Self-Talk and Pressure

Definition

Self-talk is the inner verbal commentary an athlete uses during play. Instructional and motivational self-talk both improve performance when trained.

Why it matters

Negative self-talk reliably degrades free-throw percentage and shot selection. Trained self-talk is one of the cheapest performance interventions available.

Examples

• Cue word: 'smooth' before every shot.
• Re-frame: 'next play' after a turnover.

Practical application

• Teach a single cue word per skill.
• Track self-talk in journal entries for a week.

Common mistakes

• Long internal monologues — they pull attention from perception.