Hypnosis for Golf

By Craig Sigl

I introduced you to the concept of hypnosis for golf in the original Mini-course.

Today, I’d like to give you more detail and instruction on how you can use this for your own golf game. For starters, let me just state that I understand that the word “hypnosis” has all sorts of negative attachments. Most folks get their idea of what it is from stage shows. They see people acting like they normally wouldn’t and so it is assumed that the hypnotist has some sort of “control” over them.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. There is absolutely nothing to be afraid of with a hypnosis session whether you do it for yourself or with help from a professional.

I recently attended the American Board of Hypnotherapy annual conference. I met and learned from some amazing people who all genuinely have only the best interests for their clients’ in mind for everything they do. Integrity and ethics are strongly pushed in all seminars and classes.

Milton Erickson, the father of modern hypnosis says that hypnosis is: “concentrating on your thoughts, values, memories and about life. Hypnosis is enhanced suggestibility and it’s most effective through imagery. The Amazing Kreskin, famous mentalist had a longstanding offer to pay $10,000 to anyone who could prove that there was a trance-like state during hypnosis and no one ever took him up on it. The point in bringing that up is to assure you that there is absolutely nothing to be fearful of from hypnosis.

Ok, enough with that. Let’s get on with how this study can help your game.

What I really learned from some very sharp, experienced hypnotherapists is that it isn’t always even necessary to induce a relaxed state in order to effect change. What we want to accomplish for golf, off the course, is to find ways to go inside (I mean to go inside our mind with our thoughts). This causes our critical thinking faculty to release its grip on filtering out things that we want to become part of our way of thinking to grow or improve as a human being.

I’d like you to do an exercise that I know you will benefit from. Read the following questions and pause and think a little between each of them. Read them slowly, one at a time, take your time and let your mind ruminate on the possibilities for your game. Let yourself “go inside.”

In between each question, stare at the spot below or a spot on the wall or close your eyes if you like. Imagine a person you like or admire is reading these questions to you in a pleasing, slow voice. The human voice is a powerful thing.

• How is my golf game, now?
• Why do I like golf so much?
• Why do I really want to improve?
• I know I possess the ability to reach my scoring goal, don’t I?
• Where will I find what I need inside myself to score well on my next round?
• Do I really want to score lower or do I just want to look good out on the course?
• Is it possible that I could gain full control over my emotional states?

Milton Erickson, considered the father of hypnosis and credited with getting the American Medical Association to accept it was famous for helping folks without ever using any props or music or relaxation techniques. He would just tell stories and ask questions. You can do this for yourself. When you read a golf article or book, let yourself go “inside” and relate what you are learning to yourself. You see, the object of the game here is to let the information sink down into your unconscious and then come back out when you play. Don’t try to analyze everything (that’s what I used to do). Just let it go in if you know it’s good.

Begin to develop your whole brain by taking in golf information this way. Whether it’s from reading or listening to my CD’s, or just watching a good golfer on T.V. or at the course.

Many of us, especially men, are very left-brain oriented. That is, logical, rational etc. When we bring in our weaker hemisphere of our brain, more information gets integrated and is retrieved easier later. This is some of what hypnosis is all about. I’ll give you more next time.

Keep thinking…and using your whole mind…to allow your strengths to emerge…and manifest on the course…what you know to be true…about you…

Greens and fairways,

Craig

Craig Sigl, C.Ht., NLP: Craig coached and trained adults for over 20 years in the corporate world. He began his business career at an express transport company at the age of 18 while putting himself through college. Within 5 years he became Southern California regional manager of Trans-Box Systems responsible for 3 buildings, over 60 employees, and $3 million in billing.

After leaving Trans-Box to finish his studies, he graduated with a B.S. in Business Finance and went to work for himself with a partner in electronics.  An avid backpacker, fisherman and outdoorsman, the call of the Pacific Northwest and it’s natural beauty then led him to sell his interest in that company built from scratch and he moved to Seattle.

Craig hired on with Fedex Express in Bellevue, WA and began his 15-year career with the fast-growing Fortune 500 company known for it’s commitment to service excellence. Working in 4 stations in Washington and Oregon, he gained extensive experience in sales, customer service, prioritization, leadership, and face-to-face customer contact. His last 4 years there were in the position of operations manager of the Tri-Cities, WA station. It was this job that Craig credits as his world-class experience and training in Personnel/Legal, Management Principles, Ground and Flight Operations, Budgeting, Payroll, Government Regulations, Recruiting, and just learning how to get things done in a huge, sometimes bureaucratic, organization. Craig was always in the top percentile for reviews from his manager and his employees and is proud of his accomplishments there.

Craig is a Confidence and Self-Esteem expert specializing in helping businesspeople and athletes get in THE ZONE.  This is that state where everything works for you, your performance potential emerges, and you create success effortlessly.