Winning tug of war (especially NIU Tugs) is not determined by strength any more than a race is won by the car with the most horsepower. Physics plays a big role in Tugs. The team with the better technique can impose the most torque against their opponent. Strength in the weight room does not necessarily translate to strength on the rope, either. A strong tugger with a weak pinch/grip is not going to maintain a strong rope hold for a long period of time. Timing is a big factor. When 9 men "hit" in sych, they are able to exact much more pressure on the other team than if they were slightly off in their timing. Mental toughness comes into play. Some teams/individuals simply want it more. An athlete has the ability to use his mind to negotiate with his body to pace himself and last longer than his opponent. The metaphor of "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link" is relevent. If any of the tuggers on the line breaks during a hang, the rest of the team won't be able to support him and they will lose leverage - so there is a lot to be said of teamwork. Strategy is a significant component. On many occasions I've seen superior coaching/calling of a match allow smaller teams to win out over larger, stronger, heavier teams.

Use your head.

Feign weakness; for example, in response to a tug, give more than you might normally. Do that a few times, then later on when your opponent gets a bit overconfident, he might not expect you to yank the rope in response to his tug.

You might catch him off guard, if you do, seize the opportunity and pull for all you're worth.