Use Mental Preparation to Perform More Consistently
“Some games I’m good and some games I’m horrible. I’m up and down, hot or cold. I’m just not consistent!”
Does this statement sound familiar?
Perhaps, you have caught yourself thinking similar things.
Consistency is what all athletes strive to achieve.
Every hockey player will have good days and bad days… It’s inevitable!
If this is true, does that mean I can never be consistent on the ice?
That depends on your definition of consistency.
Do you define consistency in terms of effort or results?
If you define consistency in terms of production or plus/minus stats, you will be left disappointed.
This definition does not take into account a whole host of factors that are outside your direct control, such as:
- Ice conditions
- Coach’s lineup
- Sickness and injuries
- How many games you have played that week
- Match-up on the ice and the strength
- Playing style of the opposing team
What consistency really comes down to is consistency of mental and physical preparation and consistency of effort.
If you train and play with the same level of focus and full effort, the results will take care of themselves.
That is the focus of center Nick Schmaltz, the 2014 first round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks…
Schmaltz displayed top-level skills over the last two seasons but struggled with consistency.
During his rookie season in 2016-17, Schmaltz had six goals and 22 assists in 61 games.
Last year, Schmaltz scored 21 goals and had 52 points (tied for second on the Blackhawks) in 78 games.
Schmaltz’s goal for this season is to become an elite two-way forward and he understands that it all comes down to consistency.
SCHMALTZ: “Some games I’m dominant with the puck and creating chances all over the place, and some games I’m kind of not doing the things I do when I’m successful. So if I can put it together every night, play that same way, use my feet and make plays, [I think]we can definitely be a dynamic line [with Patrick Kane and Brandon Saad] and be one of the better lines in the league.”
If you want to play to the level of your potential, you need to be consistent in the following areas:
- Be consistent in practice – Give maximum effort. Hustle. Focus on developing your skills each practice with the goal of being better today than yesterday.
- Be consistent in your mental game – Every time you step on the ice, adopt the same competitive mindset. Look to develop your confidence every day. Take time every day to improve your mental game. Find a professional that can assist you in taking your mental game to the next level.
- Be consistent in your mental approach to games – Focus on your strengths and the team’s game plan. Give nothing less than your best effort. Stay focused on the play in front of you and not what happened in the last minute or last second for that matter.
- Shoot for excellence – Practice the way you want to play and play the way you have practiced. That is how you achieve consistency in your game.
Improve Consistency in Hockey:
Since consistency is rooted in your mental preparation, you need to pay particular attention to your mental game.
Approach every practice as if it was a game, starting from the time you step into the locker room.
Be consistent in your effort and focus for every drill, every skate around and every scrimmage.
Consistent mental preparation leads to consistent performance.
Start with a more consistent focus…
Related Articles on Hockey Mental Game:
- Mental Preparation for Travel Hockey
- Mental Preparation And Moving to Starter
- Be Mentally Ready to Come Off the Bench
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