“In this book, I will present the highlights of my research. I will dig deeply into the constituents of pressure, how it manifests in penalty shootouts, and describe and explain how the world’s best (and some of the worst) penalty takers cope and maintain performance under some of the most extreme pressure conditions that exist in sport. …
However, the focus is not only on footballers and their penalty kicks—it is as much on the experience and management of stress itself. As we shall see, the way that successful penalty takers perform under pressure is not only about a physical act, a kick at a ball. To be perfectly honest, I am personally not even that interested in the penalty kick itself. What happens to the ball after the foot has struck it is not my primary focus. It is all about the pressure that is on before the kick, what players think and feel, what they do, how they relate to and communicate with others. This is where the magic happens. And this is where the broader lessons are. Not many of us will be asked to take a penalty for our country in a World Cup shootout. But all of us will face pressure of some kind in our lives, and maybe it would be useful to know what we can do to prepare ourselves, overcome our fear of failure and survive, and even thrive, in those big-pressure moments.”
~ Geir Jordet from Pressure
Pressure.
We ALL feel it in various aspects of our lives.
And... Few human beings feel it quite as acutely as a soccer player getting ready to take a penalty kick to win a World Cup—which is one of the reasons why this book is such a fascinating read.
As per the sub-title, Geir Jordet gives us “Lessons from the Psychology of the Penalty Shootout.” The wisdom is based on his work as Professor in Psychology and Football at the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences.
Yes, you read that right. Geir is a Professor in Psychology AND FOOTBALL (!) at a university in Norway that is EXCLUSIVELY focused on “Sports Sciences.” Apparently, those Norwegians are serious about their football. That’s awesome. LET’S GO!
Geir has served as the personal psychology advisor to over 130 professional players across all major European leagues and has worked with more than 60 professional teams.
His specialty? You guessed it... PENALTY KICKS.
As per the front flap: “The penalty shootout is the most intense drama in sport. The anxious wait, the building dread, the lonely, heavy-legged walk towards the penalty spot. One kick while the world holds its breath. Even football’s most casual observers cannot escape the nerve wracking suspense.”
Geir explores answers to these questions: “What happens to a footballer’s brain and body in these heart-pounding moments of pressure? Why do some thrive and others choke? When the game goes to penalties, what ultimately separates triumph from disaster?”
I got this book after working with some elite athletes and coaches in Europe. I can’t remember which of the coaches referenced it but they HIGHLY recommended it so I IMMEDIATELY got it and read it in basically one sitting. It’s fantastic. (Get a copy here.)
It’s PACKED with Big Ideas. I’m excited to share some of my favorites so let’s jump straight in!
P.S. Check out Peak Performance 101 for some of my favorite Big Ideas on the subject of performing under pressure. And... Check out our Notes on another book on the science of performing under pressure called Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To by Sian Beilock.
P.P.S. Check out this 2024 commencement address by tennis legend Roger Federer. Fun fact: Federer gave that talk at Dartmouth where Sian Beilock happens to be the president.
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