Cue Words
Definition
How Cue words is Used
A short statement said to yourself to refocus your conentration
- Helps stop negative and distracting thoughts that impact your performance
- Used when an athlete needs to refocus or push a little harder
- May be used to battle fatigue or when the athlete is losing their focus
- Ex. falling apart, getting sloppy, near the end and need to push harder
3 Types
Famous athletes who used cue words
1. Personal
3. Short
Sample Exercise
- Find one that works for you
- could be as simple as a single word ex. "tough" or "dominate"
- best way to come up with one is to ask yourself, "If I were the best athlete I could be, how would look or act?"
- This provokes certain words and images to emerge
- Allows you to quickly refocus
- Doesn't interfere with necessary thoughts during performance
- Single word or short statement
- ex. "focus" or "strong, focused, in the game"
- Landin (1994 rugby) suggested that the use of appropriate cue words may aid task focus by increasing focus on task relevant stimuli.
- Hardy (2006 rugby) suggests that the use of cue words may help athletes adjust their focus of attention towards a more appropriate attentional focus for completion of
1. Inhale a breath through your nose lasting a count of 4
2. Hold the breath for 1-2 seconds
Exhale breath through your mouth lasting a count of 4
4. While you are exhaling, state your refocusing cue in your mind
5. Allow exhalation and cue statement to help you refocus on the competition
2. Positive
- Effective in refocusing after making mistakes
- Help focus on what makes you the best you can be, not spending time thinking about the mistake
- Negative self-talk has been linked to performance detriments and anxiety
How Cue Words Work
- The combination of taking deep breaths and saying the cue word, allow the athlete to refocus and decrease muscle tension caused by anxiety
- Allows the athlete to get into the "zone" and clear their mind