It has been well documented how important the mental side of golf is and yet most of us only spend time practicing technique and looking for the piece of equipment that might make the difference. Hypnotherapy really can help take your game to the next level and the best part is, you can do it from the comfort of your own home.
Firstly, I would like to thank a gentleman I taught in Belgium for encouraging me to undertake my journey into hypnotherapy. Philippe had a number of lessons with me and continually reproduced the same swing fault. Without a ball, Phillippe would would swing perfectly but as soon as the ball was in front of him, he reverted to the way he perceived he should do it. I have since learnt that this was due to his conscious critical faculty. His mind was blocking him from making the change. His subconscious mind simply wouldn’t accept that the change was the right thing to do. Hypnotherapy provides the template to bypass the guard in the mind to make the changes necessary. If only I had known this at the time, I could have saved Philippe (and myself) a great deal of frustration but thanks to him I began a fascinating journey. I have since contacted him and we’ve had a couple of online meetings which he says have helped enormously.
Hypnosis for golf helps on multiple levels. Not only can it help people to make meaningful changes to their technique but perhaps even more importantly it can help improve the overall mental processes such as confidence, visualisation, positivity and focus which are so important if you want to achieve your potential.
“A bad attitude is worse than a bad swing”
Payne Stewart
There are hundreds of quotes from top class golfers and coaches on how important the mental approach is to golf. Tiger Woods is well documented in his use of hypnosis to help with his golf. All tour professionals will be working as hard on their mental approach as they do on their technique and fitness. And yet, most club golfers neglect this area completely and spend their time instead, spending hundreds of pounds searching for the elusive piece of equipment that will make the difference and practicing and tweaking their technique on the practice ground.
“Success in golf depends less on strength of body
than upon strength of mind and character.”
Arnold Palmer
The power of your mind is one of your most powerful tools in developing and improving your game. Your imagination and visualisation is key.
Arvaro Pascual-Leone is a developmental psychologist who conducted research at the Harvard Medical School. He conducted an experiment by using a magnetic coil that enabled him to decipher neurological development within the brain. Volunteers were asked to practice a piano exercise for 2 hours each day for days. He noted that the motor cortex devoted to those finger movements expanded like “dandelions on a lawn”. He then conducted the same experiment but instead of playing the notes, the volunteers simply had to look at the piano and imagine playing. Pascual-Leone saw the same development in the specific motor cortex. Mental practice had the same effect as physical practice and even more importantly had the ability to change the physical structure of the brain.
Major James Nesbeth was an average golfer who generally shot in the low 90’s. He fought and was captured in the Vietnam war. He spent 7 years in captivity and in order to cope with the extreme trauma he imagined playing a round of golf every day. He imagined the entire round in all its detail. The exact shots he hit, who he was playing with, even the sounds and smells. It helped him cope. On his release and after a brief recovery period he headed to the course and promptly shot 74. A full 20 shots better than his previous level.
There are countless stories like this. The power of positive thought and visualisation is not limited to elite golfers, it’s there for everyone to use.
Hypnotherapy really is a game changer.
Jason Bowen
Tel: 07470 805 041