What's Your Go-To-Plan In Moments That Matter?

Graham Winter, Performance Psychologist

Performing Under Pressure

Do you need a way to ‘keep it simple’ in the moments that matter (like starting your innings or when momentum has shifted)?

Create, practice and use Go-to-Plans because these work brilliantly for cricketers, coaches, Olympic athletes and even business leaders and parents when they’re under pressure. 

Super Simple is Best

A Go-To-Plan is super simple because when you are in the moments that matter only three things really matter:

Basics. Do the basics really well.

Strengths. Bring your strengths into play.

Pressure. Apply pressure to your opponents or the situation.

Here’s a Match Example

Two batsmen were pinned down in a recent 20/20 game but they backed their Game Mindset skills (Clear Mind. Play Brave. Play Clever. Play Better).

Their Go-to-Plan….

  1. Basics - Stay composed, work the ball to gaps, hold your shape

  2. Strengths - Placement, judgement of a run, use the pace of the ball, chip the infield

  3. Pressure - work with partner to challenge the infield with quick singles, glide wide of keeper, force the skipper to change the field, then chip for 2’s. 

The Result...

Within two overs momentum had shifted. The captain overreacted to the quick singles, and opened up gaps which the batters used for two’s. Bowlers shifted their line and length, and soon it was them who needed a Go-to-Plan.

Create Your First Go-to-Plan

Every practice session can be about practising the three elements of your Go-to-Plans (basics, strengths, pressure). That’s combining mindset development and technique development.

Answer these three questions to prepare for your first five minutes of batting or bowling…

  1. What basics are important? (eg: head still, watch the ball, maintain rhythm)

  2. What strengths do you bring? (eg: solid defence, accurate stock ball)

  3. How do I apply pressure? (eg: quick singles, shut down the scoring opportunities)

The power of a Go-To-Plan lies less in the content of the plan and more in the confidence and focus from having one to fall back on in those moments that matter.

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