Serious athletes in any sport have a planned approach to reaching "the zone", that magical time frame of playing at near perfection. To maintain that approach, they must limit the distractions that cause self doubt, says the July issue of the Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter.

According to Robert M. Nideffer, Ph.D., author of "Psyched To Win," athletes can do this by cultivating faith in themselves. Faith for athletes means believing in themselves, blocking out the inner voice of doubt and persisting in the face of adversity.

In addition, faith combines belief in oneself and acting in the absence of success. That explains why athletes persist in a tried-and-true method despite the apparent lack of positive results, the newsletter says.

Playing in "the zone" on a regular basis requires not only self-discipline, but also physical and mental skills that have been honed over time, according to the newsletter.

"It also means learning how to be comfortable with occasional doubts and unsure outcomes," Nideffer says. "People who achieve peak performances realize they won't play in `the zone' every time out."

But successful athletes trust themselves to play through hard times. Less thoughtful athletes look for quick-fix miracles -- equipment changes, new playing partners, superficial technical adjustments -- when their luck turns sour.

The most difficult opponent faced by athletes is inside the mind, the newsletter adds.