Mental Training for Peak Performance: Top Athletes Reveal the Mind Exercises They Use to Excel

Description

In this brand-new edition, updated with material on today's best athletes, a top sports psychologist reveals the mental strategies champions use to win in a variety of sports-from cycling and skiing to golf and tennis Mental Training for Peak Performance teaches you that sweat isn't enough. Before you can win on the track, court, links, or slopes, you have to win in your head. Revised and updated for the first time since 1996, famed sports psychologist Steven Ungerleider, PhD, looks at the mental aspect of sports performance today, revealing the mind exercises champion athletes use to outshine the competition. The book provides detailed descriptions of mental techniques that work, explaining how to- o build confidence with affirmations and self-talk o clear your mind with breathing and meditation o maximize performance with mental snapshots o improve your game with guided imagery o use visual rehearsal to fine-tune your style o tap in to the power of dreams With a new foreword by tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, who has trained Andre Agassi, the Williams sisters, and many other star players, this is an excellent resource and guide for athletes at every level who hope to gain a competitive edge through mental training.

STEVEN UNGERLEIDER, PhD, is a leading sports psychologist and has served as a consultant to the U.S. Olympic Committee and several college and pro sports organizations. His most recent book, Faust's Gold: Inside the East German Doping Machine, was honored in 2001 as a top "sports book of the year" by Runner's World. He currently resides in Eugene, Oregon.

"To play well, you have to learn to channel the emotions, both the highs and the very lows." -Pete Sampras, number-one ranked tennis player in 1994 "If you haven't done your mental homework in training, you don't have anything to fall back on when you face." -Margaret Groos, 1988 Olympic marathoner "If you can expect the unexpected, you can emotionally lick anyone." -Benji Durden, 1980- Olympic Marathon Team "Mental Training for Peak Performance recounts the personal experiences of athletes who have used mental training to achieve their great successes. It really works!" -Bob Mathias, executive director of the National Fitness Foundation, Fresno, California "A must-read for any athlete who wants to maximize the possibilities of performance." -Donna Lopriano, president of the Women's Sport Foundation, East Meadow, New York