Train Your Brain Like a Super Bowl MVP: The Clutch Playbook for Athletes
There are some athletes who just thrive under pressure. No matter the circumstances, they consistently deliver clutch performances when the game is on the line.
A few names come to mind- Tom Brady, Steph Curry, Lionel Messi, Michael Jordan, Patrick Mahomes, ect. So what’s their secret?
They’re clutch athletes.
They excel (not just because of physical talent) but because of their ability to be laser focused, maintain high confidence, forget mistakes, and make good decisions.
This mindset mastery isn’t biological, and it isn’t inherited. It’s trainable. Just like we train our bodies for peak performance, we can do the same for our minds.
Today we’ll discuss:
The clutch state
8 qualities of clutch athletes
*Triple Threat Life Club Members receive: The Triathlete’s Clutch Performance Playbook with actionable strategies you can use to master race day pressure like a champion.
The clutch state
You’ve probably heard the phrase “clutch state” or “clutch athlete” before, but what does that actually mean? A clutch state is a psychological state when an athlete performs exceptionally well under pressure. It’s the opposite of “choking.” Instead of the pressure becoming more than an athlete can handle, which leads to uncharacteristic mistakes and poor performance, the pressure enables them to shift into a zone of intense focus and achieve even greater performance.
In this Triathlete Magazine article, neuroscientist Dr. Daya Grant says there are three requirements to shift into a clutch state: a pressure situation, a specific goal, and a clear path to achieve the goal.
“If you aren’t laser-focused on a specific target, and if there isn’t enough pressure to intensify your effort, then you’re unlikely to activate a clutch state.”
- Dr. Daya Grant
8 qualities of clutch athletes
In order to develop a winning mindset that will help you deliver the best performance possible on race day, you have to train your brain. As we’ve already learned, harnessing the power of a clutch state requires a few things. First, there must be a pressure-filled situation, a primary goal to achieve, and a clear path to achieve the goal.
For example, let’s say you’re shooting for a sub-5 hour 70.3 at your final race of the year. That sounds like a pressure-filled situation. Also, there’s a specific goal you want to achieve. But this is where most athletes stop.
There’s something missing…
The clear path you need to take to achieve the goal.
If you don’t have a race plan with specific steps to follow, there’s little hope of you achieving the goal you’ve set for yourself.
Read More: 5 Steps to Set SMART Goals You Can Actually Achieve
In various interviews, it’s clear that clutch athlete, Patrick Mahomes, has a singular mindset during high stakes, pressure-filled situations. “I just try to execute the game plan, execute the play that's in front of me, not worry about the entire drive, and then get us into position to score and win the game.”
His singular focus is to execute his game plan, focus on one play at a time, and get himself into a position to win the game.
That’s it. He’s not focused on what other athletes are doing or the interception he threw in the last quarter. He stays focused in the present moment, blocks out any distractions, and executes to the best of his ability.
We can unpack this a bit further to discover 8 qualities of clutch athletes.
1. Clutch athletes focus on what they want to happen.
Instead of focusing on what they don’t want to happen, clutch athletes have positive intention. They think about what they want to happen and focus solely on that outcome. Athletes who underperform often worry about making mistakes, so they get anxious, tight, and play it safe. This plan backfires, because they’re focusing on the wrong thing.
2. Clutch athletes focus on what they need to do to perform their best.
Clutch athletes focus on the steps they need to take to perform to the best of their ability. This doesn’t happen by accident. Clutch athletes spend hours practicing skills and good technique so they’re confident in their ability to execute when it counts. Also, they’re willing to take a calculated risk when necessary in order to achieve success.
3. Clutch athletes don’t dwell on the past.
They forget mistakes and missed opportunities. They don’t look back, only forward. They act like goldfish. If you’re not a fan of Ted Lasso, I’ll explain.
It’s been said that a goldfish has a 10-second memory. He’s not worried about missing that nugget of food that his friend gobbled up. In 10 seconds, he won’t have any memory of that happening, so he’s going to try again, and again, and again, until he gets his snack. “Be a goldfish” is a reminder to let go of mistakes so they don’t negatively impact future performance.
4. Clutch athletes have mental toughness.
Good athletes perform well when everything goes their way, but great athletes rise to the top in spite of adversity. At 2024 IRONMAN Lake Placid, Danielle Lewis was involved in a significant bike crash. But she was able to recover, focused on what she needed to do to make up time, and secured her first full-distance win.
5. Clutch athletes have supreme confidence.
Clutch athletes aren’t confident because they were born that way. They’re confident because they’ve cultivated confidence through training and during competition. Ways to do this include: skill mastery, focusing on the process instead of results, and setting achievable goals. Clutch athletes are confident because they believe strongly in their abilities and trust that they can execute under pressure.
6. Clutch athletes manage their emotions.
This doesn’t mean that clutch athletes don’t have emotions. They have them, but they have strategies to manage any nervous energy and redirect their focus for better performance. This includes using skills like pre-race visualization, controlled breathing patterns, and positive self-talk. Clutch athletes don’t react; they respond.
Read More: How to Hack Your Emotions For Better Performance
7. Clutch athletes stay focused on the present moment and block out distractions.
Clutch athletes ignore any outside chatter that might mess with their mental game. When they head into a training session or step up to the start line, they go into their own little bubble. They choose what they want to focus their energy on. They don’t let distractions make that decision for them.
8. Clutch athletes make good decisions under pressure.
Even talented athletes can be indecisive under pressure. But clutch athletes have honed the ability to make good decisions under pressure by doing race rehearsals, and practicing skills that mimic high pressure situations in training. They have the ability to rapidly assess the given options, weigh the pros and cons of each, and make a good decision that will set themselves up for success.
Read More: Breaking Mental Barriers: 8 Bad Habits Holding You Back in Triathlon
We’ve made it to the fun part! So far, you’ve learned what a clutch state is and the 8 traits of clutch athletes. Now it’s time to learn how to put these skills into practice for yourself.
*Triple Threat Life Club Members receive access to The Athlete’s Clutch Performance Playbook. It has a step-by-step plan with techniques and instruction to help you master race day pressure like a champion.
Including:
How to do pre-race visualization
Developing unshakable confidence
Creating a race mantra and using self-talk
Controlled breathing techniques
How to respond to obstacles and adversity
and more
Join the Triple Threat Life Club to access the playbook here.