When you play in front of a big crowd—or one that’s booing you or talking trash—it’s easy to feel distracted.
In this article, I’m going to give you three tips to help you handle crowd pressure and stay focused on your game.
But before we get to those tips, let’s look at why crowd pressure affects you in the first place.
Why Crowd Pressure Hurts Performance
The biggest reason crowd pressure impacts your game is that it causes your attention to drift.
When you’re practicing, there’s not much noise. You can stay locked in on what you’re doing. But during games, especially with a loud or hostile crowd, your attention shifts.
Instead of focusing on your performance, you start thinking about the crowd.
You might start wondering what they’re thinking. You may feel upset if they’re yelling things at you. You could feel the urge to prove them wrong—or impress them if they’re friends or family.
All of this takes your attention off the game and places it on things you can’t control.
This drifting attention leads to two major problems:
- Trying to impress the crowd – When you want to show off or look good for others, you end up forcing your performance. You try too hard instead of allowing yourself to play freely.
- Playing not to fail – If you’re focused on proving people wrong, you may play scared. You start making safe plays, hesitating, and underperforming.
The key to handling crowd pressure is staying locked in. Here are three strategies you can use.
Tip 1: Keep Your Goals Simple
One of the main ways crowd pressure messes with your mindset is by making your goals too big.
Let’s take the example of a basketball player. If you’re playing in a small arena with a loud crowd, it’s easy to feel like you have to be perfect. You may start telling yourself, “I have to score 30 points tonight,” or “I need to prove everyone wrong.”
These are outcome goals—and they’re not helpful when you’re under pressure.
Instead, you need to simplify.
Ask yourself, “What’s one or two things I can focus on to play well?”
Maybe it’s staying aggressive on defense. Maybe it’s driving to the hoop. Whatever it is, keep it simple and within your control.
This came up in a recent coaching session. One of my athletes was telling me about a pressure moment in a game. He felt like he had to come up clutch for his team and hit a big shot. I asked him, “What’s different about that situation?”
At first, he said it was the pressure. But when I asked, “What’s different about the actual game?” he paused and said, “Nothing. The game is the same.”
That’s the point. The game doesn’t change. So, your goals shouldn’t either. Stick to the basics and trust your training.
Tip 2: Center Yourself With Breath
Peak performance happens when you’re fully present. But when you’re focused on the crowd—whether it’s remembering a past mistake, worrying about what people think, or imagining how to impress them—you’re not present.
You can’t play your best when your mind is in the past or future.
This is where your breath comes in. A deep breath centers you. It brings you back to the moment. It helps you reset your focus.
You can use your breath before an at-bat, before a serve, during a timeout, or even while you’re running up the field. Just one simple breath can shift your focus from the crowd to the court.
I also recommend count breathing. Inhale for a certain count and exhale for a certain count. That gives your mind something concrete to focus on and anchors you in the now.
Tip 3: Visualize Yourself Handling Crowd Pressure
This is my favorite tip because I’ve seen it work so well for athletes.
You want to mentally rehearse handling crowd pressure. Don’t just visualize the game going perfectly. Visualize yourself in a tough environment—with a loud, hostile crowd—and still playing well.
A great example comes from a tennis player I worked with. She was preparing for a match against a team that always gave her trouble—not just because they were good, but because their crowd was intense. They booed, talked trash, and cheered loudly for the other team.
So, I had her spend the week before the match visualizing herself dealing with the crowd and playing well. She shared it with her teammates, and they did the same. By the time the match came around, it wasn’t new to them. They had already experienced it in their minds.
They went on to win—and she said the visualization helped tremendously.
Instead of hoping the crowd won’t get to you, prepare for it. Train your mind like you train your body. By visualizing yourself staying calm and focused in the face of pressure, you build the confidence to do it for real.
Final Thoughts
So, here’s a quick summary of the three tips:
- Keep your goals simple and controllable – Don’t let the crowd make you chase perfection.
- Use your breath to center yourself – One deep breath can bring your focus back to the present.
- Visualize yourself handling crowd pressure – Prepare your mind by seeing yourself succeed in tough situations.
If you’d like more help developing your mental game, I offer one-on-one coaching.
I’ve also created two online courses:
And if you’re more of a reader, check out my books:
Thank you for reading and I wish you the best of success in all that you do.
