Goal setting in any field and time of your life always turns out to be effective. A goal is something you wish to and plan to accomplish. The process of goal setting in sports works the same. The whole process includes establishing the goals, refining it and evaluating it continuously until you accomplish it. This is an important part of performance psychology where goals and objectives are set to enhance your productivity on and off the play field. It is one of the proven ways as many athletes from decades have practiced goal setting and majority of them have found it effective. 

A sportsperson might have already tried and tested it, but non-athletic people can also capture greater benefits out of it. However, here let’s discuss this interesting process from the point of view of an athlete. 

Sports Performance Training - Types Of Goals 

According to sports psychology, goals act as cognitive regulators or drivers of every goal-directed behavior. Under the board concept of goal setting in sports performance training, there are mainly three broad categories: 

• Outcome Goals

Outcome goals are set with an intention to relative compete better than others doing the same activity. The goals are set in a social comparison and winning. For instance, beating an individual teammate/opponent, reaching in the finals, etc. 

• Performance Goals

These goals are based on levels of personal achievement. In simpler words, you’re competing with yourself to perform better than the previous time. For example, jump to a certain level, run at a defined speed range, score at least 2 goals etc. 

• Process Goals

Here, the set goals have a broader scope than other outcome and performance goals. These might include, controlling your breathing techniques, imaging the flight of the golf ball in your mind, focusing on maintaining a posture on the court etc. 

According to many sports studies, using a combination of goal types proves to be the most effective than using any single type. 

Are these goals effective?  

Goal setting is widely known and practiced techniques in sports psychology. It is meant as an integral part of mental sports performance training which is designed to maximize an athlete's potential. These goals are seen as a medium to support, build confidence and enhance motivation in each individual. 

Effectiveness of goal solely depends on the individual practicing it. Setting a goal is easy, but to keep a track of it and work in accordance to achieve it plays a crucial role. To understand the mechanism or say relationship of goal-setting and performance, the experts have divided how the goals influence task performance in four main ways: 

• Direct attention to the task.
• Promote increases in effort.
• Encouragement in persistence in the times of failure.
• Promotion of new task-relevant strategies in order to achieve the goal.

The mechanism of goal setting works differently for each individual. 

In a nutshell, goal setting works only for those who are determined to work for it. If you’re an athlete who is looking to train yourself to achieve the bigger goals at your sports field, there is no better place to find assistance than Henset Sports. Their sports performance training has benefitted many. With simple, effective and interactive ways to coach and train athletes, they have become one of the greatest experts like none other. Visit Hensey Sports to learn more about their process and achievements in sports psychology and training. 

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