Self-talk in sport: Friend or foe?

If you’ve ever whispered “come on” to yourself before a big moment or told yourself to “just relax” when the pressure rises, you’ve already tapped into self-talk. Athletes at every level use it, often without realising. It can be a brilliant mental skill for boosting confidence, sharpening focus, and staying composed when it matters most. But, like most things in psychology, it’s not always straightforward. Self-talk can be helpful, unhelpful, or sometimes a mix of both.

How do positive affirmations impact athlete mental health? - Team Restoic

Where does self-talk come from?

The idea of self-talk has its roots in psychology more broadly. In the 1970s and 80s, sport psychologists began exploring how the way we talk to ourselves could shape our emotions and behaviour. It built on earlier work in cognitive-behavioural therapy, which highlights the powerful role that thoughts play in shaping feelings and actions.

In sport, researchers started to notice that athletes weren’t just passively experiencing thoughts; they were actively using them. Hardy (2006) reviewed decades of studies and showed that self-talk is not just mental chatter – it can be deliberately trained and directed to enhance performance. Since then, self-talk has become one of the most researched and widely applied tools in sport psychology.

Professional athletes who use it

Some of the most iconic names in sport have leaned on self-talk as part of their mental preparation. Serena Williams is well known for audibly telling herself “You can do this” during matches, using her words to reset her confidence in pressured moments. Tiger Woods, throughout his career, has talked about keeping his self-talk focused on process cues like “smooth tempo” when putting under pressure.

Usain Bolt admitted to using short, energising phrases to get himself into the right mindset before stepping onto the track. Even Andy Murray has spoken openly about the way he talks himself through matches – sometimes positively, sometimes critically – as a way of managing his emotions.

These examples highlight that self-talk isn’t a fringe technique. It’s something used daily by the very best athletes, often in the most intense sporting arenas.

How does self-talk actually work?

Self-talk is powerful because it links thought to action. For example, instructional self-talk helps athletes refine or maintain technical skills. If a golfer tells themselves “straight arms” before a swing, or a footballer quietly repeats “first touch” as they receive the ball, they’re using words to guide their body. Research by Theodorakis et al. (2000) shows that this kind of instructional self-talk improves accuracy and technique, especially in skills that require precision.

Motivational self-talk works in a slightly different way. Phrases like “keep going,” “push through,” or “you’ve got this” don’t necessarily change technique, but they can boost effort, persistence, and confidence. In endurance sports, for instance, this kind of self-talk has been shown to increase time to exhaustion – in other words, athletes can physically keep going for longer when they use positive inner dialogue (Hatzigeorgiadis et al., 2009).

There’s also evidence that self-talk can help with focus. Under pressure, our minds often drift towards distractions – the crowd, the score, or even worries about failing. By giving the brain a specific phrase to latch onto, athletes can direct their attention back to the task at hand.

How to use self-talk effectively

The key with self-talk is to keep it simple and believable. Long, complicated statements don’t work in the heat of competition. Instead, athletes often use short, sharp cues. For example:

A sprinter might say “explode” to focus on their start.

A tennis player might repeat “bounce, hit” to stay in rhythm.

A weightlifter might use “strong” before attempting a heavy lift.

It’s also important to practise self-talk in training. Just like a technical skill, it won’t magically appear under pressure unless it’s been rehearsed. Athletes who treat it as part of their routine – writing down key phrases, trying them in practice, refining what feels right – are more likely to benefit when the pressure is highest.

Finally, personalisation matters. What works for one athlete might not work for another. Some prefer motivational phrases, others prefer technical cues. The important thing is that the self-talk feels natural and fits the situation.

Self-talk in pre-match routines and imagery

One of the most effective ways to get the most out of self-talk is to embed it within a pre-match routine. Many athletes already use rituals before competition – putting on their kit in a certain order, listening to a favourite playlist, or going through a physical warm-up in a set way. Adding self-talk to this routine can strengthen mental readiness. For example, a footballer might repeat “calm and composed” as they lace their boots, or a rugby player might use “strong and solid” before walking onto the pitch. These consistent cues signal to the brain that it’s time to switch into performance mode.

Self-talk also combines well with imagery. When athletes mentally rehearse their performance – visualising a perfect shot, a smooth sprint start, or a calm penalty kick – layering in self-talk makes the image more vivid and powerful. Research suggests that pairing imagery with motivational self-talk enhances both confidence and execution (Tod et al., 2011). For instance, a basketball player imagining themselves sinking a free throw might pair the image with the words “smooth release.” This creates a multi-sensory rehearsal, which makes it more likely to carry over into real performance.

When self-talk becomes unhelpful

Of course, not all self-talk is helpful. Negative self-talk is one of the biggest pitfalls. Telling yourself “don’t miss,” “don’t screw this up,” or “you’re rubbish” rarely leads to good outcomes. Research by Van Raalte et al. (1995) found that junior tennis players who engaged in negative self-talk performed worse in matches, suggesting that criticising yourself mid-performance is counterproductive.

The problem with negative self-talk is twofold. First, it fuels anxiety and doubt, which can make athletes tighten up physically. Second, the brain struggles with negatives. If you say “don’t double fault,” your attention goes straight to the idea of a double fault, rather than focusing on a positive action like “smooth serve.”

There’s also a grey area where self-talk can become obsessive. Some athletes lean so heavily on verbal cues that they overthink their movements, which can actually disrupt performance – especially in sports that require fluid, automatic skills. Baumeister (1984) famously called this “choking under pressure,” where conscious thought interferes with well-learned motor skills.

Reframing the inner voice

One of the most effective ways to tackle unhelpful self-talk is through reframing. Instead of “don’t miss,” athletes can shift to “aim for the target.” Instead of “I’m tired,” they can try “one more push.” This isn’t about pretending everything is positive, but about directing attention to what’s useful in the moment.

It can also help to treat self-talk with a bit of distance. In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, for example, athletes are encouraged to notice their inner voice without always buying into it. Seeing self-talk as just words – rather than absolute truths – makes it easier to let go of the unhelpful ones and focus on actions instead.

Final thoughts

Self-talk is one of those mental skills that everyone uses, whether they realise it or not. For athletes, it can make the difference between collapsing under pressure and holding their nerve. Used well, it helps sharpen focus, boost motivation, and regulate emotions. Used poorly, it can spiral into negativity and self-doubt.

The takeaway is that athletes don’t need to silence their inner voice – they need to train it. Just like practising a skill or building fitness, shaping the way we talk to ourselves is part of becoming a more complete performer. And the good news is, with practice, anyone can learn to make their inner voice a little more of a coach, and a little less of a critic.

References

Baumeister, R. F. (1984). Choking under pressure: Self‐consciousness and paradoxical effects of incentives on skilful performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46(3), 610–620.

Hardy, J. (2006). Speaking clearly: A critical review of the self-talk literature. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 7(1), 81–97.

Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Zourbanos, N., Galanis, E., & Theodorakis, Y. (2009). Self-talk and sports performance: A meta-analysis. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4(4), 348–356.

Theodorakis, Y., Weinberg, R., Natsis, P., Douma, I., & Kazakas, P. (2000). The effects of motivational versus instructional self-talk on improving motor performance. The Sport Psychologist, 14(3), 253–271.

Tod, D., Hardy, J., & Oliver, E. (2011). Effects of self-talk: A systematic review. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 33(5), 666–687.

Van Raalte, J. L., Brewer, B. W., Rivera, P. M., & Petitpas, A. J. (1995). The relationship between observable self-talk and competitive junior tennis players’ match performances. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 17(4), 436–450.