Hypnotherapy for Sports Performance

Increasingly, hypnotherapy for sports performance is used by many people to improve their performance in sports. Applied hypnosis techniques are commonly used by top international golfers, tennis players, athletes, cricketers, rugby players, boxers, in fact all sports performances can be enhanced by hypnotherapy for sports performance.

I am a Certified Mind Factor Coach having trained with Dr Karl Morris who has worked with many of the top golfers: Darren Clarke, Charl Schwartzel, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen, Paul McGinley, David Howell, along with former World Number One, Lee Westwood.

Hypnosis is an extremely powerful method used by many elite athletes to visualize the desired outcome. It is well documented and indeed accepted that the psychological element is often a deciding factor, particularly when high pressure situations can induce feelings of panic. The ability to calm the body and concentrate on the action necessary for success, or simply put “to get in the zone”, is often the difference between success and failure.

During the Rugby World Cup 2015, there were many examples of visualization and techniques employed to screen out the outside distractions and to focus on the moment and the required approach. This was particularly apparent when watching the goal kickers. Noting, the movement of the head from the ball to the target as they visualised the kick, the complete concentration on the ball, body position and relaxation of the body before the strike.

The exercise of rehearsal in the mind, in essence mindfulness for the athlete is often a result of guidance from a hypnotherapist who will work with the athlete, to bring the mental performance to full fitness and capability. This is an important a part of the training regime as is nutrition and gym work.

Hypnosis is an effective way of achieving peak performance by:

• relaxing and calming, making way for clear thinking
• focusing undivided attention on a chosen goal and intensifying concentration
• creating a clear vision of winning through ‘rehearsals’ of your best performance
• stimulating mental agility to practise strategies to stay ahead of opponents and pre-empt their moves
• overcoming mental barriers and doubts through the power of positive thinking

There are many other ways that hypnotherapy for sports performance and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) can help in sport improvement. For instance, the concept of modelling has been used successfully in golf and other sports. In other words, take a top golfer and model what he or she does both physically and mentally. Anchoring states involves using hypnosis to recall a time of sporting excellence such as winning a race, scoring a goal or playing the perfect round of golf (this can be real or imagined).

With hypnotherapy for sports performance I offer a free ½ hour, no obligation, consultation. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or queries.