In today’s mental training session for racers, I help a racer overcome his fear of re-injury.  I answer the following mental game of racing question:

“My biggest challenge is the fear I developed after breaking my back in 7 places while practicing. I feel too afraid to jump because I am scared of hurting my back again. I have a partially herniated disc due to my big crash and several of my discs are ruined. How can I conquer this fear and continue to progress with my riding?” 

Overcoming an injury is just as much mental as it is physical. Many racers worry about re-injury on the track.  Worrying about re-injury is a legitimate fear.  Some racers may try to avoid mistakes to protect themselves from injury. In that case, racers think too much about mistakes, which may cause them to tighten up. The key is to think about execution, or what you need to do to race successfully. Learn how to improve your performance with mental skills training.

Listen to this podcast on “fear of re-injury” to learn racing psychology tips to prepare mentally for a race!

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In today’s psychology of racing session, I answer a question about how to develop young athletes racing confidence. I answer the following mental game of racing question:

“My son worries too much about what others think about him and how he rides. I would like to see him have fun again with his riding. What strategies can he use to become a better rider, not worry about others, and have more self-confidence?”

Some sports parents may not realize that their expectations may put pressure on their young athletes. Young athletes may feel they have to race well to please a parent. To develop racing confidence, racers need to focus on their own race plan and not their competitors.  Improve your training before race day by supporting your own racing confidence.

Listen the podcast on “racing confidence” to learn more about how to prepare yourself for race!

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In today’s psychology of racing session, I offer mental racing tips to help beginner racers get into the right frame of mind before races. I answer the following mental training game of racing question:

 ”For beginner racers, what is the mindset that they should enter the race with? What daily mental exercises should they do to prepare for racing?”

Preparing for first motocross or auto race is important for any racer, both mentally and physically. Many racers may not know what kind of mindset to be in before a big race. The key is for racers to perform the same in practice and in races.  Before a race, throw out any expectations and maintain a stable level of racing confidence. Focus on the process and avoid thinking about the results. Have a race plan and review your strategy before races.   

Listen the podcast on mindset to learn what steps every racer should take to prepare mentally for a big race!

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In today’s racing psychology session, I help a racer refocus after mistakes. I answer the following mental game of racing question:

 ”I lose my focus after making mistakes and it leads to making even more mistakes. How do I keep my focus after mistakes? 

Learn the mental game strategies to improve your racing focus. Racers need to understand when they lose focus. Many racers become frustrated after mistakes and this causes them to lose focus. Give yourself the luxury of making a few mistakes. Then refocus quickly on the next turn or jump.

Listen the podcast on to learn how to focus your mind for a big race!  

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In today’s psychology of racing session, I help a racer who settles in behind another racer. I answer the following mental game of racing question:

 ”When I’m chasing my competitor, I start to get caught into his pace instead of keep my pace. How can I make sure I keep my own pace and not settle in behind another racer?” 

Learn the top mental game of racing strategies to race aggressively when passing another racer. Many racers perform within their comfort zone during races. Comfort zones are high expectations about how racers think they should perform. Racers should develop a racing plan to determine their strategy for the track. Be patient and wait for the right time to pass another racer.  Learn how to focus the mind on race day.   

Listen to this podcast on to learn how to race aggressively and stay mentally tough during a race!

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Motocross and auto racing psychology expert, Dr. Patrick Cohn, at racingpsychology.com helps NASCAR, Motocross, and motorcycle racers improve performance and lap times by boosting composure, focus, and racing confidence on race day. Learn mental racing strategies and tips for motocross and auto racing.

In today’s psychology of racing session, I help a racer cope with prerace jitters before a race.  I answer the following mental game of racing question:

 ”How do I not get tight in a race? I am always faster than other racers in practice and before the race, but prerace jitters make me feel weak. Then, I usually make more errors…”

Learn the top mental game of racing secrets to feel prepared for your next race. Many racers  experience prerace jitters before performing. Prerace jitters can be negative if those jitters cause tension and performance anxiety. Racers who experience negative prerace jitters may worry too much about the outcome of the race. Jitters can be positive and can help prepare racers for the upcoming event. 

Listen to this podcast on prerace jitters to learn more about how to mentally prepare for a race!

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In today’s mental game of racing session, I help a racer improve his negative self-talk. I answer the following psychology of racing question:

“My self-talk is really bad at the track. I think, ‘You can’t win this race because so and so is in it and he always wins or there are lots of fast cars in your heat.’ How do I keep from mentally defeating myself when a racer with a known track record of winning is in the field?”

Learn the top mental training racing strategies to overcome negative self-talk. Many racers struggle with their self-talk on the racetrack. Negative self-talk can influence your racing performance. Negative self-talk can affect your racing confidence and cause you to question your racing ability, or doubt yourself. Doubt is the opposite of self-confidence.

Avoid making comparisons to other racers and focus on what you need to do. Make a list of your top doubts and develop a rebuttal for those doubts, or change them into statements of confidence.  

Listen to this podcast on “self-talk” to learn more about how to improve your training for race day!

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In today’s mental training session for BMX racers, I discuss how to use mental imagery before races. I answer the following BMX racing psychology question:

“Although I have seen improvement in my skill level over the past year and half since I started racing BMX, I have always had trouble with picturing my race before I race it. I can’t get the mental motion picture if you will, rolling in my mind the way I would like. How can I get a more detailed view of myself and the track that I am racing?”

Learn the top mental training techniques for auto and motocross racers. Not every racer is a visual learner. Racers have different learning styles, seeing, feeling or hearing. The most common type of imagery is seeing, or visualizing. You may be a kinesthetic learner, or learn by feeling yourself on the racetrack. To mentally prepare for a race, you should do “mental laps” or see, feel or hear yourself go around the racetrack.

Most racers are a combination of visual and kinesthetic learners. The best way to use mental imagery is to find out which learning style works best for you. You should see or feel yourself just as you are performing, in real time. 

Listen to this podcast on “mental imagery” to learn mental game tips to prepare yourself for race!

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In today’s racing psychology session, I discuss how to improve your race team dynamics. I answer the following racing teamwork question:

“My main challenge is team dynamics and the friction caused by one very talented and hard working individual who disrupts the team. How can I mentally get past this problem?”

Learn the top mental racing strategies to improve team cohesion.  Teamwork is very important to achieve success on the racetrack. Team communication and support are the most important factors to improve your mental attitude for racing. The first step to dealing with team conflict is to address the problem as a team. It is important to address the issue rather than ignoring the problem. Have a team meeting to openly discuss team goals and expectations of team members throughout the season.  

Listen to this podcast on “team dynamics” to learn more about mental training for racing and how to improve teamwork!

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In today’s racing psychology session, I answer a question about a racer who wants to be as fast as the pros. I answer the following mental game of racing question:

“How do start to believe that I can get as fast as the pros? I feel like I can almost make it but I fall short every time.”

Many racers feel that they have the potential to be as fast as the pros.  Learn my top mental racing strategies to improve motocross and auto racing confidence on the track.  You have to believe in your racing ability to compete at the professional level. Doubting your ability will affect your concentration on the racetrack. If you are not at the professional level yet, focus on what you need to improve to get to that level. The key is to focus on improving your own speed and not the speed of the pros.

Listen to this podcast on “improving racing speed” to learn more mental training tips for motocross and auto racing!

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