Adidas collaborates with athletes and neuroscientists to understand and tackle negative pressure in sports, providing insights and guidance to help athletes at all levels reach their full potential.
Understanding the Impact of Pressure in Sports
( Credit to: Footofan )
Adidas is taking a stand against negative pressure in sports and aims to help athletes at all levels overcome it. The brand has partnered with elite and grassroots athletes to understand the impact of pressure on performance and explore how the best athletes manage it. By using neuroscience, Adidas aims to provide insights and guidance to help everyday athletes disarm pressure and reach their full potential in sports.
Extensive research conducted by Adidas revealed that both grassroots athletes and elite athletes experience intense levels of pressure in high-stakes moments. However, elite athletes were found to be up to 40% more effective at managing pressure during these moments. To bridge this gap, Adidas has collaborated with neuroscientists from neuro11 to understand how negative pressure affects performance and provide practical guidance on how athletes can overcome it.
Neuroscience and the Optimal Zone for Performance
To gain insights into the impact of pressure, Adidas and neuro11 studied the brain activity of elite and grassroots athletes during high-pressure situations such as penalty shootouts, crucial putts in golf, and must-make free-throws in basketball. The findings demonstrated that elite athletes were better prepared to handle pressure and reach the optimal zone, where the brain is relaxed but focused, leading to optimal performance.
For example, during the penalty shootout tests, FIFA World Cup winner Emiliano MartÃnez showed exceptional mental ability to switch his focus from distractions and concentrate solely on the penalty taker. As a result, he was 90% more in the optimal zone compared to the grassroots goalkeeper, making him three times more effective at harnessing pressure. Similarly, WNBA All-Star Nneka Ogwumike demonstrated the importance of having a consistent pre-shot routine in basketball, which helped her get 52% more in the optimal zone compared to the grassroots player.
In golf, the study revealed that shorter putts created more pressure on the putting green. Elite golfer Ludvig Ã…berg was able to get 71% more in the optimal zone during long-distance putts compared to the grassroots golfer. These insights highlight the impact of pressure on performance and provide valuable guidance for athletes at all levels.
Empowering Athletes to Overcome Pressure
Adidas is committed to helping athletes disarm pressure in sports and realize their potential. The brand is releasing a range of athlete stories, expert insights, and neuroscience-powered guidance materials. These resources will provide techniques and strategies for athletes to access the optimal zone and enhance mental focus during high-pressure moments in sports.
Through a global brand campaign, Adidas will showcase how sporting icons handle pressure in high-stakes moments, inspiring everyday athletes to do the same. The campaign will include star-studded content, activations, and collaborations with major sporting events. Adidas aims to empower the next generation of athletes and remind them that they have the ability to overcome pressure and achieve their goals in sports.
The campaign's message is clear: with the positive rallying cry of "You Got This," Adidas encourages athletes to believe in themselves and their ability to conquer pressure. By providing valuable insights and tools, Adidas hopes to help athletes rediscover the joy of sports and unlock their full potential. The campaign will be available on Adidas' social media channels, including Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, starting from February 8th, 2024.
Conclusion: Overcoming Pressure and Achieving Possibilities
In conclusion, Adidas is using neuroscience and athlete insights to understand and tackle negative pressure in sports. Through research and collaboration with neuroscientists, Adidas aims to provide guidance and techniques to help athletes at all levels overcome pressure and achieve their possibilities in sports. The campaign will inspire and empower athletes to believe in themselves and their ability to handle pressure, reminding them that they have what it takes to succeed.