Mental Preparation

This week’s Speedo Tip of the Week comes from Dr. Alan Goldberg, an expert in the field of applied sports psychology and the former sports psychology consultant for all of the teams at the University of Connecticut. Here, Goldberg offers some advice on preparing yourself mentally for your best swims.

Goldberg’s Tip:
Seven-time gold medalist Mark Spitz once said that “swimming fast in practice is 90% physical and 10% mental.” To become a champion you must first work like one in practice because there is no substitute for hard work. However, once you get to a meet, going fast according to Spitz is now “90% mental and 10% physical.” The difference between your best swims and worst swims lies between your ears and is directly related to what you concentrate on and how nervous you are both before and during your races. Many swimmers go faster in practice than they do in meets because they are far more relaxed in practice than they are when they race. If you concentrate on the right things when you swim, i.e. what you are doing in your lane, then you’ll tend to stay loose and go fast. However, if you concentrate on the wrong things, i.e. those around you or the time that you need to go, then you’ll get nervous and tight and swim slower.