Customer Reviews

In Pursuit of Excellence: How to Win in Sport and Life Through Mental Training, Third Edition

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Terry Orlick manages to weave anecdotal examples of how the mind can be the difference between performance and "peak performance". This book is packed with practical exercises, check lists and "how-to's" to learn and apply the mechanics/techniques of sports psychology. Nifty quotes at the beginning of each chapter. WARNING: It won't turn miracles. It will not give you talent you never had or replace hard work.

If you've ever found yourself belaboring a performance error, regularly using negative self-talk or "choking" in those key situations... then this book is for you.

It does require a belief... the belief that mental training will work. "Belief is the mother of reality."

This book has many useful tools not just for athletes but also for individuals seeking something for their everyday lives.

Best section I thought was on setting goals, the wheel of excellence, maintaining positive perspectives and outlook, and how to deal with distraction control, quest for consistency, etc etc.

These are all very important concepts not just for the athlete in training but also for everyday people seeking a goal or purpose in life, maintaining that path to success, and knowing how to deal with every day bumps and grinds and highs and lows.

Book talks about:
Setting a goal
Make commitment to that goal
And Initiate Action to accomplish your goals
and don't let distractions, criticism, or other people distract you from your path.

Sounds simple? But for most of us we really have to work on it! Takes lotsa work and discipline to know what you want, work to towards getting it, and not stray from distractions or criticism.

In college I took a sports psychology class taught by a practicing Sports Psychologist who coached Many NFL & PGA Tour players. This was one of out main books we used and it is still in my library today. As a collegiate athlete (baseball), I was able to easily apply the concepts to my own game. I don't know if it helped my physical ability, but mentally I was much more confident and focused.

There are a lot of good books on mental training for athletes but I think Terry Orlick's stands out by carrying information that is insightful, well-rounded, very practical, beneficial to reducing anxiety, increasing focus on the task and, ultimately, performance.

As an Olympic medal winner who now manages a online sport psych shop (sportsmindskills.com) I've come across a lot of books on the subject and this is the winner!

I read the 1st version of this book in 1990 and I not only continue to use the skills in athletics but in day to day life events as well. The mental training and stress reduction techniques not only improved my performance but changed my life! I used the skills to transform my tension and improve my concentration and focus. Having a solid foundation of these mental skills can help athletes at all levels as evidenced by some of the comments by the Olympic competitors in the China Olympics.
This book and other editions of it adorn my bookshelf and are commonly referred to.
I have many books on the subject and this is by far the best.

This book is amazing! Excellent performance enhancement strategies and anecdotes make it reader friendly and easy to apply to any performance domain or even just for personal excellence. If you are looking for something more relevant to personal excellence, another one of his books called Embracing your Potential is great too, link is here--> Embracing Your Potential

A must read for those who wish to push their performance in anything to the next level. He allowed me to squat weights I wouldn't have been able to life before!

The book was true to the advertised condition and the shipping was very quick. Thank You!!!

I found that book was lagely inspirational in that it said how good everything would be if you followed certain steps. The trouble was that Orlick never actually gave many steps to follow. On the whole I found the book useless and devoid of any practical tips to improve performance.

A very good book, but disappointed that the shipment was lost and almost 3 weeks delayed