Since you have taken the time to read this, I know that you are motivated to improve your performance. Whether you are looking to fine-tune your skill, calm competition jitters or regain your sense of mastery after an injury, you’re in the right place. Think about it. What percentage of your sport do you consider “mental”? Now that you have that number in mind, consider the percentage of time you’ve spent working on training your mind for optimum performance. If you’re like most people, the difference between the two numbers will stop you in your tracks.
The benefits of tapping the power of the “inner coach” have been recognized by many top athletes. Golfer Tiger Woods, Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton, boxer Kevin McBride and the stellar basketball stars Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal all utilized hypnosis to fine tune their performance. They understood that using visualization and practicing “relaxation on demand” would give them the edge they needed.
Dr. Denis Waitley, author of The Psychology of Winning and The Winner’s Edge, says it best; “What you visualize, you will materialize.” In fact, he went one step further and used science to back up his statement. Using a biofeedback machine, he hooked up athletes and had them visualize themselves performing in their sport. The machine showed that when they imagined themselves performing, their muscles responded as if they WERE performing. Now that’s exciting! No, hypnosis is not going to replace those hours of practice. You still need to spend the time and hard work to engrain those muscle patterns into your subconscious. But with hypnosis, you can activate those pathways whenever you want and your body won’t know the difference. Imagine what that could do for your performance!
You’ve practiced, you’ve studied, you’ve examined your technique. Are you ready to bring your mind into the game? Your inner coach is ready when you are.
