| Want to take your game to the next level? | | | | think you can't you can't." Although we have |
| Learn what causes athletic inconsistency and | | | | learned to do a number of very complex things |
| the 5 keys to secret to athletic success. | | | | in our lives, from walking, to writing, from |
| | | | speaking to eating with a knife, fork and |
| Why is it that one day we can hit every ball | | | | spoon, we often feel that we can't play a |
| right down the middle, or pick up every frame | | | | sport well. We say to ourselves, "I'm just |
| and the next day, or game, we can hardly keep | | | | not good enough". Just because you weren't |
| it on the fairway or in the lane? What causes | | | | able to hit a shot a few weeks ago doesn't |
| athletic inconsistency? What is the secret to | | | | mean you can't hit that shot today. Or just |
| athletic success? | | | | because you could only kick waist high a |
| | | | month ago doesn't mean you can't kick chest |
| When you talk to professional athletes they | | | | high today. Instead of focusing on what we |
| speak of being in the zone when performing at | | | | can't do we need to focus on incremental |
| a high level. If you talk to a running back | | | | improvement. |
| he'll explain how everyone seemed to move in | | | | |
| slow motion and that the hole seemed wide | | | | Physical improvement, like anything else, is |
| enough to drive a truck through. A tennis | | | | a step by step process. When you keep at it |
| player might tell us she could see the spin | | | | and focus on where you want to be, little by |
| of the ball and could anticipate exactly | | | | little, your mind and body will take you |
| where her opponent was going to hit it. A | | | | there. Keep in mind that the level of your |
| bowler might say he was in the groove. What | | | | game is in direct proportion to the amount of |
| is this zone that these athletes describe and | | | | time you can invest in it. In other words, |
| how do we get into it? | | | | don't program yourself to think you're not |
| | | | good at a sport because you don't play at the |
| Before we talk about getting into this zone | | | | same level as your sports idol. Your sports |
| let's talk about the realities of athletics. | | | | idol became good through practice and so will |
| Most likely you are not a professional | | | | you. Leave the comparisons for how much |
| athlete. You are probably a regular person | | | | improvement you are making, not to how much |
| that has lots of interests besides bowling, | | | | better (or worse) someone is than you. |
| basketball or whatever your chosen sport(s) | | | | |
| happen to be. So if you aren't a professional | | | | Two Mental Factors |
| athlete, spending hundreds of hours a year at | | | | |
| your profession, you probably aren't going to | | | | Athletic success requires two critical mental |
| hit scratch golf every time you go out or | | | | factors. The first is physical relaxation. |
| become a karate champion, but you may become | | | | The second is mental concentration or focus. |
| your club champion and you may win a local | | | | Mastering these two will skyrocket your |
| tournament or two. In other words you can | | | | performance. |
| become the best athlete possible depending on | | | | |
| the time you choose to invest in your sport. | | | | Take a look at this typical example. The |
| So get over trying to be a pro, unless you | | | | first guy in your group tees off and hits it |
| have the time to invest to play at that | | | | 250 yards. You watch it fly perfectly and |
| level, and decide to develop your abilities | | | | fall right in the middle, a chip shot to the |
| to the level where you both play your best, | | | | green. Now it's your turn and what do you do? |
| and enjoy every moment you play. | | | | You think to yourself "Wow he really hit that |
| | | | one!" and your hands get tight, your arms get |
| The 5 Steps to Athletic Success | | | | tight and you hit the ball with all your |
| | | | might, and it dribbles off the tee. Why did |
| 1. Get a Coach -Few people who participate in | | | | that happen? You made two giant mental |
| athletic activities actually get instruction. | | | | mistakes. You tightened up instead of |
| For example the number of people who actually | | | | relaxing and you focused on what the other |
| get lessons from a pro golfer over their | | | | guy did rather than your own game. |
| lifetimes is about eleven percent. The number | | | | |
| of people that get training from a personal | | | | So how can you correct these mistakes? How |
| trainer at a gym is about the same. What is | | | | can you learn physical relaxation and mental |
| the percentage of people that actually take | | | | concentration? You need to do what the |
| tennis lessons? You might have guessed, it's | | | | professionals do - you need to program |
| about the same. | | | | yourself for success. |
| | | | |
| It would be nice if all we had to do is watch | | | | After you learn the basics of the game all |
| someone else and be able to play a sport | | | | the movements you make in sports are done at |
| well, but for most of us this is just not a | | | | a subconscious level. This is true for |
| reality. Even the pros have coaches. Golfing | | | | everything we do in life. For example, when |
| sensation Tiger Woods has Hank Haney. Steffi | | | | you drive you don't think about it, you just |
| Graf had her father Peter. Even the greatest | | | | drive. When you started driving it wasn't |
| boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali, had Angelo | | | | this way at all. You had to think about |
| Dundee. All the greats have coaches and so | | | | everything at a conscious level. You had to |
| should you. | | | | adjust the mirrors, decide how to push the |
| | | | gas pedal and if you had a clutch, wow, that |
| In order to play any sport well you need to | | | | was a real challenge. But little by little |
| learn the basics; how to maximize your | | | | you became better and better and now you |
| exercises, place your body, kick your leg, | | | | drive subconsciously. You can be driving down |
| roll the ball, etc. Coaches can shortcut the | | | | the road with a cup of coffee in one hand |
| time it takes to become proficient at any | | | | while talking to your friend in the |
