Cerebral Matter

Each week, “Cerebral Matter” highlights articles, anecdotes, and analyses related to the psychological aspects of performance.


Head Games in auto racing:

The battle for the IndyCar championship is won on the course, but Helio Castroneves is trying to influence the outcome off the track.

Castroneves, who enters Sunday's Detroit Indy Grand Prix on Belle Isle 43 points behind driver points-leader Scott Dixon, has refined his strategy to include mind games with the New Zealander.

"I'm trying to do everything I can," said Castroneves, who will start on the front row with Dixon after turning in the second-fastest qualifying lap Saturday of 102.412 mph. "We're trying to get into his head."

Sarah Palin is prepared to deal with pressure. After all, she was a sportscaster and still is a competitor.


Ian Poulter is fed up and sick of dealing with distractions:

"It's just so mentally draining to be in this position, to listen and read and to get all the b.s all week. It's seriously, seriously mentally draining."...

...“They are the people I feel really sorry for,” he said. “They are going to be feeling pressure as it is and you don't want to be standing over a three-footer with so much doubt in your mind, not knowing if the ball is going to run straight.”

Music is great to listen to on many levels. It can change a person's mood instantly – one of the reason athletes use it to mentally prepare for competition. But, did you know listening to those tunes can actually help one heal?


Modeling is how we learn. Young athletes emulate veterans in various ways. Players even choose their numbers based on who they love as kids:

“When I was in high school, I used to watch basketball and the Chicago Bulls,” Aceves said this morning. “Dennis Rodman was one of the best players at that time. The way he played, he played a lot mentally. He made the other players get frustrated.”

But you’re not nuts, right, Alfredo?

“But I’m not nuts,” Aceves said, laughing.

Is your favorite coach really that valuable?


Can Nadal keep up his torrid mental pace?

“I think I help a little bit, him to play to this level,” Nadal said. “He played well today, but I didn’t play with normal intensity. I play a little bit less intensity than last few months for sure. Probably I’m a little bit tired more than usually.”…

…Despite flying from the United States to Beijing and back in the last two weeks, Nadal said jet lag was not as much a problem as mental fatigue from a grueling season.

Is an addiction to crossword puzzles healthy? What is happening in your mind gym?


Maybe it’s ok to be bored…at least some of the time:

In a recent paper in The Cambridge Journal of Education, Teresa Belton and Esther Priyadharshini of East Anglia University in England reviewed decades of research and theory on boredom, and concluded that it’s time that boredom “be recognized as a legitimate human emotion that can be central to learning and creativity.”

Tiger has a Secret?

After cruising the UK’s version of the Times online, I came across the secret to Tiger Woods’ success – confidence. Really? Could it be? It’s not his supermodel wife? The Tiger toy he totes on his driver? His firing of Fluff? His friendship with Michael Jordan? Well, maybe. Times writer Peter Dixon reviewed renowned sports shrink’s Bob Rotella’s latest book (one that sounds similar to his other gaggle of mind-tip texts) and explained that Tiger ticks with a certain arrogance that sets him up as a clutch performer. No kidding.

The question that I want an answer to is: how did Tiger DEVELOP his mental game? We know he is confident in himself, his caddy, his clubs, his life. One can see that on first strut, his focused face and straight shoulders barreling swiftly across the finest of fairways. But, when was that skill born? And what goes on in his mind during his clutch performances? Better yet, what happens when he is off? Surely, he doesn’t maintain positive thoughts 24/7. I’ve witnessed his vulgar barrages in front of fans, with the camera zoomed in on his mouth, F-bombs exploding like he just got off the phone with KG. The looks of frustration and aggression directed towards the idiot who yells “Get in the hole!” as Woods prepares to settle into his tee shot. The hammering of a club into the ground after a shank. Or the tossing of an iron as if he has no care for the fact that it will be handled as he bolts like a predator to the crappy lie.

My point is, it’s not always good, what he does during the outing. He beats himself up, if only for a few seconds - but he comes right back to smack the next shot, the next playing foe, the next course. And this is the resiliency, the confidence with which he (and Rotella) speaks and shouts - how he shines in the masterful moments. People talk of his work ethic, how he can’t put a club down – even in his living room – his drive to be the best who ever played with a constant angel - or devil - on his shoulder. And his crazed cerebral state that could be listed in the DSM when it comes to learning about the game and coming up with creative shots that may someday be of use.

The most impressive part of Tiger’s toughness has nothing to do with him internally, at least not anymore – there are instead external forces at work. Nobody consistently challenges him year to year, perhaps because they are so enthralled with his ways as we are. There exist turning points of No. 1’s in tennis, changing of the guards in team sports, and even scattered boxing champs. But Tiger has really been the best for more than a decade. As long as his confidence doesn’t take a detour (and I, like Rotella and Dixon, have a feeling it won’t), then we have another decade coming … and another book.

June's Phenomenal Finishes

This month was filled with last minute, end-of-the-event drama and, quite simply, great games. Take a look at these, in no particular order -- other than the fact that Tiger's tournament takes out anyone else's performance in the psychological picture...

Tiger Woods

"Putt" it this way -- many mortals with a torn ACL don’t (or can’t) even walk. Woods waddled through a grueling four days of golf, and then took the US Open to extra innings with a Monday playoff where he survived after a lost lead. Oh – he also scampered to what he calls his greatest victory of all time with a double stress fracture in his tibia. The post-tournament surgery marked the end of his golf season. The win cemented his immortal status in sports history and downright ridiculous mental toughness. When he was told before the Open that he needed medical attention to his leg, he replied that he was going to play and he was going to win.

