Verbal cues

A verbal cue is a compact command to yourself: "pull", "breathe", "soft", "now". An effective cue is short (1-2 words), positively phrased and points at the process rather than at a prohibition. It is a key tool for regulating attention under stress.

A sprinter repeats "drive, drive" over the first metres, an archer whispers "steady" before the release, a boxer holds "hands up" in the clinch. Words like these save reaction time and stop attention drifting into anxious thoughts. That matters most when it is hard to get yourself together at competitions in front of a crowd.

To work out where your attention slips and which words you need, take the concentration and pre-competition state questionnaires in the tests section. The assessment highlights your typical interfering thoughts. Your working cue words are what you set against them.

Write down 3 cues for the most vulnerable moments of your performance and tie each word to a specific movement in training. Say them out loud, then to yourself, until they are automatic. Techniques for choosing and embedding cue words are in the exercises section.

Verbal cues are a form of cueing and are close to trigger words, though they usually target technique rather than emotion. They help with fear of making mistakes by keeping focus on the action. Our specialists can help you find the right wording.