Total Concentration

"One of the things Tom (Kite), or any successful pro, does is to accept his bad shots, shrug them off, and concentrate completely on the next one. He has accepted the fact that, as he puts it, "Golf is not a game of perfect." - Dr. Bob Rotella, in Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect

What separates the elite baseball hitter from the average one? One hit a week. That's the difference between hitting .250 (e.g. 125 hits in 500 at bats) and .300 (150 hits in 500 at bats). Exceptional attackers and defenders give away fewer mistakes than ordinary ones.

Focus completely and relentlessly on each action. Whether it's a serve, closing the block, an attack, back set, or serve-receive, be fully engaged.

Many players and some coaches dismiss the mental part of the game. The "head game" crosses over to your home life, relationships, academics, job performance...everything.

Being a fierce competitor doesn't mean being unapproachable or a bad person. Brad Stevens said:

“In 11 years, [I’ve] never had a player in the program that worked his tail off on the defensive end that wasn’t a great teammate/student.” 

The mindset of "superior focus" translates to higher performance across life. It's the "how you do anything is how you do everything." When you've had some success, you want more. And you want it for your family, your "teams" and your "affiliates." 

Coach John Wooden said, "Little things make big things happen." 

The elite competitor devotes more concentration to her work.