Hypnosis for Sport
Many of us dream of one day improving our golf swing, having a better backhand on the tennis court or beating a personal best time during a run. Training and practice can achieve this, but hypnotherapy could also be used to help us reach our goals and make us better at our chosen sport.
Hypnosis techniques have long been used by golfing professionals but the therapy has become more popular in other sports including football, rowing, boxing and cricket. Sports men and women are increasingly aware of the benefits hypnosis can bring to improving their performance alongside other methods such as sports psychology
The use of hypnosis with athletes is well-represented in the literature
No other sports person than Tiger Woods displays the brilliance of Hypnotherapy.
Tiger Woods has acknowledged the fact he uses hypnotherapy, to claim his mind and improve his focus every game he plays.
Visualisation techniques in hypnotherapy can do just that, it helps a player go over the strokes in their mind, correct their technique.
Keep calm as anxiety and nervousness creeps in before a game
Jimmy Petruzzi
References
Enhancing imagery through hypnosis: a performance aid for athletes. Liggett DR. Wilmington College, Ohio., USA. The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis. 2000 Oct;43(2):149-57
Pates. J, & Westbury, T. (2000). The effects of hypnosis on free-throw performance. Journal of Sport Sciences, 18, 56
Grove, J. R., & Lewis, M. A. (1996). Hypnotic susceptibility and the attainment of flowlike states during exercise. Journal of Sports and Exercise Physiology, 18(4), 380-391