We’re Just Getting Warmed Up with Dr. Rob Smith, S01 Ep07
Guest: Dr. Rob Smith (performance psychologist, author) — “Shooting Out of Your Mind: Energy, Focus, and the Quiet Reps”
Episode Summary
Performance psychologist and author Dr. Rob Smith joins Drew to talk about how athletes (and the rest of us) actually prepare to perform. Using basketball shooting as the on-ramp, they dig into energy management, pre-shot and pre-performance routines, and why “focus is really re-focus.” Along the way: Caddyshack one-liners, the Steph Curry warm-up as proprioceptive masterclass, the speed–accuracy tradeoff, and turning free throws into a walking meditation. Rob shares practical tools—goal-setting checklists, breathing, visualization, the “review-revise-refocus” reset—and explains why you shouldn’t try new skills on game day. They also hit writing and presenting warm-ups (leave a sentence unfinished; outline to your “one thing”), and why curiosity beats judgment when you miss short or long.
About the Guest
Dr. Rob Smith is a performance psychologist, longtime athlete, and black belt martial artist whose work helps teams and performers build durable mental skills. He’s the author of Black Belt for Life and Shooting Out of Your Mind—a workbook-style guide to the mental game of basketball and transferable performance habits. He consults with universities and teams on confidence, concentration, and healthy team culture.
Links & References
Connect with the Show
Suggestions for future guests or fields? Comment, email drewschrader [at] gmail [dot] com, or join the Substack for deeper dives and warm-up experiments.
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Credits
Host: Drew Schrader
Guest: Dr. Rob Smith
Producer: Margie Schrader
Tags
Performance psychology, basketball, shooting, warm-ups, energy management, pre-shot routine, Steph Curry, proprioception, visualization, breathing, focus, refocus, flow, film study, pattern recognition, free throws, walking meditation, writing routine, presenting, team culture, confidence, curiosity over judgment
