I utilize hypnosis with golfers and with athletes from virtually every sport imaginable.
Hypnosis can be used to build confidence, manage stress, improve focus, clarify goals, better relationships, obtain insight, improve motivation as well as for pain management.
These are very important matters for the golfer-athlete.
For example, recently a golfer who came to see me because he found himself becoming quite tense when he played golf.
Some therapists or hypnotists might have simple taught this man a self-hypnotic technique which could promote increased relaxation. While there is nothing wrong with this idea, I believe it is important to learn as much as possible about the cause and the etiology of a person’s anxiety.
While taking a history from this man, he explained to me that he is most tense when he competes against his regular playing partner who happens to be his older brother.
We discussed the nature and history of their competitiveness and their sibling rivalry. Apparently, my client felt that he could never beat his “big brother” at golf or for that matter at anything. To make matters worse, his brother was the senior person in the family business.
I explained how hypnosis might be helpful to this man. He agreed to try a hypnotic exercise. I helped him into a comfortable trance and suggested that imagine that he was the older brother. He enjoyed being in this powerful role very much. He was able to see himself as being capable an empowered. He had difficult viewing himself in this manner, particularly where his brother was concerned, prior to the hypnotic exercise in my office.
He loved the hypnotic experience very much and he went on to beat his brother by five strokes the next time they played with one another.
He called me on Monday morning to share the big news about his victory with me.
“Doc, I did it. I finally beat him at something.”
Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist and the founder of http://www.stayinthezone.com He has written several books and developed several programs to help people perform to their fullest potential at sports, at work and at school. Dr. Granat, a former university professor, has appeared in The New York Times, Good Morning America, AP, ESPN, Golf Digest, The BBC and The CBC. He can be reached at info@stayinthezone.com. His books include Zone Tennis and Get Into The Zone In Just One Minute. He is also the author of How To Get Into The Zone With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis, How To Lower Your Golf Score With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis, 101 Ways To Break Out Of A Hitting Slump and Bed Time Stories For Young Athletes. Golf Digest named Dr. Granat one of America’s Top Ten Mental Gurus. He was recently featured in a documentary film on long distance running. Dr. Granat writes a weekly column for three newspapers.
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