Poor focus in competition: when attention leaves the action

• the athlete gets distracted by the stands or the judges
• misses instructions
• thinks about the result during the action
• does not notice simple situations in the game

• attention has not been trained
• the instruction is too broad
• strong anxiety or fatigue

1. choose one or two external points of focus
2. bring attention back with a short cue
3. practise with distractions in training

1. focus on the ball, the line or the rhythm
2. a cue to bring attention back
3. training with noise
4. a short reset after a mistake

Mark which statements match your situation. If two or more apply, it is worth discussing the topic with a specialist.

• I often lose the thread of the performance.
• Spectators or judges throw me off.
• I think about the result too early.
• After a mistake my attention does not come back.

If the challenge keeps recurring, lowers your results, or affects sleep, recovery or your desire to keep training, it is better not to wait for it to take hold. Sports Talk helps you start with an assessment and find a specialist for your situation.

A tennis player got distracted by the score and lost runs of points. The focus became the contact point on the return, with a short cue before every point.