Your self-talk or the voice in your head controls your self-image. Your self-image controls performance. What you envision and tell yourself when it comes to all aspects of your performance will become true, your worst fears as well as your best expectations.

Remember it is important to have great practices because you are creating habits. Under the pressure of competition (stress) you will rise or fall to the level of your practice habits, so have great practices, always striving toward perfection. It is equally true that as you visualize technique and visualize your perfect performance, that you also have perfect mental practice. Your mind does not know that you are lying in bed or on the floor visualizing, but it believes that you are having another practice or are involved in competition, so the habits that you create mentally are equally important as those created in practice.

One final note: it is important to practice or visualize how you feel in your competitions. Practice how you want to feel so that you are not overcome by raised emotions. Practice mentally being explosive, powerful, blinding fast, instinctual, and always cool and controlled under fire. Whatever you tell yourself will become the "truth," so mentally strive toward perfect practice for the "perfect performance." The words you use are important. Always frame your visualization as if you have already become like you want to be. Your performance is controlled by what you tell yourself about you.

Be confident that your combined training of technical and physical conditioning with mental fitness will be enough to carry you through the toughest of circumstances. Expect perfect performance!