The more I work with athletes from a variety of sports, I reach the same conclusion. The most important principle in focus is that ability to focus on the process in the present (here and now.) However, it is not as easy as may be implied. You must define what to focus on – called performance cues.
Performance cues are any thoughts or images that help you perform. Your first task is to identify what performance cues to focus on for your sport. What are the thoughts, images, feelings, targets, etc. that help occupy your mind during execution? Many coaches do not understand this basic principle they may fail to tell you exactly what cues to think about when performing.
Check out The Focused Athlete program for more strategies to focus your best in competition.