Dr. Cohn’s Answer:

It's great that you love to practice, but it is possible to practice too much. To improve, you have to train a lot and train the right way as we have discussed earlier. It seems you have plenty of motivation to train and improve. But often I see players who get too comfortable with practice. What I mean is that they enjoy practicing more than playing. These players are stuck in a training mentality. They are most confident on the practice floor. When they actually play, they don't feel as comfortable because they have not developed playing confidence.

If this sounds like you, back off on the amount of practice you do and start to play more. A good rule is to play as much as you practice. Too much practice can also cause you to become stale and burn out. It's hard to be fresh and excited about your sport if you practice so much that you are tired and drained before you play. You can also be more prone to overuse injuries, and that's not a good way to prepare to perform your best.

A good alternative practice different things. If it's golf, hit a shot around a tree, or hit a shot from a lie that is a trouble spot. For basketball, try shots that trouble you or work strictly on dribbling or passing.  Practice can be more creative and specific to the shots you will need to make in a game.

If you spend every day practicing without much play, you probably practice too much. If you have a nagging injury, you probably practice too much. If you like to practice more than play, you also practice too much.

Dr. Patrick Cohn, Ph.D., Master Mental Game Coach

http://www.jumpusa.com/single_grip_handle_balls.html