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The book contains the secrets of success, and it applies as much to most forms of life’s endeavour as it does to sport When you understand that pressure is part and parcel of your life and that there are things you can do to control Wit, you will face up to it in a positive way and use it to your advantage.’ – Rahul Dravid

Rudi Webster, a doctor who has done pioneering work in the field of sports psychology, draws up a fail-safe recipe for on-the-ground performance optimization in this remarkable book. He ropes in some of the world’s finest sportsmen to explain their own success techniques: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman, Clive Lloyd, Dennis Lillee, Wasim Akram, Jacques Kallis and Sir Garry Sobers. They talk about the four interconnected pillars that performance in sport is built on: fitness, technique, strategy and mental skill – but, unanimously, they declare that the mental pillar is the most important. At the highest level of sport, it is this skill that determines how well the other components are combined and executed.

Dr Webster’s book aims to optimize every aspect of a player’s form and performance. Through inventive techniques, especially visualization and mental rehearsal, he reinforces the practice of a physical skill so that it is learned more quickly and imprinted more powerfully in the mind – and thus better executed. Says ace cricketer V.V.S. Laxman, ‘These two techniques help a player improve dramatically. Every young player should […] make them an important part of their practice and preparation routine.’