Sports Hypnosis: The Athlete’s Ultimate “Secret Weapon” by Jack Singer
Beverly Tabbs
May 01, 2007
Sports Hypnosis for athletes? Unheard of years ago, but becoming more and more popular with elite athletes in all sports. Hypnosis and self-hypnosis are actually commonplace occurrences that most of us engage in on a regular basis without realizing it. How many times have you noticed that when you are driving, you are surprised when you arrive at your destination without observing the familiar scenery or landmarks along the way? It was almost as if you were driving on automatic pilot, while your conscious mind was focused elsewhere. This highway hypnosis is an example of going into a trance while your eyes are wide open, similar to an athlete using self-hypnosis during a game or match.
And think about all of those times in school when you were in a boring class and found yourself daydreaming or thinking about your girlfriend or boyfriend. This mental visualization is also a type of hypnotic state. So, most of us actually have been hypnotized thousands of times without realizing we were engaging in self-hypnosis.
Although the amazing power of hypnosis for athletes has been largely overlooked in the U.S. until recently, for years Eastern European nations have been realizing the tremendous difference that sports hypnosis can have on athletic performance. In the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, the Russians brought a team of eleven hypnotists with them, to instill confidence and the will to win in the Russian athletes. We all know how powerful the Russian teams have been over the years.
In the 1988 Seoul Summer Games, the power of hypnosis on focus and performance was displayed beautifully when Olympic diver Greg Louganis hit his head on the board while performing a complicated dive during the 3 meter final. In what is considered one of the greatest feats in sporting history, Louganis, his head gushing blood, had the wound treated while he put earphones on to listen to hypnosis tapes. Amazingly, Greg then went out to score a perfect dive the second time, enough to earn him the gold medal!
Among Certified Sport Psychologists, there are only a handful who are also Certified Sports hypnosis experts. We teach hypnotic techniques to athletes in literally all sports, to enhance such important individual dynamics as intensity, focus, consistency, concentration and anxiety control and to enhance team dynamics, such as working toward the common goal and intrateam cohesion.
Specific examples of the use of the unique power of these techniques, are: quarterbacks developing imagery, footwork and anxiety control during oncoming rushes; basketball players increasing their free throw percentage, police Olympic shooters dramatically improving their accuracy, tennis players skyrocketing their intensity, confidence and strength during changeovers, golfers learning to ignore past errors and stayed in the moment on each hole, hockey players visualizing setting up scoring plays during their shifts, and athletes with chronic, debilitating pain learning how to actually eliminate their pain!
In future articles, I will discuss specific sports hypnosis techniques, post hypnotic suggestions and positive affirmations that have proven extremely successful in specific sports.
Dr. Jack Singer is a Certified Sport Psychologist, Certified Sports Hypnotherapist author, trainer and consultant. Jack has a Diplomate in Behavioral Medicine and he has been recognized by the National Institute of Sports as a Certified Sport Psychologist and as a Diplomate in Sport Psychology. This Diplomate is only granted to ½ of one percent of all psychologists who apply for it. He has taught in the Psychology departments of seven universities, including four years as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Jack is regularly seen ESPN, FOX SPORTS, and on sports radio talk shows throughout the U.S. and he is on the advisory board of “Championship Performance,” where his articles appear regularly. Although he consults with athletes and teams throughout the U.S., Jack is based in Southern California and can be reached at (949) 481-5660. You can also visit his web site at: www.funspeaker.com or email him at: drjack@askDrJack.com
And think about all of those times in school when you were in a boring class and found yourself daydreaming or thinking about your girlfriend or boyfriend. This mental visualization is also a type of hypnotic state. So, most of us actually have been hypnotized thousands of times without realizing we were engaging in self-hypnosis.
Although the amazing power of hypnosis for athletes has been largely overlooked in the U.S. until recently, for years Eastern European nations have been realizing the tremendous difference that sports hypnosis can have on athletic performance. In the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, the Russians brought a team of eleven hypnotists with them, to instill confidence and the will to win in the Russian athletes. We all know how powerful the Russian teams have been over the years.
In the 1988 Seoul Summer Games, the power of hypnosis on focus and performance was displayed beautifully when Olympic diver Greg Louganis hit his head on the board while performing a complicated dive during the 3 meter final. In what is considered one of the greatest feats in sporting history, Louganis, his head gushing blood, had the wound treated while he put earphones on to listen to hypnosis tapes. Amazingly, Greg then went out to score a perfect dive the second time, enough to earn him the gold medal!
Among Certified Sport Psychologists, there are only a handful who are also Certified Sports hypnosis experts. We teach hypnotic techniques to athletes in literally all sports, to enhance such important individual dynamics as intensity, focus, consistency, concentration and anxiety control and to enhance team dynamics, such as working toward the common goal and intrateam cohesion.
Specific examples of the use of the unique power of these techniques, are: quarterbacks developing imagery, footwork and anxiety control during oncoming rushes; basketball players increasing their free throw percentage, police Olympic shooters dramatically improving their accuracy, tennis players skyrocketing their intensity, confidence and strength during changeovers, golfers learning to ignore past errors and stayed in the moment on each hole, hockey players visualizing setting up scoring plays during their shifts, and athletes with chronic, debilitating pain learning how to actually eliminate their pain!
In future articles, I will discuss specific sports hypnosis techniques, post hypnotic suggestions and positive affirmations that have proven extremely successful in specific sports.
Dr. Jack Singer is a Certified Sport Psychologist, Certified Sports Hypnotherapist author, trainer and consultant. Jack has a Diplomate in Behavioral Medicine and he has been recognized by the National Institute of Sports as a Certified Sport Psychologist and as a Diplomate in Sport Psychology. This Diplomate is only granted to ½ of one percent of all psychologists who apply for it. He has taught in the Psychology departments of seven universities, including four years as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Jack is regularly seen ESPN, FOX SPORTS, and on sports radio talk shows throughout the U.S. and he is on the advisory board of “Championship Performance,” where his articles appear regularly. Although he consults with athletes and teams throughout the U.S., Jack is based in Southern California and can be reached at (949) 481-5660. You can also visit his web site at: www.funspeaker.com or email him at: drjack@askDrJack.com
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