Today I’ve got a special guest for you: Tuck Taylor, a mental performance specialist and founder of NeuroBeast. Tuck works with our OTA athletes here in Tampa Bay and with athletes worldwide through his virtual coaching. We’ve had a lot of conversations behind the scenes about where sports performance is heading, and I believe this piece is going to open some eyes.
What Is Mental Performance Training?
When athletes or parents hear “mental performance,” they often think of psychology: anxiety, confidence, focus. Yes, that’s part of it. Mental performance training helps athletes with:
- Pregame routines
- Managing anxiety
- Building mental habits that support performance
But there’s another side that most people miss: the cognitive side.
The Cognitive Side of Performance
A lot of athletes struggle not because of bad mechanics but because their brains are overloaded with stimulus:
- Too many distractions (social media, crowd noise, pressure)
- Slow reaction time
- Poor decision making under stress
- Mental fatigue that shows up physically
Tuck’s work focuses on expanding athletes’ cognitive capacity, upgrading the brain’s processor so they can:
- React faster
- Make better decisions
- Maintain impulse control
- Stay locked in when it matters most
Think of it like upgrading your iPhone. Same athlete, but sharper, faster, more efficient.
The Process: From Vision to Decision-Making
Just like strength training, mental performance requires progression. Random drills aren’t enough. Here’s the system Tuck uses with athletes:
- Sports Vision Training
- Eyes are the window to the brain. If the eyes can’t process clearly, the brain can’t either.
- Tools like the Brock string and eye tracking drills improve convergence, divergence, and rapid focus shifts.
- Eye–Hand Coordination
- Tennis ball drills progress from simple to advanced.
- Builds sharper reflexes and quicker reactions.
- Eye–Foot Coordination
- Using “dot drills” with colored cues to train footwork and cognitive processing together.
- Athletes must respond to coach cues or visual changes, replicating game like unpredictability.
- Dynamic, Gross Motor Drills
- Superset style training blends movement patterns with problem solving.
- Athletes learn to organize information under pressure and adapt on the fly.
This is where neuroplasticity kicks in, the brain rewires itself through experience. The more situations athletes face in training, the sharper their decision making becomes in competition.
Why This Matters
We’ve all seen athletes with insane physical tools who crumble when the game gets chaotic.
- They look the part but make poor decisions.
- They can’t tune out distractions.
- They freeze under pressure.
Then you’ve got the athlete who might not be the most gifted physically but always seems locked in, calm, and clutch.
That’s the difference mental performance makes.
Better cognitive ability means:
- Faster skill acquisition
- Sharper decision-making
- The ability to “stay present” when everything is on the line
Think Steph Curry or Kobe Bryant that killer instinct comes from the ability to focus, process, and execute without mental interference.
Changing the Game
Tuck and I have been working together for over a year now with OTA athletes in their off seasons. The results have been remarkable. Not only do we see better on field performance, but athletes carry themselves with more confidence and clarity.
This isn’t just theory; it’s a game changer for athlete development.
Final Thoughts
Just like strength training has progression, so does mental performance training. When you respect the process and build from foundational drills up to advanced, game like scenarios, you’re literally reshaping how the brain performs under pressure.
This is the next frontier in sports performance.
Want to learn more? Check out Tuck Taylor and NeuroBeast.
Neuro Beast HQ – Online Mental Performance Training – Mental Performance Training
