This episode shatters the myth that mental toughness is a male macho trait.  Three very talented ladies from different fields demonstrate that it is far more complex than this basic assumption that many people have.  Where Kate Mackay talks about embracing fear and Taz Bricknell and Natalie Hurdley share insights into the immense commitment levels that are required to thrive in professional rugby and powerlifting.  

Key Learning Points:

• Look to recognise and acknowledge your fears and push yourself to beat them.
• Check out a SWOT analysis to help you overcome any fears or challenging situations.
• Playing professional women’s rugby requires a huge amount of dedication and comes with lots of unfair criticism.
• A great deal of trust in your training and nutritional plans, alongside patience is vital to succeed is powerlifting where gains are very slow.

Connect with David Charlton

Accelerator Course: Achieving Your Goals Faster

Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn

To Listen to the Full Podcast Episodes

Podcast Ep038: Taz Bricknell -  Playing Professional Women’s Rugby

Podcast Ep046: Kate Mackay – Why Snowboarding is a Metaphor for Life

Podcast Ep048: Natalie Hurdley - How to Build Mental Toughness through Powerlifting

Today, leading Sport Psychologist Gio Valiante discusses how to overcome fear on the golf course, European Tour player Chris Paisley chats about how he gets the most from your talent when you are not at your best and well respected putting coach Andy Gorman tells us about the key fundamentals to putt successfully.

Key Learning Points:

• Consider why you do what you do or why you play your sport and if it is because you want to be competent or master certain tasks or whether you are ego-orientated
• Checkout this checklist for younger athletes to guide you – Children and Youth Motivation for Sport Quiz 
• Review you’re A, B and C games and how you react when things aren’t going according to plan.
• Understanding what works for you, keeping your putting routine and the way you practice putting simple and consistent is important.

Connect with David Charlton

Accelerator Course: Achieving Your Goals Faster

Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn

To Listen to the Full Podcast Episodes

Podcast Ep04: Chris Paisley - Life on the European Tour

Podcast Ep017: Gio Valiante – How to Play Fearless Golf

Podcast Ep45: Andy Gorman - Building Confidence in Your Putting

For More Resources so You Can Shoot Lower Scores on The Golf Course

Golf Psychology FAQs

Golf Blogs

Golf Podcasts

Mental Toughness is not just about getting your head down and gritting it out, it’s more complex than that.  Simply talking about the situations that we find ourselves in, our problems or challenges can help people in lots of different ways, even if you are mentally tough.

You’ll find in this episode, former professional footballers Peter Ramage,  Brendan Pearson and Julian Dowe vouch for this in this episode.  As the saying goes “a problem shared is a problem halved”.

Key Learning Points:

• We’ll share 5 reasons why talking is important
• You’ll be walked through how to “control the controllables”
• Professional sport is not a smooth ride, the right kind of support to help you emotionally and to help you look at relevant solutions is fundamental to your psychological well-being and for optimum performance. 

Connect with David Charlton

Accelerator Course: Achieving Your Goals Faster

Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn

To Listen to the Full Podcast Episodes

Podcast Ep03: Peter Ramage - Developing a Premier League Mindset

Podcast Ep09: Brendan Pearson – Academy Football Professional Football Injuries and Early Retirement

Podcast Ep24: Julian Dowe - Mental Toughness in Professional Football

This episode highlights some misconceptions placed on Mental Toughness where 3 leading authorities in the field; Doug Strycharczk, Professor Peter Clough MBE and Dr John Perry share insights into their applied work and academic research.

Key Learning Points:

• Mental Toughness isn’t always a positive trait
• Mental weakness does not exist
• Mental Toughness can be developed through experiences, psychological or coaching support

* Handouts to compliment this episode:

Understanding yourself better – The 4Ts.  Timing, Thoughts, Tension and Temperature

Understand your mental toughness tendencies

* Connect with David Charlton

Accelerator Course: Achieving Your Goals Faster

Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN

* To Listen to the Full Podcast Episodes

Podcast Ep01: Doug Strycharczyk – The Importance of Mental Toughness

Podcast Ep28: Prof Peter Clough – Why is Mental Toughness Important

Podcast Ep35: Dr John Perry – Thrive, Don’t Just Survive 2021

This episode is one that may interest, young footballers, football coaches, parents of talented footballers, and sports psychologists.  Where James Maurice, HCPC Chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist, and a member of the Sport Psychology team at Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club joins me to discuss typical challenges that young academy footballers have at different ages and how best to support them.  We also provide guidance to upskill coaches and parents to ensure that the youngsters' experience in football academies is a positive one.

