Thaindian News

London, May 26 (IANS) Positive self-talk while playing a sport is likely to improve your performance, researchers say.

In fact, the study was born out of an on-field experience of one of the researchers.

Back on the high school soccer field, poised to take a crucial penalty kick, sports psychologist Antonis Hatzigeorgiadis recalls: “I was the captain and never missed those types of shots. Then I had that thought striking me that it was not going to be good.

“I knew I was going to miss,” he recalls, “and I did miss.” Even then, he could see that his mind had a big effect on his body.

From these unhappy experiences evolved Hatzigeorgiadis’ interest in the psychology of sport - the link between one’s thoughts and performance, reports the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science.

“We know this strategy works, and it works in sports,” says Hatzigeorgiadis. But what makes it work better, and in what situations?

To find out, Hatzigeorgiadis and his colleagues in sports sciences at the University of Thessaly, Greece, Nikos Zourbanos, Evangelos Galanis, and Yiannis Theodorakis conducted a meta-analysis of 32 sport psychological studies with a total of 62 measured effects, a statement from the varsity said.

As expected, the analysis revealed that self-talk (affirmation) improves sporting performance. But researchers teased out more - different self-talk cues work differently in different situations.

Self-talk focuses on positives. “I don’t run well in the cold”, is replaced by, “I have trained well and am prepared. Let’s do it.”

Some other findings are that affirmations have a greater effect on tasks involving fine skills. Nevertheless, both beginners and experienced athletes can benefit, especially when they practice the self-talk technique.

The main goals behind techniques similar to self-talk, like visualization to “rehearse” a performance or meditation to improve focus and relaxation, are two-fold, says Hatzigeorgiadis.

The objective is “to enhance your potential and to perform during competition in terms of your ability and not less,” he said.