Books: Psychology of Motorsport Success

How to improve your performance with mental skills training By Dr Paul Castle Publication Date: OUT NOW!RRP: £19.99, HB, ISBN: 9 781844 254958

Writing in the Foreword, John Surtees MBE sums it up succinctly: "In the world of sport we are forever seeing examples of talent being squandered by the sports person not being able to focus on how best to use their ability."Don't squander your talent. Buy this book.

Motorsport is a highly addictive and extremely exciting activity, whether this is from the perspective of competitor or spectator. At the highest levels, financial backing is phenomenal, technical expertise is almost beyond comprehension, and pressure to succeed is immense. However, there is one potential 'weak link' in the chain: the human mind. Very few competitors are schooled in the use of psychology to help to develop the mental strength required to be the best of the best, and many racers would undoubtedly benefit from elements of psychological skills training while they are learning race craft.

At the top level of motorsport, drivers and riders work with Sport Psychologists as part of their regular training regimes, but all competitors, whatever their level of competition, can benefit from an insight into how to hone psychological aspects such as positive thinking, concentration, motivation, self-confidence and self-esteem.

This extensively illustrated book aims to highlight the importance of psychology in competitive motorsport, on both two and four wheels, and to provide practical guidance on how to prepare mentally for the challenge of racing. The advice and techniques discussed should, with practice, improve a competitor's mental approach to preparing for motorsport and, in many cases, can help to give a racer the edge over his or her rivals.

The down-to-earth text explores physical issues related to successful psychological functioning, such as fitness, nutrition and the brain's reward system, and then takes recognised techniques and employs them in the context of motorsport. Specific examples from road and circuit racing are used throughout.

Dr Paul Castle is a Chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist. Having taken a sabbatical from his motorsport consultancy, Brain-Tuned Sport Psychology Solutions, he is currently employed as a Senior Lecturer and Director of the Sport Performance & Coaching Centre at the University of Worcester. He has worked as a sports psychologist in the motorsport arena since 2002, both with motorcycle and car racing teams.


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