For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. While this theory was designed around laws of motion it is also very applicable to mindsets in sports. A good play often precedes another good play just as a bad play will create another bad play. This momentum is due to mindsets and the perception of why things happen.

Casual attribution, simply, is the perception of why something happened. Was the result caused by your actions, the actions of someone around you or are you just plain unlucky are the questions casual attribution answer. It is important to know that in the heat of competition the correct answers to the previously listed questions are not nearly as important as the perception. The disgruntled coach may blame all of the team’s misfortunes on horrible officiating, a shallow superstar may take all responsibility for victory and the list goes on.

In most situations casual attribution takes on the form of ego protection. An athlete or coach can blame something else for a lack of success thereby still believing they could be victorious. One of the most famous examples in recent history was the saga of Steve Bartman. He reached for a foul ball, interfered with the player and prevented him from making the play. It would have been nice to get the out but if the ball flew two more feet to the left then it would have landed safely in the stands and the whole thing would have been a non-issue. The Chicago Cubs used this incident as a sign they were not supposed to win, even their fans against them. However, the reality of the situation was not quite as drastic and should not have decided that series or even the game.

When something happens in a game that is controversial or unfortunate the best course of action is to approach the situation keeping the ego away. Take an unbiased look at what happened and leave it there in the past. Too often, competitors take previous actions into the present and things only get worse. The goal, after all, is to do your best, not have the safest ego or best reason for not playing to your potential.

Think physics. Any volumn void of air is considered to be a vacuum. In those environments no noise is made, feathers and bricks fall at the same speed - you lose the variables air provides and things become more uniform. Now apply the vacuum to emotions.

As we know by now, emotions create behaviors. In life if you lose all emotions then there is no reason to do anything. There would be no anxiety, excitement or happiness so there would be no reason to behave in such a manner as to acquire those feelings. However, sports are different.

In sports, the behavior is already spelled out. Everyday at practice participants repeat fundamentals and manuevers. They seek mastery in preparation for competition. When the competition rolls around each participant knows what is expected of them and how to do it.   

In competition the only emotions that really matter are those created by the final outcome. Every emotion preceding the culmination is a reaction based on the current situation in comparison to expectations. The best illustration for this is basketball due to the length of the game and multiple rolls of each player.

The most exciting stretch of basketball is when a team goes on a run. For several minutes it appears one team cannot miss while the other team cannot buy a bucket. One team executes effortlessly while the downtrodden opponent exerts great energy for no results. This is a direct impact of emotions. How it begins is different in each situation but there is always a common point.

One team feels the other pulling away. This creates anxiety, stress and other negative emotions as the immediate results depart from the losing team’s expectations. Each player’s behavior based on negative emotions only exacerbates the situation and a run is born. The thing to point out is that there is no reason teams should go five, ten or even 15 possessions without scoring a point. Statistically it does not make sense for a team averaging 40% from the field to be held scoreless for a prolonged period of time. However, emotions override statistics.

The perfect team plays in an emotional vacuum. They would not be concerned with what the other team does. If a team hit three shots in a row from beyond the arc then the perfect team would realize that the numbers will converge back to the averages and their opponents are due for a couple of misses. On the flip side, if the perfect team missed a couple shots then they would expect, again, the numbers to converge to the averages and they would be due for a couple of makes. The operating principle of the perfect team is confidence in their gameplan and teammates, immediate observed results do not change what they need to do so they will continue with what they prepared.

The human body is very adept at protecting itself from physical harm. That bump on your head will automatically swell up to promote healing. In order to be successful in team sports you have to untrain the flinch when a ball flies at you. Through years of evolution these reactions have been planted into our central nervous system to protect our well being so we can continue our species. However, the mind is far more fickle.

If you have ever had food poisoning you know how thoroughly the body will purge the toxins in an effort to protect itself. Yet the mind seems to work in the exact opposite manner. Ask an athlete to recall an error or instance of choking and they will produce a recollection with amazing clarity. On the other hand, an instance of triumph seems to be a giant blur. There are several theories as to why the mind does this but the important thing to know is you can break the cycle.

Everyday we support habits that largely go unnoticed. From signing your name to putting on your right shoe first we engrain common tasks to the point where they are completely on autopilot. Just for fun try putting on your left shoe first or step into your pants with the opposite leg you normally do. It feels weird. That is the way the mind works. Neurons that fire together wire together. When you depart from that path you are in uncharted territory. It feels weird because it is unknown and the next step needs to be thought through, it’s no longer automatic.

