Top Five Books
The Top 5 Books for your Mental Game
If you have ever searched for a book on the mental game, sports psychology or peak performance, you were most likely overwhelmed by the sheer number of options to choose from.
That's why I'm excited to share a selection of my personal favorites with you.
Over the years, I've poured through nearly 40 books on such topics, each enriching my understanding in unique ways. However, I know your time is precious, so I've narrowed it down to the five most impactful and compelling reads that set themselves apart.
With Winning in Mind, by Lanny Bassham
Written by an Olympic gold medalist, this book contains detailed instruction on how to implement some very powerful, actionable strategies. The author began developing his 'Mental Management' system during his own competitive career, and he has since trained many other Olympic medalists and professional athletes using the same strategies.
The Confident Mind, by Dr. Nate Zinsser
This book is written by a Ph.D. in sports psychology and is also filled with specific strategies to use and adapt to your own game. He teaches that the belief in one's self is a skill that can be taught, improved, and applied by anyone at any stage to enhance their life and their performance. Note: I'd suggest reading the book rather than listening to the audio version as I found the narration quite dull.
How Champions Think, by Dr. Bob Rotella
Written by one of the nation's preeminent sports psychologists, this book takes you inside the minds of high level performers to see how they think. His use of case studies with professional athletes is illuminating and motivating, which is why it's on my list. However, unlike the first two, this one is light on actionable strategies.
The Inner Game of Tennis, by W. Timothy Gallwey
This is one of the most popular books in the field of sports psychology. It takes a fascinating dive into the roles of the conscious and unconscious minds in performance and is applicable to any sport. You'll discover that what, when and how you think as well as talk to yourself has a direct impact on your ability to succeed.
Golf’s Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia, by David L. Cook
This is a favorite due to the author’s use of fictional story telling to illustrate mental performance techniques and life coaching. The story is based on his experience coaching thousands of athletes and is a very easy, exciting read.
***Honorable mention: Heart of a Champion, by Donene Taylor.
Written by a WPRA World Champion Calf Roper, this book is a must-read for anyone familiar with rodeo. I was most impressed with the author's vulnerability in sharing the personal struggles that she overcame to reach her goal. You also get an inside look into exactly how she applied certain mental performance strategies in her life and sport.
Happy Reading!
