Boxing demands a unique combination of reaction, composure, timing, confidence, aggression control, and strategic thinking under pressure.
Many boxers don’t struggle with technique — they struggle with how their mind and nervous system behave during sparring, competition, or high-pressure rounds.
Common issues include:
- Freezing or hesitation before throwing
- Overthinking combinations
- “Gun-shy” reactions after getting hit
- Adrenaline dumps that kill pacing
- Losing composure under pressure
- Stiffness and over-tension
- Poor decision-making mid-round
- Confidence drops after a mistake
- Sparring well but not performing in competition
These problems are rarely about ability — they’re about state management, threat response and mental interference.
At The Excel Practice, I help boxers improve performance using:
- NLP & performance psychology
- Mind-body coaching
- Nervous-system regulation
- Flow state & attention control
- Adapted hypnotherapy (non-visual)
This is psychological performance training for fighters, not motivational hype.
MAIL@THEEXCELPRACTICE.COM OR CALL 07807 540142
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What Boxing Performance Coaching Helps With
People come to me for help with:
- Competition nerves & adrenaline control
- Overthinking during sparring or fights
- Hesitation before committing to strikes
- Composure after taking a shot
- Freezing or shutting down under pressure
- Confidence issues after a loss or bad spar
- Poor pacing due to anxiety, not fitness
- Struggling to “pull the trigger”
- Fear of embarrassment, judgement or injury
- Difficulty entering a calm, focused “flow” state
If you know you’re better in the gym than you are under the lights, this can help.
Why Performance Breaks Down in Boxing
Boxing triggers both physical threat and status threat, which activates the body’s survival system:
- increased heart rate
- tunnel vision
- shallow breathing
- cognitive freeze
- tension and stiffness
- adrenaline spikes
- rushed or poor decisions
This can make even experienced fighters feel:
- slower than usual
- mentally clogged
- gassed too early
- unable to commit
- overly cautious or overly aggressive
This is not weakness — it’s physiology.
Performance improves when the nervous system shifts from threat → challenge state, allowing:
- calm aggression
- cleaner reactions
- better rhythm
- improved timing & accuracy
- strategic clarity
This shift is trainable.
The Mental Game in Professional Boxing
At elite level, boxing performance is shaped as much by emotional regulation, resilience and composure as by physical conditioning. Many professional fighters work deliberately on mindset to manage fear, rebuild confidence after losses, and maintain clarity under pressure.
British champion Brad Pauls has spoken about using mindset coaching to strengthen belief and self-motivation. Heavyweight David Price worked with sports mind coach Terry McElhinney after defeat to overcome psychological barriers, while many modern fighters integrate breath regulation and cognitive performance training to sharpen composure and aggression control.
Mental Fortitude Has Always Been Part of Boxing
Long before modern sports psychology, trainers such as Cus D’Amato emphasised mental toughness, controlled aggression and psychological dominance as core elements of success in the ring. Combat sports have always required not just physical bravery, but emotional control under threat.
Today, mindset work in boxing is structured and deliberate — focused on nervous-system regulation, challenge-state activation and resilience under pressure. It is not motivational talk; it is performance training.
A Modern Mind-Body Approach for Fighters
This coaching blends:
🔹 NLP & Performance Psychology
For:
- internal dialogue
- identity & confidence
- attention control
- post-mistake reset
- ring composure
- fear, hesitation & self-belief
🔹 Nervous-System Regulation
For:
- breath control
- tension release
- pacing
- challenge-state activation
- adrenaline & arousal control
🔹 Flow State & Timing
For:
- cleaner reactions
- reduced interference
- rhythm & timing
- efficient decision-making
🔹 Adapted Hypnotherapy (Non-Visual)
For:
- mental quietening
- integrating new responses
- ring confidence & calm aggression
No visualisation is required — suitable for aphantasia and non-visual thinkers.
Who This Is For
I work with:
- Amateur boxers
- Competitive boxers
- White-collar boxers
- Martial artists cross-training in boxing
- Coaches looking to support mental performance
It applies whether you’re fighting, sparring, or simply want better clarity, confidence, and composure.
Why Boxers Choose The Excel Practice
- 18+ years experience
- Specialist in anxiety, performance & overthinking
- Adapted for fighters & high-pressure environments
- Non-visual coaching suitable for aphantasia
- Over 50 five-star Google reviews
- Works equally well in person and online
Clients often report:
- calmer reactions
- better pacing
- cleaner decision-making
- more confidence under pressure
- reduced hesitation
- stronger aggression control
Locations — Reading, Didcot & Online
Performance coaching available:
- Reading, Berkshire — Mon–Fri
- Didcot, Oxfordshire — Tuesdays
- Online (UK & International) — Zoom/Teams
Working with fighters across Reading, Caversham, Tilehurst, Earley, Woodley, Wokingham, Didcot, Abingdon, Wallingford, Wantage — and worldwide online.
Frequently Asked Questions — Boxing
Is this sports psychology?
It overlaps, but includes mind-body and subconscious integration.
Do I need to visualise?
No. All methods are adapted for non-visual thinkers.
Can this help competition performance?
Yes — especially pacing, composure and clarity under pressure.
Can this help with sparring anxiety?
Very common — and yes, extremely trainable.
How many sessions will I need?
Most athletes notice changes within 3–5 sessions.
Next Steps — Improve How You Perform Under Pressure
If you’re ready to box with:
- clearer reactions
- calmer confidence
- better pacing
- cleaner shot selection
- less hesitation
…performance coaching can help you get there.
MAIL@THEEXCELPRACTICE.COM OR CALL 07807 540142
Book Your Session
Ask a Question
The Tyson–D’Amato Model: Fear, Hypnosis & Mental Conditioning
One of the most well-known examples of psychological conditioning in boxing is the mentorship between Mike Tyson and Cus D’Amato. Their approach centred on controlling fear, building absolute self-belief, and using disciplined repetition to create automatic performance under pressure.
D’Amato taught Tyson that fear is like fire — dangerous if uncontrolled, but powerful if harnessed. Through intense visualization, hypnotic suggestion, and relentless repetition, Tyson trained his nervous system to respond with focus and aggression rather than hesitation. Tyson has spoken openly, including in interviews such as on Joe Rogan’s podcast, about the role hypnosis played in reinforcing confidence and identity at a subconscious level.
The philosophy was simple but extreme: do what you hate to do, but do it like you love it. Confidence was built through repetition until execution became automatic. The mental training was not separate from the physical training — it was integrated into it. The result was a fighter who entered the ring psychologically prepared long before the first bell.