Boston Celtics

The C’s that played in Game 6 of the NBA Finals were the picture of perfection. They dominated with defense, offensive firepower, teamwork, energy, and focus. A thrill to watch and good for the game – defense (and offense) wins championships… and thank you to Randy Hill for his analysis. Finally, a writer who can actually breakdown a basketball game efficiently and with illuminating illustrations.

Fresno State

I don’t normally pay much attention to college baseball, but the Bulldogs deserve more attention than Shaq’s distasteful freestyle rhymes about Kobe and O'Neal's behind. Fresno St. won the CWS as the lowest seeded team in history to qualify. If they were playing in the NCAA basketball tournament, they would have been seeded 89th – so, not at all.

Rafa Nadal

Like his own blog, not much else to say at this point. He won the French and is well on his way to advancing in Wimbledon -- as long as his matches don't interfere with the Euro Cup times.

Ana Ivanovic

Good for her for dealing with the pressure of being No. 1 in the world (at least for two rounds). She shook off a horrible second go-of-it in Wimbledon and found a way to win despite her inconsistencies. Too bad she couldn’t maintain any momentum or good fortune in the next round.

Spain-Italy

I couldn’t take my eyes away from this one, partly because the soccer field looks magnificent in HD, but mostly because the match was incredible and ended in PK’s.

Germany-Turkey

The encore of the aforementioned shootout culminated with a score in the last minute to clinch the triumph.

Chicago Bulls

It wasn’t a game on the court, but in the war room and in the weeks leading up to the draft. It became more evident the Bulls would take the homegrown Rose as the day drew nearer. With his drive to be great, team-oriented mindset, his ties to the Windy City, and his exceptional explosiveness and athletic ability for a point guard, the Bulls win, the Bulls win, the Bulls win!

Don't Mind Me

This past week, psychological warfare has roamed the sports world with predictions and pulse-pounding points from various athletes. Boxing champ Bernard Hopkins formed his tactics by way of trash talk about race and pure domination. The Atlanta Hawks say they aren’t scared of the number one Celtics and believe they will win with the “no pressure on us” mentality. And the recent confidence of Manny Ramirez is off the charts. Just the other day he spoke of staying relaxed, having fun, and inviting challenges. Result? The next game, he beat the Yanks with two impressive home runs and looked as calm as the Charles in January as he cranked numbers 493 and 494.

There is often much made of the sensational statements that athletes produce before sporting events, probably more the sake of media prodding. After all, interviews and interrogations provide reporters, analysts, and fans with considerable amounts of data to discuss. Sure, coaches, athletes and teams draw upon emotions and prophetic words intended to motivate and focus folks for upcoming competitions. Yet, once the match begins, those notions are (thankfully) disregarded like John Rocker’s ticks. Depending on the personality of the athlete and the type of battle about to begin, the cognitive combat is more significant. Imagine Tiger yelling out a Muhammed Ali-like line in the pre-PGA tourney press conference: “Mickelson is so ugly that he should donate his face to the US Bureau of Wild Life!” That could stir much more emotional coffee than the prototypical pleasantries of golfmanship usually encourage.

Heated verbal exchanges and flamboyant forecasts may enliven events, but most of the time they don’t mean much once the competition is under way unless the words were so mentally damaging to the opponent that he fell apart (recall Scottie Pippen’s promise to Karl Malone: “The Mailman doesn’t deliver on Sunday.”) One can ignore or even forget the mind teasers…at least until the conclusion when the interviews begin again.

Money Mentality

Many underdog-lovers may root against Tiger Woods. They feed off of mere mortals breaking through and stealing a first place finish in a championship match. In fact, there were many players this past week on the PGA Tour who claimed they would take Tiger down. I, however, love watching Woods win every tournament. There are so many details within his game that are appealing to the mental aspects of performance.

His confidence - he was asked the other day, “Nicklaus or you?”
His answer was, “Me.”

His demeanor – calm with an air of intensity and focus. It’s almost as if he forces opponents into extra strokes with his posture, his expressions, and his faith in himself.

His approach with the media – he is honest, he looks interviewers in the eyes, and he takes the time to talk.

His practice – I’ve heard he cannot sit still and he has an obvious drive to be the best. And he follows through on his dreams. According to his long-time coach Butch Harmon, “He is the best student I’ve ever had. He is like a sponge. He soaks up information and he always wants to learn and get better.” And he can practice when he is on vacation!

He is a winner, both physically and mentally, because of his work ethic – he often speaks of “grinding” in golf, the role mental energy plays to concentrate consistently in high pressure situations.

A radio host recently said that he is the golf version of the Yankees or Notre Dame football or Duke basketball. I believe he is better. He wins more (he plays in more championships due to the structure of the Tour, but even his number of top finishes is extraordinary considering the number of opponents in the field!). He often finds himself in the money, figuratively and realistically (nearly one million for coming in second in this past Masters, though to him, “Second sucks”). If it weren’t for a couple of millimeters of miscues on putts, he would have his 17th major and fifth Masters now.

So much pressure. So much preparation. Being able to observe such dominance in one domain is pure pleasure, and a phenomenon I would like to behold and examine again and again.

And it looks like he will win the poll for the most mentally tough...