How Champions Think: In Sports and in Life

It is well known that Dr. Bob Rotella has had several successful careers: as the director of sports psychology at the University of Virginia, as an author of eight best selling books and as a teacher of America’s most accomplished athletes, especially golfers. While much of his acclaim is in the sports field with the publication of How Champions Think, Dr. Rotella will gain wider recognition and become better known as a psychologist and teacher of all whose dream is to become “exceptional in their chosen field.” As a weekend golfer I have enjoyed Bob’s previous books and his most recent book, How Champions Think does not disappoint. Bob’s prose flows from golfing greats he has coached to his other clients in college basketball to major league baseball. The personal golfing lesson that hit home for me is that “it is better to love one-putting than to hate three putting.” This lesson has a deeper meeting for me as I consciously record the number of putts I take in in each round and circling three putts, as if I wish to remember my failures rather than my few one-putt greens. Bob’s focus on the positive is throughout How Champions Think but his philosophy is best explained in Chapter Eight… Learned Effectiveness: The Virtuous. While other cognitive psychologist like Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania were evolving from “learned helplessness” to “learned optimism,” Bob was teaching the practical applications of “learned effectiveness” to people who want to be exceptional. Bob acknowledges William James as his role model in the field of psychology I believe both Bob and James would also subscribe to Heraclitus view… “The content of your character is your choice; day to day what you choose, what you think and what you do is what you become.” Bob profiles the character traits of exceptional people, using sports anecdotes to demonstrate traits like: confidence, optimism, patience, and devotion to commitment, perseverance and respect for your own talent. I intend to share How Champions Think with my friends in the post-traumatic growth movement so that they might pass on Bob’s learned effectiveness philosophy to our wounded warriors and others learning how to grow after suffering traumatic injuries. Bob is definitely old school, whether in describing his upbringing in Rutland Vermont or, lesson learned from the nuns in school or the wisdom he has picked up from coaches and mentors in decades of learning from other exceptional successful people. I hope young people will carefully read How Champions Think and follow Bob’s advice to go out and create their own reality. Thanks Bob for sharing your career of counseling all those who want to go for greatness.

I bought this book in 2018 on a recommendation from a fellow dragracer. He loved the aspect of a sports psychologist not being pigeon holed into one sport, but for the athlete themselves. I can say the stories are vivid, and the advice is spot on. Hearing about his work with golfers, as well as Lebron James himself, was what made it humbling. Even the best in the world, need a mental boost from time to time. First weekend racing, after reading the book, I just happened to find the mindset to put me in the winner's circle! I'll try and find screen shots from 3 years ago talking about it to add to this. I'd recommend this book to high schoolers, college students, and anyone who feels they need a, "Mental Edge"

A lot of good in this book if you really want to find it. Those that like to make excuses about what kept them from achieving success, will either hate this book and never 'get it' or Love this book and finally realize what it takes to be a winner.

This book is LITERALLY one of the best books I've ever read in my life and is one of those books I think everyone should read over every single year on the clock. It is such a great reminder of everything it takes to be EXCEPTIONAL and GREAT! I gave this to my brother to read, who is a basketball player, and I think every athlete and every performer and every business owner should read it!

I absolutely LOVED this book. It is so well written. Plain english that gets the main points across clearly and simply. I loved the main premise of the book and I applaud Dr. Bob's frankness. Most experts sugar coat this concept. Basically, you have to divide people into two groups. Those who want to be EXCEPTIONAL and those who don't. If you don't, please don't buy this book. It is not for you. But if 'exceptional' is what you are aspiring to acheive, then this book is the road map that will show you exactly how to get there. I read this book as I was preparing for our National Squash Championships. It really helped me mentally to pull out a victory in a crucial match. THANKS.

This is a read and re-read! If you like sports and back stories this is a great book for mindset and getting out of a funk or even pushing harder.

This book is great. A lot relate to sports (golf, basketball etc) so if you don't know the sports it might not be as relevant, but I loved it. I think a lot is applicable to pro athletes, but you can make it more relevant to you as an everyday person if you understand what Bob means, but take it with a grain of salt. The chapter on dedicating you whole life to your job wasn't relevant, but most every other chapter was. Highly recommend you read this book if you're looking to better yourself and find extra gears you might not otherwise be able to harness.

Good book, with usable insights on almost every page toward the beginning. But Rotella loses steam toward the end and could've used an editor who would've cut portions from the last quarter of the book. When Rotella is in his wheelhouse, talking about his lived experience, he's great. When delivering canned truths about the value of religiosity, he's lost the plot.

Achei algumas partes previsíveis, mas ótimo livro para quem tá precisando mudar um pouco, ou em algum momento complicado da vida.

Lange hatte ich hin und her überlegt, ob ich wirklich ein Buch zu diesem Thema lesen sollte. Dr. Bob Rotella hat mich davon überzeugt, dass es die absolut richtige Entscheidung war! Vorab: Das Buch ist in englischer Sprache, mit grundsoliden Englischkenntnissen ist es allerdings absolut verständlich. Dr. Bob Rotella nimmt viel Bezug auf das Thema Golf, ich hatte allerdings als Nicht-Golferin nie das Gefühl, irgendwo "außen vor" zu sein. Viel mehr hat er es mit diesem Buch geschafft, mir einen (in der Tat absolut unaufdringlich gestalteten) Einblick in den Golfsport und das Umfeld zu geben. Ich versuche hier die Bewertung recht allgemein zu halten, um so nicht zu viel aus dem Buch vorzugreifen. How Champions Think In Sports And In Life dreht sich sehr um das eigene Mindset, unabhängig davon, ob es um das Thema Sport oder Beruf geht. Die verschiedenen Kapitel sind sehr gut durchstrukturiert, man wird in diesem Buch an die Hand genommen und durch die einzelnen Kapitel geführt. Man erhält einen sehr tiefgehenden Einblick in das Thema und seine Denkweise - und hat auch selbst genug "Freiraum", dies auf das eigene Leben und Handeln zu übertragen und einfach darüber nachzudenken. So bin ich auch gerne mal an einer Stelle hängen geblieben, habe inne gehalten - und oft auch einfach nur gedacht "Ja. Kenne ich zu gut." In genau diesen Momenten schafft er es mit einer Leichtigkeit, den Leser wieder an die Hand zu nehmen und Tipps und Beispiele zu geben, wie man es besser machen kann. Dieses Buch ist meiner Meinung nach eine Leseempfehlung für jeden, der danach strebt, die beste Version seiner selbst zu sein - und auch bereit ist, einiges zu überdenken und Tipps mit in das eigene Handeln zu übernehmen. Das Buch verpflichtet nicht - es unterstützt den Leser auf eine sehr angenehme Art und Weise. Für die knapp 300 Seiten kann man sich Zeit lassen, man kann es allerdings auch wirklich kurzum "durchziehen" - auch wenn das sicherlich nicht die eigentliche Intention des Autors ist/war. Fünf Sterne gibt es von meiner Seite, weil das Buch einfach rundum stimmig und schön zu lesen ist. Eine Kaufempfehlung!

My fav book on mindset. Lots of great stories the author explains through his own experiences

Love this book!