| sport while reducing your chance of injury | | | | passenger's seat and if a car pulls out in |
| due to incorrect form. Get a coach.2. | | | | front of you your foot goes to hit the breaks |
| Practice - How did you learn to walk? You | | | | automatically. That's a subconscious stimulus |
| practiced. After you crawled around for a | | | | response reaction. You could actually be |
| while you decided to walk and hang on to the | | | | riding in your friend's car in the passenger |
| furniture. Then you stumbled around, bumping | | | | seat when a car pulls out in front of you and |
| your head and bottom until you could walk. If | | | | what will happen? Your foot hits the carpet |
| you would have laid in your crib and only | | | | with the same stimulus response reaction even |
| watched people walk you would have never | | | | though you know consciously that it won't |
| learned how. The same goes for playing a | | | | stop the car. |
| sport. You cannot sit watching Tiger Woods on | | | | |
| TV, never going to the driving range and | | | | In order to become good at a sport you need |
| expect to be able to play on the pro circuit. | | | | to teach your body the correct stimulus |
| You won't be able to watch old Bruce Lee | | | | response reaction for each key area of your |
| movies and become a black belt. And you won't | | | | game. That way you can relax and let your |
| be able to become a marathon runner by | | | | body do the work it needs to do to make you |
| walking a mile every few days. For any sport | | | | successful. That's the reason for practice, |
| you need to learn the rules, practice the | | | | to make the body's performance "automatic". |
| basic techniques of the game and develop your | | | | But in order to have useful automatic |
| body to be able to play the sport | | | | performance the practice must be with correct |
| comfortably. 3. Set a Goal - Human beings are | | | | form and that's why a coach is so important. |
| goal seeking mechanisms. In order to achieve | | | | |
| you need to be able to have something to | | | | Automatic performance can be aided by |
| reach for, something tangible. If you want to | | | | hypnosis to help you see, or visualize |
| improve your golf game you need to set a | | | | yourself performing correctly. In order to |
| tangible goal of decreasing your score to 80. | | | | do this you need to remember a time when you |
| If you want to bowl better you need to set a | | | | performed extremely well, a time when you |
| goal to increase your score to an average of | | | | felt "in the zone" or at least near to it. |
| 180. If you want to be invited to body | | | | Then, using all of your senses you need to be |
| building contests you need to set a goal of | | | | able to describe how your mind feels, what |
| less than 10 percent body fat. Now these may | | | | you see, what you hear, how your body feels. |
| not be your goals but they are real goals, | | | | This may appear as confident, strong, |
| goals that you can shoot for and achieve. You | | | | relaxed, focused, perfect concentration or |
| see the one thing that all achievers do is | | | | even smooth, depending on your sport. |
| set goals. We become better when we have a | | | | |
| goal to focus on. | | | | Once you have discovered the place where you |
| | | | perform at your best you can then use |
| 4. Get Feedback - We all need feedback. One | | | | hypnosis to learn how to relax and bring it |
| place we'll get good feedback is from our | | | | up automatically. Here's how. Put yourself in |
| coach. As we already talked about, feedback | | | | a relaxed state. Then visualize the time when |
| from someone who has dedicated their life to | | | | you performed extremely well. Use an anchor, |
| helping others improve in their chosen sport | | | | such as making an "O" with your thumb and |
| is well worth the expense. We can also get | | | | forefinger or pressing the inside of your |
| feedback from others in the sport that are | | | | elbow with your forefinger and give yourself |
| just a little further along the path than we | | | | an audio trigger such as saying "yes". Repeat |
| are. In fact, this can sometimes be priceless | | | | this process several times. The next time you |
| because they are acutely aware of what we are | | | | practice physically or compete, use this |
| going through as a result of having recently | | | | combination of a physical anchor and an audio |
| going through what you are currently going | | | | trigger to put yourself in the zone. You may |
| through. So find a coach and find some people | | | | be amazed at your level of performance. |
| that are just a little bit better than you | | | | |
| and ask for their advice. Not only will they | | | | If you are one of the many people that have |
| be happy to give it, you will learn some | | | | difficulty with visualization, or need help |
| great shortcuts toward mastering your sport. | | | | in creating an anchor or trigger that works |
| | | | for you, see a hypnotist who can work as your |
| 5. Learn the Mental Game - In 1989 when | | | | visualization coach. A professional hypnotist |
| questioned about tennis greats, Chris Evert | | | | can help you learn how to use visualization |
| told Sports Illustrated, "With me, the mental | | | | to improve every aspect of your game. |
| part of the game was always stronger than the | | | | |
| physical. Martina was always known for the | | | | So there you have it. Get a coach, practice, |
| physical aspects of her game. Steffi has | | | | set a goal, get feedback and learn the mental |
| both." | | | | game. Five easy steps towards a lifetime of |
| | | | sports improvement and enjoyment. If you need |
| Chris Evert knew that the mental game was | | | | help with the mental game look for a |
| paramount. So do all top athletes. So how do | | | | professional hypnotist that has a background |
| you improve the mental game? First you need | | | | in sports. No matter what sport they are |
| to overcome negative programming. Get over | | | | proficient at they can use their athletic |
| what you can't do. Like Henry Ford said once, | | | | experience to help you use hypnosis to |
| "If you think you can you can and if you | | | | improve your game too. |