Basketball
6 mental training tips for basketball
Basketball players who put in the time to develop mental and physical skills gain an edge over their competition.
For Jaylen Brown, an all-star forward for the Boston Celtics, the mental aspect of basketball has been one of the hardest components to master.
“I already had skill, and over time, I’ve refined it. But what grew the most for me was my mentality and my mindset, the growth in my maturity, which allowed me to continue to get better in my career every single year,” he said.
Jaylen Brown, 25, was photographed for The Red Bulletin on Dec. 14, 2021.
© Stephanie Chang
As Brown knows, being mentally strong means staying calm and overcoming adversity when it happens during a game or even practice. It requires an understanding that the mind and body are intertwined, meaning both need to be exercised.
In case you need some help with mental training, these 6 tips will help you stay calm so you can perform at your very best. Use them in tandem with your regular basketball workout and you will see the difference.
01
Keep Your Emotions In Check
Learning to control emotions should be a part of every basketball player’s mental training regimen. Emotions such as joy or feelings of determination may temporarily boost performance—but negative emotions like fear, self-doubt, overthinking and anxiety can lead to a downward spiral and actually impact the way you play.
Jaylen Brown
© Jon Lopez / Red Bull Content Pool
Strategies to redirect your thoughts
In order to overcome these negative emotions in basketball you have to retrain your mind. The first step is identifying and stopping the thought, then challenging it and replacing it. Going through this cycle of mindfulness takes practice, so don’t expect results immediately.
Mindfulness is one of the most powerful mental skills you can practice to help control your emotions. Aim to be present when you practice and during games. See if you can feel your body’s signals—your heartbeat, your pulse in your hands, or your breath as it enters your nostrils or expands your chest are all good anchors—as they come. Focus on that signal and use it to create space between your initial emotion and your reaction. Over time, you’ll learn to stop negative emotions before they ever have a chance to affect your performance. Working out mindfully can even help you get better results in the gym.
02
Be a Good Leader to Your Teammates
Training your mind is a great way to demonstrate leadership, and no matter where you are, you can start right now. Simply treat inner skills like mental toughness and grit the same way you treat dribbling and shooting free throws. They are skills to be developed.
As a player and person, Brown says the past two years have transformed him.
© Getty Images
Traits of a good team leader
While good leaders are extremely competitive, they approach sport with positivity and motivation. Believe it or not, smiling is a great trait. Good leaders also visualize an end result and set goals to get there. Talk to your teammates about the vision you’re creating for your basketball team. When you’re on your own, journaling or even just self-reflection after practice can help you hone in on areas you need to work on.
03
Keep a Short Memory
In any basketball game, a play might not go your way or the referee might make a bad call. Has a coach ever told you to have “instant amnesia” after a play didn’t go your way? There’s a reason this phrase has been used for decades. The art of forgetting bad things when they happen helps you reset your mind and focus on the present moment, so you can create something great instead of dwelling on the past. Make a commitment to yourself to create a positive attitude if (when) something negative happens. Watch for yourself how quickly that habit improves so-called “luck.”
04
Don’t Listen to the Crowd
Where your focus goes, energy flows. When you focus on things you can control, such as playing your best, it’s easier to stay calm and keep your mind quiet. Distractions such as crowd noise, on the other hand, can take you away from your best.
Jaylen Brown
© Stephanie Chang / Red Bull Content Pool
Block out distractions
If you struggle to stay focused during games, use practice to learn how to control the chaos. Loud music or a coach’s hand in your face during shooting drills can help you learn how to shut the noise out and focus on your game.
Trash talk has been around in sports for decades, and probably isn’t going anywhere. Like crowd noise, though, it’s not something you can control.
At the core of mental training for basketball lies a simple ethos: control what you can control. You can’t control what another player says to you. You can only control how you respond. And let’s be honest, beating an opponent that talks a lot of smack feels pretty good.
05
Control Your Breathing
When you control your breath, you control your mind. Try this and see for yourself. Take a moment to observe your mind. Notice if your brain feels scattered or take a guess how well you’d perform right now if you had to focus on something.
Jaylen Brown
© Jon Lopez / Red Bull Content Pool
Now, take a deep breath in through your nose on a three count. Hold for one second, then slowly release. Repeat this five times and notice how you feel.
Your breath is a great anchor for returning to the present moment. Practice controlling your breathing off the court so you have it in your toolbox when you need it during big games.
06
Treat Failure As An Opportunity for Growth
You didn’t fail because you lost a basketball game or because you had a bad practice. The true definition of failure is not trying at all. Did you show up today and put in the work? Then you didn’t fail. There’s always another opportunity tomorrow to fix what didn’t go well today.
Becoming a great basketball player, above all, is about being consistent. Train your mind to stay on the path and not give up, no matter what.
Conclusion
Basketball players who put in the time to develop mental and physical skills gain an edge over their competition. Observing your emotions on and off the court, learning to forget mistakes as soon as they happen, or even just learning to breathe in a way that calms you down can help push your game to the next level—and help you emerge as a leader amongst your peers.
As shooting coach Chris Mathews points out “It’s just so satisfying to see that with hard work, consistency and dedication, it can all pay off… Because it’s true not just with basketball, it’s in life.”