What is momentum? The dictionary defines momentum as: "Impetus of a physical object in motion. Or impetus of a non-physical process, such as an idea or a course of events." In sports, momentum is a feeling or idea that you are playing well and luck is on your side. It is also characterized by a feeling that you will continue to play well in the near future. If a soccer team just scored with ease on its opponents, the team has momentum and feels like they can do it again.

Momentum and Confidence

Momentum is highly related to confidence. It is the feeling a pitcher gets when he has a no-hitter going and he feels like no one will get a hit off him. One athlete described momentum this way: "Momentum is a feeling of knowing things are going your way, today is my day, let's go. It is a feeling that I am going to do this, be confident that it is your day."

How is Momentum Developed

What feeds an athlete or team's feeling of momentum? I've found that several things feed momentum. It can be something as simple as making a long basket in basketball, scoring the first goal in hockey, or making an interception in football. Most of the time, an athlete gets momentum when he or she makes several good plays in a row with no errors or mistakes. A team gets momentum when they take the lead after being down, turn a game around, or get on a scoring roll.

Momentum can also come from the feeling that you are lucky or getting good breaks like when a fumble bounces into the hands of an offensive lineman. It is easier to maintain the momentum when you get a good break as opposed to getting a bad break. Momentum is huge whenever you are playing well, so you should try to keep momentum on your side.

The Downside of Momentum

What's the downside to having momentum? While it might not seem like there are many negatives associated with feeling like it's your day to win, you can get caught up in the emotional high of momentum. For example, one problem that can occur is that you get overexcited. This can lead to mistakes. When you get excited about your performance, an influx of adrenaline can change your execution, like a quarterback might overthrow his receiver. You have to learn how to control the added energy that accompanies adrenaline. The pitcher who gets too excited about throwing a no-hitter can start to lose his control.

Ride the Wave

When momentum is on your side, you want to ride the wave. The problem is when you don't have momentum, or when you have negative momentum and you feel like the odds are against you. How can you create momentum when you don't have it? To "turn it around" and get on a wave you must start somewhere. You must view each new play, pitch, or shot as a new opportunity to turn the game around. Don't wait for momentum to come by chance. Start with an attitude that views each new play as an opportunity to get back on track and create positive momentum. Say to yourself, "This play is going to get me back on track and spark my game!"