It wasn’t a gift from birth that helped him score 62 goals as a youth team player in a single season. It was Acton Park, or more precisely the thousands of hours he spent there with his two brothers practicing and playing football. The park in Acton is just a…
Category: Sport Psychology
Soccer Brain by Dan Abrahams | Chapter 1: The Roots of Creativity
An excerpt from: ‘The Wizard’ glared at his players. This was first practice, he knew what to say: “I'm not going to like you all the same. You won't like me or each other all the same either. Nor will I treat you all the same.” At first glance this…
Coaching Psychological Skills: Introduction and Sample Soccer Coaching Exercises
From the top-rated soccer coaching book: * The Role of Psychology in Football Once again you’re stood, frustrated, in the technical area as the ball nestles into the back of the net. Despairingly you gaze up to the sky before looking back to the pitch to see your opponents celebrating…
Coaching Psychological Skills in Soccer: Sample Football Exercises (Part 2)
From the top-rated soccer coaching book: * << page 1 Introducing the ‘5Cs’ of Soccer Psychology It should already be clear that there are a wide variety of behaviours and responses on show during training and matches, and not all of them are desirable. One of the main aims of…
Making Decisions Under Pressure and Fighting Overthinking: Business Psychology 101
An excerpt from the acclaimed bestseller: * Business Psychology As a professional, you are extremely skilled at what you do. We’d bet that you are able to perform your skills without thinking sometimes, like you are on autopilot. Consider driving for a moment. When you get in your car you…
Golf Putting Tips
Get Better at Putting... Fast! In this article, learn some top putting tips from golf guru Dan Abrahams, author of Golf Tough. Putting is a discipline of precision. It requires pinpoint accuracy. It requires pinpoint control. It’s not like driving the ball, or approach play, where there is margin for…
The Hidden Motor | Prologue
From the top cycling book: * There was a time when almost everyone was just dying to take apart Fabian “Spartacus” Cancellara’s bicycle. A conspiracy theory, in 2010, claimed that the vigorous Swiss had won both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix with the help of a motor hidden somewhere…
Golf Psychology: How to improve at golf, develop your skills, and shoot lower
By Dan Abrahams. Dan Abrahams is Lead Psychologist for England Golf, as well as a former touring professional golfer and PGA golf coach. He has delivered golf psychology wisdom to players globally at all levels – from amateur through to tour professional golfers, and he has previously been a lecturer…
The Role of the Cricket Captain
* Captaincy, like coaching, varies significantly depending on the team and the level the team plays at. Cricket differs greatly from many other sports when you look at the role of the captain. In soccer the captain is a formal leader on the pitch and a role model off it,…