Adidas have partnered with Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Arsenal forward Stina Blackstenius to explore the pressure of penalty shootouts. Their research, working alongside sports neuroscientists neuro 11, seeks to show how elite players are able to manage their emotions during key moments of the game. The study showed Martinez was in an optimal mental space 90% more than normal during spot-kicks, three times more effective than a grassroots goalkeeper. Argentine stopper Martinez said: "Penalty shootouts are one of the most high-pressure moments of the game but for me, I see it as an opportunity to channel that energy to my advantage.
"When standing on the goal line, I try to maintain a clear mindset and stay focused. I allow my intuition to play a role, paying close attention to what the shooter is doing — their run up, their body shape — and use this to form my decision on what my next movement is. "Following my session with adidas and neuro11, it was interesting to see data which proved that when the pressure is on, I am more in the zone and perform better — as it reinforced my own evaluation." Swedish ace Blackstenius was twice as effective as a grassroots player, able to get 23% more in the optimal zone for taking a spot-kick.
She said: ''There's no denying that taking a penalty feels extremely pressurised for me. "This largely stems from my previous experience of missing a crucial one during a European Championship when I was 17, which is why I now find it quite difficult to detach myself from this emotion and fully focus. "However, after my session with adidas and neuro11, I've managed to identify my set routine that can avoid overthinking kicking in." Adidas have unveiled a four-part fly-on-the-wall athlete series aiming to show how elite sportspeople are able to enhance mental focus during pressure moments. As part of their You Got This campaign, adidas hope to help everyday athletes achieve their possibilities in sport. Florian Alt, VP Global Brand Comms at adidas added: "Understanding the extent to which negative pressure affects performance underlines the importance of our mission to help athletes across the world overcome it — to fully unlock the joy sport brings. "Ahead of a stellar year of sport, we've set out to inspire next-gen athletes to tackle pressure by giving them unique insight into how some of the world's best athletes manage pressure. "Using the latest in neuroscience data and research, we have also released tools and techniques to help empower everyone to disarm pressure in sport. "We hope this campaign enables athletes to get back to what they love about the game by reminding them with our positive rallying cry — you got this."
