Tips to Get Out of a Slump and Start Winning Again

I suck. I quit. I just can’t do this anymore.

Yep, those are all things you say to yourself when you are in a slump. When your performance is below your normal standard. Because it is easy to grow frustrated after all the effort, time and commitment you put into earning top performances.

I think it is important to define what a slump in sports means by looking at what it is not. A slump is NOT;

One bad performance
Consistent solid performances
Failing to earn a personal best

A slump IS underperforming repeatedly for a stretch of time.

Too often athletes, especially young athletes, claim a slump when really they just had a bad race, or a mediocre game, or just didn’t PR like they did last week. If athletes don’t have the right perspective on their performance, they can begin to focus on the wrong things.

So what to do when you are actually in a slump? When you are in a hole and can’t seem to find a way out? When you are just so embarrassed because you haven’t performed this badly since you were a freshman in high school? Ugh. Slumps are discouraging. But they don’t have to be.

Here’s where I’d start:

Focus on controllables. I say it all the time, “Control what you can control.” You cannot control the weather, or the refs, or how fast the pitch will come. But, you can control how much film you watch. You can control when you show up to practice and when you leave. You can control your form. You can control what you tell yourself. Operating from a sense of control lessens the anxiety and the pressure and increases confidence.
Next ball. As an athlete you need an immediate sense of amnesia. You miss a shot? Shoot the next one. You strike out? Swing at the next one. You make a bad pass? Next ball. Try again. Keep swinging. The game of sports is always in the future. Don’t waste your time focusing on the past.
What went right? When in a slump, athletes too often focus on what went wrong. Therefore causing the “I can’t” narrative to grow in their psyches. When focus is on the good, the bad seems more manageable to correct.
Remember your goals. Keep your perspective. Make your goals visible. Spend time visualizing what it feels like, looks like, sounds like on the other end. When you remember what you’re working towards the here and now doesn’t seem so permanent.
Surround yourself with positive people. Raise your hand if you need someone to tell you your performance sucked… That’s right. You don’t. Having to listen to how bad you did and be reminded of it repeatedly only makes matters worse. (Parents, coaches, that advice is for you!). Communicate that you need positive reinforcement. Let others know that you aren’t ready to talk about the game yet. And when you are, go to people you trust. People who cheer for you no matter what. You don’t have time for negative energy.