke are afraid of the feelings that come with pressure, whereas athletes who are successful, embrace the feelings that come with pressure.
Pressure is only bad if you see it as harmful, but it can actually help you perform better if you use it to your advantage.
There are a few ways of to deal with pressure in soccer:
One way is to understand if pressure makes you perform better or worse…
Some soccer players prefer to use or channel the feeling of being under pressure into their performance, to gain energy, feel prepared, and help them reach greater heights – whereas others find that they perform much better if they can manage to disregard the pressure, and remain as relaxed and loose as possible.
For instance, if you perform better in pressure situations, then thinking about the game or practice in advance to build up some pre-competition nervousness may actually provide some additional fuel (in the way of nervous energy) for you to channel into the game!
Alternatively, some soccer players play much better when in a relaxed state. If you are one of these players, you want to distract yourself from thinking too much about the game in advance (e.g. by talking to friends, listening to music, reading a book etc). You can also use relaxation methods such as taking time to focus on your breathing and visualizing a positive performance before the game to help you to get into The Zone.
Figure out what works best for you and develop a pregame and prepractice routine that will help you better cope with the pressure you experience.
In part two of this article, we’ll focus on how to create a positive self-image of yourself as an athlete who thrives under pressure.
Download our free e-book, “7 Mental Game Challenges that Block Soccer Player’s Success”, and learn how to overcome other mental game barriers soccer players face.
FAQ:
Why do I overthink and freeze up when I feel pressure during a game?
Pressure increases physiological activation, like heart rate and breathing, and when combined with fear of messing up, it can cause your mind to overthink instead of focusing clearly on where to move or what to do on the field.
Is feeling pregame nerves and pressure actually a bad sign?
No. That physical activation can actually be positive and help you focus better in key moments. The problem isn’t the nerves themselves, it’s interpreting them negatively instead of as your body getting ready to perform.
What happens if I focus too much on the tension I feel under pressure?
Focusing too much on physical tension, like a knot in your stomach or a racing heart, tends to heighten anxiety, cause overthinking, and ultimately leads to underperformance.
How can I reinterpret pressure in a way that helps my game?
Tell yourself that the nervous energy means you’re pumped up and focused rather than something to fear. Welcoming pregame nerves as a natural part of competing helps you handle the pressure instead of letting it handle you.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- How to Overcome Pressure in Soccer
- Performing Under Pressure in Soccer [Part 2]
- How to Develop a Competitive Mindset
- Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on iTunes
- Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on Spotify
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