Choking under pressure is a phenomenon that every player has experienced but few are willing to explore their personal episodes of choking and analyse the causes of this adverse and costly reaction to perceived pressure. Most players would rather erase such experiences from their mind, and hope it never happens again. But recognising your patterns […]

As a psychologist to amateur and professional players, part of my day job involves walking the course analysing their habits and response patterns to situations during tournaments. Caddies would agree that you can see a lot as a quiet observer, the things that player’s themselves under-estimate as the real causes of a great day on […]

Social research in Asia suggests that our kids are under more pressure than ever, and the negative consequences are very real. A recent prospectus study of Hong Kong schools anxiety revealed that 3 in 10 students in secondary school and 1 in 5 primary school aged children suffer from anxiety. One of the most underestimated […]

To be a formidable competitor as a CrossFit athlete, dedicated physical preparation is a must, but mental preparation ensures you are truly ready to deal with the adversity that CrossFit delivers. For an in depth look into the practice of mental toughness in this extraordinary sport, I met up with 2015’s “Fittest in Singapore” (by […]

The mental toughness training athletes undergo before reaching the Olympic stage is not typically well documented or understood. In this article, I will provide a behind the scenes look at the psychological preparation athletes go through before the biggest event in sport. For the past year, I have had the opportunity to work as the […]

What is it? The power of an hour refers to a study technique for student-athletes that develops discipline in managing common distractions and creates fearsome focus to strengthen your working memory. The benefits 1. Focus & discipline The art of ignoring distractions when studying often comes down to being able to control the compulsive urge to respond to […]

The New Year can inspire feelings of renew and motivation to change, and gyms, trainers, and diet fads are ready to cash in on our New Year’s resolutions. Well, not this year.  In this article, I share how to create powerful goals and resolutions using four key pillars of meaningful change that can shift our […]

Self-confidence is interpreted by others through our communication style – how we speak, our gestures, eye contact, and body language. The ideal communication style inculcated by eastern philosophy is humble, harmonious, nurturing, modest, and indirect. However, the demonstration of self-confidence in sport is often interpreted and most closely associated with a style of communication in […]

Does this pattern sound familiar for your teenager? Frequently experiencing daytime sleepiness, mood swings, and irritability. Tired all day but feels awake at night, sleeping later than they should. Catches up on sleep during the weekend but strangely feels worse on Mondays, and then the cycle repeats. This sleep-wake cycle for teenagers is so common […]

“I know sport psychology” said the coach, the trainer, and everyone in between. We all have knowledge, experience, and thus opinions about people and what helps them to perform. There’s no doubt that a top coach intricately understands the psychology of their sport. There are cases when an experienced coach has a stronger knowledge of the […]