Key Learning Points:

• As football academies support young footballers from 8 years old up to their early 20’s a variety of challenges occur, at different points in time.
• Some of the challenges a sport psychologist may support a player include; handling performance pressures, facing local rivals, selection or contractual issues, overcoming injuries, managing expectations of player, parent and coaches, physical challenges and many more.
• Fun, engaging sessions with children are the key to learning and reinforcing a positive perception of the field of sports psychology.
• Helping players experience difficulties and challenges creatively rather than simply talking is helpful.
• From the age of 16-18 years can be particularly difficult as decisions on their future are being made, they have exams pressures too and are getting to an age where they can be distracted and fail to make the necessary sacrifices. 
• Parents can use process goals as a way of supporting their children to develop their skills and to distract them from getting to caught up in the emotion of their child’s performances.

Connect with James Maurice

Twitter

Email: [email protected]

Connect with David Charlton

Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn

Podcasts to Help You

Podcast Ep01: Peter Ramage – Developing a Premier League Mindset

Podcast Ep08: Brendan Pearson – Academy Football, Professional Football, Injuries and Early Retirement

Podcast Ep27: Natalie Henderson - How to Develop Mental Toughness with Young Footballers

Podcast Ep41: Paul McGee - How to Develop Interpersonal Confidence

Podcast Ep43: Jamie Forrester – Thriving in Professional Football

Other Resources to Help You

Sports Psychology for Football or Soccer

Sports Psychology for Goalkeepers

Football and Soccer Psychology Blogs

Training in any sport can get repetitive at times, powerlifting isn’t any different.  At the elite level, you train squats, deadlifts, and other lifts till you can’t take them anymore.  The focus and commitment to the cause are immense.  Some days you may have mental blocks as other athletes do. 

In this episode, Team GB athlete Natalie Hurdley explains what her average week looks like, her dedication to the sport, her willpower around her diet, her love of personal training, and body confidence.

Key Learning Points:

• Her route into powerlifting and how she got in her own way. 
• How to control the controllables.
• Her day to day routines and training plans
• How weight cycles can contribute to mental health issues.
• The importance of rest and recovery.
• How to overcome the repetitive nature of powerlifting.
• Losing weight in a healthy way.

Connect with Natalie Hurdley

Linked In

Instagram

Online Fitness Academy Website

The Sports Business Club Website 

Connect with David Charlton

Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN

Podcasts to Help You

Podcast Ep02: Steve Judge – How to Deal with Adversity

Podcast EP15: Nick Grantham – Essential Elements of Rest and Recovery

Podcast EP22: Robbie Thompson - How To Feel More Confident

Blogs to Help You

Body Image In Sports

Bullying the Dark Side of Sport

Mental Health in Sport | Creating a Healthy Culture

On the golf course, putting is a part of the game that you must master to be able to shoot low scores and reach your golfing potential.  Confidence in your ability on the greens, especially under pressure is vital.  As there is no hiding place from short, nerve-jangling putts, many golfers have mental scars which they struggle to deal with and go on to putt tentatively or in fear.

Today, David talks through some great questions that you can ask yourself to be able to make some changes to your mindset.  He also shares some advice on how you can use your eyes when on the greens to help yourself.

Key Learning Points:

• The stories that you tell yourself about putting will determine how much you trust yourself and your skills in pressure situations.
• Ask yourself the following questions to help yourself get to grips with some of the barriers you put up yourself when putting.
• If the word “putting” is brought up in conversation what thoughts and emotions does it bring up?
• Do I enjoy the challenge of putting?
• Does my putter fill me with confidence?
• Do I love my putter?
• Do I trust myself on the putting green, no matter what situation is thrown at me?
• What do I say to myself on the greens when I’m relaxed and when I’m under pressure?

I challenge you to spend 14 days journaling your thoughts, emotions, mindset and importantly your results in relation to your putting.  Do so during and after practice sessions and rounds of golf to get to know you the “putter” better and overcome any mental blocks that you may have.

Try taking your time and experimenting on the practice green with the use of your eyes. 

Picking out spots just behind the hole if you are a tentative putter or leave the ball short often.

To improve your visualisation skills and trust in your putting stroke, you may also want to get creative and track the ball in the last third of the putt - forwards and back, in slow motion and fast-forwarding using the video recorder located in your mind. 

Connect with David Charlton

Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN

Podcasts to Help You

Podcast Ep13: Karl Morris – How to Stay Present like a Major Champion

Podcast Ep17: Dr Gio Valiante – How to Play Fearless Golf

Podcast Ep45: Andy Gorman: Building Confidence in Your Putting

Blogs to Help You

Putting with Confidence from Today

Play Your Best Golf More Often

3 Ways to Play Great Golf Under Pressure

Life, sport, or our careers are not straightforward.  There is no linear path that you can carve out as regularly we are faced with challenges and setbacks.  Mental Toughness is all about how we deal with these times, whether we choose to move on forward positively, simply survive or drown and potentially quit.  

Today, author Kate Mackay shares with me some fascinating insights into learning how to snowboard in her thirties as a new mum, the difficulties that cropped up along the way, and how she faced them head-on.   

