07/06/2026
🗣️ Do You Speak To Yourself Positively?
Most athletes understand the importance of physical training but completely ignore their self-talk. After a missed shot, turnover, or mistake, many immediately jump to criticism instead of solutions. The reality is that you’re having conversations with yourself throughout every game and training session, so learning to replace judgement with instruction can have a huge impact on your confidence and performance.
One of the easiest ways to improve self-talk is by using simple cues like “next play”, “stay composed”, or “follow through”. Good self-talk directs your attention towards what you can do next instead of what already happened. The goal isn’t to pretend mistakes don’t matter; it’s to stop them from affecting the next possession.
It’s also worth understanding the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic confidence. Intrinsic cues come from your own preparation and experiences: “I’ve practised this shot 1,000 times” or “I’ve made this play before.” Extrinsic cues come from external validation such as coaches, teammates, or praise from others. Both can help, but intrinsic confidence is usually more powerful because it’s built on evidence you control, not opinions that can change.