You can apply this from tasks to your overall manner of thinking as well. Most people find it very easy to recall embarrassing moments. This is because most people have not taken the time to train their mind. They just cruise through on autopilot and moments that created the greatest negative emotional reactions plant themselves firmly in the memory. Fortunately, it does not have to be like that.

First, you need to be aware of the thoughts swirling through your head. Just like being aware of which shoe you put on first you need to know exactly what you are thinking. Then you need to identify the thoughts. Are the thoughts in your head helping you? From there you can begin to make changes.

Every Sunday on the PGA Tour you see athletes succumb to their own thoughts. A player will begin the round a few shots back and by the end of the day they have played themselves completely out of contention. They allow their thoughts to run on autopilot and paid the price.  Instead, use your mind to your advantage. Be aware of your thoughts and the resulting actions so you can develop positive thinking habits that will eventually run on autopilot.

The game is on the line and the coach calls for a flea-flicker. It’s the bottom of the ninth and they signal for a hit and run to get the winning run into scoring position. Or, there’s a par 5 and your going for the green in two. Constantly, situations in sports present themselves in which a little risk will carry a big reward.

As it happens, you or your team takes the risk to gain an advantage. Departing from normal behavior immediately increases anxiety levels and stress but something must be done to turn the odds in your favor. Obviously, whatever task or series of maneuvers you attempt is possible to some degree. It all comes down to the flawless execution.

Execution of this risk comes down to the belief that what you are about to do will yield positive results. This belief is called self or collective efficacy depending on whether it is in the context of a team or individual sport. You build efficacy through one of three avenues: individual, vicarious, and collective.

In an individual sport, such as golf, you believe you can make the shot because you have either made the shot before or someone with an equal skill set has made the shot. The best situation is if you have already done something similar and it turned out positive. Therefore, you know you can do it because you have done it before. Now, if you have never attempted it before then you can rely on other people’s experiences to guide you. Lets say you have a teammate or friend with the same handicap (again, in the context of golf) and they just hit the shot. You know that their skill set is very similar to yours and if they can do it so can you. This is vicarious efficacy and should give you enough confidence to attempt the task and then you will have your own data to verify your belief.

For a team, individual and vicarious efficacies remain true but collective efficacy also comes into play. If you have never attempted a flea-flicker in a game but the people around did it last season then you rely on their confidence to increase your belief of success. Individuals in a team setting feed off of the confidence around them through verbal and non-verbal cues that are highly subconscious but very effective.

Knowing that efficacy is the greatest determinant in behavior gives the player and coach a foundation for their training. Achieving desired results stems from a practice plan built around increasing the individual efficacy through mastery as well as using more skilled players as examples to create vicarious efficacy. More important than building up physical conditioning or memorizing tactics is building up efficacy in each player so they believe they can accomplish their task in any situation.  

As the Masters Tournament approaches the weekend each shot counts more and more. Add that pressure to the numerous water hazards and the opportunity to throw up large numbers becomes the norm rather than the exception. No player is immune to this anxiety but how they handle it decides the victor.

Even seasoned professionals wear their mental state on their sleave so to speak. Often times lost with their snazzy outfits and space age equipment is their posture. The two biggest tells can be found in their head position and their shoulder height.

When faced with anxiety and stress the body automatically resorts to preprogrammed fight or flight responses. Due to social practices in golf, running away or fighting is not appropriate so other channels for release must be found. Socially acceptable channels most often revolve around tensing up and releasing the emotional stress throughout the body.

As your favorite players make their way around the final 36 holes pay special attention first to their chin. As the body tenses due to stress it is a natural reaction to conceal the jugular by lowering the chin. This response effects the spine angle and results in players blocking the ball sending it to the right for right-handed players. The second area of focus is the shoulders. Again, as the body tenses their is a natural reaction to flex the trapezoidal muscles and raise the shoulders. This keeps the arms from moving freely and allows the body to move faster than the hands sending the ball to the left for right-handed players.

So as you watch golf’s greatest, look for how they hold their pressure. And when you hit the links be aware of the tension in your body. If you relax and have fun then you will play better and have more fun.