Key Learning Points:

• On learning to snowboard Kate found it extremely challenging and often found herself frustrated and angry at herself.
• She also found glimmers of how much fun it could be.
• It was about mentally and physically learning a new skill, in an environment that she wasn’t used to and could change fast.  
• In snowboarding, you will fall over. If you don't want to fall over, then don't strap on a snowboard, that's all part of the learning process!
• In terms of the four C's of Mental Toughness, she felt she was in control of her life and was committed, but she was just surviving.   She wasn't thriving with her snowboarding, she was struggling with her confidence, her ability to accept the risks involved and struggling to learn.
• It's useful to have a coach, somebody who can look at things objectively, someone who gets away from the emotion and can remind you what you achieved a year ago or more recently that you often forget about.
• It is important to recognize your fears, acknowledging them but also listen to that devil on your shoulder, saying go on, do it.

Connect with Kate Mackay

Instagram

Facebook

Kate’s Mummysnowboarder blog

Book written by Kate Mackay

Take It All On Board

Connect with David Charlton

Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn

Podcasts to Help You

Podcast Ep02: Steve Judge – How to Deal with Adversity

Podcast Ep35: Dr John Perry – Thrive, don’t just Survive 2021 

Podcast Ep37: Penny Mallory – World Class Thinking, World Class Behaviour

Blogs to Help You

How to Learn from Last Year

Improving Sport Performance Using Gratitude

Five Ways to Get Out of a Slump

If you’re a golfer who wants to play your best golf more often.  You will have to have confidence in your putting stroke under pressure.  Many golfers will admit the sport isn’t a great deal of fun when you stand over putts with fear written all over your face, with your knees knocking and your mind and heart racing.  And when it feels like the hole has cling film placed over it, golf becomes a hugely frustrating sport!!

So in this episode, Andy Gorman a leading putting and short game coach shares with you his philosophy and approach to ensuring that you putt without fear and with confidence in your skillset.

Key Learning Points:

• Andy discusses his vetting process to ensure that players have the necessary motivation and commitment levels.
• Key elements of his putting programmes; start lines, eye line, speed control, alignment and much more.
• The importance factors when keeping pre-shot routines simple; having a line on the ball, start lines, their focus towards the target.
• Dominant senses and learning styles (visual, kinaesthetic or auditory).
• How to develop feel on the greens.
• Fear, the yips and the consequences of the return putt.
• Knowing yourself and the natural requirements of your body and shape is important.
• You can improve your putting and beat the yips if you put the time into it.

Connect with Andy Gorman

Instagram

Andy Gorman Golf Website

Andy Gorman on YouTube

Connect with David Charlton

Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN

Podcasts to Help You

Podcast Ep04: Chris Paisley – Life on the European Tour

Podcast Ep13: Karl Morris – How to Stay Present like a Major Champion

Podcast Ep17: Dr Gio Valiante – How to Play Fearless Golf

Blogs to Help You

Play Your Best Golf More Often

3 Ways to Play Great Golf Under Pressure

Do You Obsess Over The Perfect Golf Swing

Life throws at us different situations in social settings; dealing with difficult people, coping with criticism, and approaching people where we can choose to have an inferiority complex.  In sport, coach-athlete, parent-athlete, coach-parent-athlete relationships and the overall culture of clubs and organizations can have a big impact on athletes.  Playing team sports such as football, cricket, or rugby; different cultures, moving clubs, playing styles, new coaches, managers or teammates, egos and big personalities can also play a part in whether you as an athlete perform at your best, consistently.

So in this short episode, David touches on the last 3 episodes of Demystifying Mental Toughness with Paul McGee, Mark Bennett and Jamie Forrester and looks at how important interpersonal confidence is if you are to thrive in sport, your chosen field or in life in general.

Key Learning Points:

• You will build your awareness of where you're assertive, where you're aggressive, passive, or passive-aggressive.
• Assertiveness is not raising your voice or shouting.
• Assertiveness is about controlling your emotions and then responding in a confident, yet direct way.
• The passive person will be good at controlling their emotions, however, remaining quiet.
• Controlling your emotions, yet manipulate someone by lying to them, or avoiding responsibility is classed as passive-aggressive behaviour.
• As a young footballer or rugby player, it’s important to have confidence in yourself and take responsibility for what you say and do.
• If you’ve interpersonal confidence you’ll be able to take and receive criticism and compliments much better.

Connect with David Charlton

Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn

Other Podcasts to Help You

Podcast Ep41: Paul McGee - How to Develop Interpersonal Confidence

Podcast Ep42: Mark Bennett – Characteristics of High Performance Athletes

Podcast Ep43: Jamie Forrester – Thriving in Professional Football

Other Resources to Help You

Download INTERPERSONAL CONFIDENCE HANDOUT

Blog: 5 Reasons team captains should work with a Sports Psychologist

Blog Coaches - Are you and your team pulling together during tough times?

Blog: 3 Tips to deal with bullying in sport

Blog: Communicating with children in sport