Catalyst Basketball Training Community,
I am Brian Sullivan, the co-founder of Fortitude Mental Performance. I am excited to continue the newsletter series with Catalyst Training to educate, inspire, and provide you with opportunities to train the mental skills and mindsets that athletes use to reach their peak performance at the highest levels in sports.
Ever find yourself feeling ready and sharp in practice, but things don’t flow as easily on game day? It’s frustrating—after all the hard work, you wonder why your game doesn’t feel the same in competition as it does in practice. You might find yourself "overthinking" instead of playing freely. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. You may be spending too much time in a training mindset, and not enough in a trusting mindset.
What are the Training Mindset and Trusting Mindset?
Think of your training mindset as the part of your brain that analyzes and breaks down skills. This is the mindset that pays attention to details and learns through feedback. When you’re working on form shooting, you might check the position of your feet, the alignment of your elbow, and the angle of your release. This kind of focused thinking is great for skill-building because it helps you lock in on exactly what you’re working to improve.
The trusting mindset, on the other hand, steps in during game time. It lets go of the technical details and allows you to play with freedom, relying on all the work you’ve already put in. You’re focused on the task itself—scoring, defending, reading the game. Instead of analyzing, you’re trusting your instincts and training.
Why Both Mindsets Matter
When you’re trying to learn a skill or refine a specific move, the training mindset is powerful. It’s what lets you make adjustments, process feedback, and elevate your game piece by piece. But in high-stakes situations—think of a game-winning free throw—you don’t want all those details and corrections flooding in. When we stay in the training mindset under pressure, our brains can get bogged down, creating more mistakes and less fluidity.
How to Build Your Trusting Mindset
In my experience working with athletes, I’ve often seen players with an over-developed training mindset but an under-developed trusting mindset. Athletes can be experts at analyzing, critiquing, and making changes in practice. But without developing a trusting mindset, the ability to “let go” and rely on instinct in games can be hard to come by. Here’s how you can develop your trusting mindset:
Practice in the trusting mindset: During some training sessions, focus on simulating game situations without feedback or self-critique. Scrimmages and competitive play help you build confidence in relying on your instincts rather than constant self-monitoring.
Mindfulness training: Mindfulness practice can help you stay in the moment, allowing thoughts and emotions to come and go without letting them take over. This skill makes it easier to keep your focus on the game and trust what you already know, rather than letting feedback or judgment pull you out of the present moment.
Performance routines: Using components of routines such as a cue word, or phrase, or gesture may help you to recognize that you will benefit from shifting into a trusting mindset and allow you to do so.
The next time you’re feeling stuck or overthinking on the court, try shifting into the trusting mindset. Let go, trust your hard work, and immerse yourself in the game. With time, you’ll find yourself more at ease, more focused, and more in sync with the moment when it matters most.e at ease
If you are interested in learning more about your mental skills, we invite you to take the free assessment below to receive a report. It takes about 10 minutes! |
, more focused, and more in sync with the moment when it matters most.