Championship Mindset Series: Winning the Mental Battle

Winning the Mental Battle

Wrestling is 90% mental. It’s a saying that we use all the time to describe the grueling aspects of being in a combat sport and the relentless toughness it takes to persevere in both training and competition, but what you less often here it used for is describing the fight within a match itself. Technique, strategy, strength, speed, these all play an important role…but the real indicator of who comes out victorious is determined by who wins the mental battle.

Whether you’re down on points or up by points with short time on the clock, winning the mental battle determines whether or not you can successfully close out a match and get your hand raised. For most of us, our ability to successfully execute techniques and maintain strategy are determined by how confident we currently feel and how present we are in a match. If you can make your opponent begin to doubt their techniques and/or question whether they have the energy left to execute through a tough position, they are no longer present in the match and their focus frays. With this, they lose their physical strength and speed as they are no longer in fight mode but in a neutral state between fight-or-flight where blood is no longer maximized by muscle but instead their brain. In that state of flux, they are vulnerable to make mistakes and give you opportunities to capitalize on points and continue winning the mental battle.

Crush Hope

Taking it a step further, pursuing absolute dominance in every position throughout a match creates a lasting memory within your opponent that they will never be able to succeed against you, and that if they ever hope to, it will require a great deal of effort which in itself is enough to crush their hope.

Technique, strategy, strength, and speed are important, but purposefully seeking to win the mental battle in every match will help you succeed against tougher opponents and help you close out tight matches.

Wrestling is 90% mental. Compete and train with this intention in mind and strive for absolute victory.