| Professional athletes are often willing to try | | | | techniques. |
| almost anything in the hopes of improving their | | | | Professional golfers are known to pride |
| performance. As the world of athletics entered | | | | themselves on their mental training and |
| the realm of really big money, anything that could | | | | preparation. Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, |
| give an athlete even the slightest edge could | | | | and many other golfers consistently use mental |
| potentially be worth millions of dollars over the | | | | techniques to improve their performance. Tiger |
| course of a career and many more millions in | | | | Woods has employed a Sports Performance |
| product sponsorship. | | | | Hypnotist since he was just 13 years old. He |
| While most people are aware of the physical | | | | often makes comments about trusting his |
| practice regimes that professional athletes | | | | subconscious or following his inner mind and his |
| undertake, many are unaware of the importance | | | | performance on the golf course speaks for itself. |
| placed upon mental preparation. It is mental | | | | Given the potential benefits and proven record, |
| preparation that often separates gifted athletes | | | | why would any athlete not use hypnosis? |
| from successful ones. Over the past several | | | | Hypnosis is pain free, calorie free, non-addictive, |
| decades there have been many clear illustrations | | | | and doesn't have any of the side effects or |
| of how mental preparation, and in particular, | | | | questions of legality associated with many other |
| hypnosis, have been used to successfully improve | | | | methods of performance enhancement. It's also a |
| sports performance. | | | | lot less expensive and accessible to anyone with a |
| Scientists in the former Soviet Union realized | | | | CD or MP3 player. |
| many years ago that hypnosis was an effective | | | | Correctly used, hypnosis often has a positive |
| tool for enhancing sports performance. In the | | | | effect on other parts of an athlete's life as well. |
| early 1950's, Soviet sports teams made extensive | | | | Many regular hypnosis users report feeling happier, |
| use of visualization and guided imagery techniques | | | | develop a deeper sense of relaxation, and a |
| under the guidance of Sports Performance | | | | better outlook on life. Hypnosis is also very |
| Hypnotists. Many Soviet athletes traveled with | | | | effective for pain management after a long day |
| their own personal hypnotist and the results were | | | | on the course, the field, or the court. Hypnosis is |
| evident in the 1956 Melbourne Games: Soviets | | | | even more effective when combined with other |
| athletes performed at a very high level. | | | | advanced mental techniques such as Guided |
| During the 1980 Olympic Games, 60% of the | | | | Imagery, Mental Rehearsal, and Subliminal |
| Australian swimming team used hypnosis | | | | Persuasion. |
| techniques in their training. Those athletes who | | | | The best part about using hypnosis to improve |
| used hypnosis performed significantly better than | | | | sports performance is that amateurs and |
| their team members who relied on practice alone. | | | | weekend athletes can enjoy the same benefits |
| The Michael Jordan led Chicago Bulls conducted | | | | professionals do. College and high school teams |
| daily self-hypnosis sessions to empower | | | | use hypnosis to build confidence, visualize success, |
| themselves to play basketball at a high level and | | | | develop relaxation, and simply have more fun |
| perform better as a team. The Bulls won 6 NBA | | | | playing their sport and you can too. The benefits |
| Championships during the 1990's no doubt aided | | | | of hypnosis are readily accessible to any athlete. |
| by their use of hypnosis and other mind power | | | | Why would you not use hypnosis? |