| (This article appeared in the Fall 1994 issue
of American Golf Pro.)
The leading edge of golf improvement includes some very interesting
programs and products. There is video analysis or swing analysis.
Then there are new clubs, irons and putters, each guaranteed by
their manufacturer to improve your game. One even more exciting
is "Sports Hypnotherapy". As the name implies, there are therapeutic
benefits derived from hypnosis to aid your ailing golf game.
Hypnosis has many applications in modern society. Dentistry
without anesthesia, quitting smoking and weight loss. Enter Lucinda
Hayden, M.A., a sports hypnotherapist who has developed a unique
program, Inner Golf. Inner Golf uses mental rehearsal to focus
on areas of improvement and also increases your ability to relax,
concentrate and achieve consistency. Lucinda recommends a series
of three sessions to derive maximum results from the program.
Each session consists of three aspects: 1) Relaxation- Letting
go of accumulated tension in your body which interferes with your
performance; 2) Mental rehearsal and developing a personalized
mental routine to use on the course; 3) Focusing techniques designed
to address your special needs. The relaxation alone brings tremendous
benefits to other areas of your life as well, from the business
place (many CEOs and high level executives use these techniques
every day), to better health and happier relationships.
In a relaxed state, the next step is mental rehearsal. Research
shows that during mental rehearsal your neurons react as if you
were actually practicing with your body. The advantage is that
you have more control over the results because you can visualize
your perfect shot and your body memory records that shot as if
you had actually made it. Therefore, you can practice greatness.
"Golf is a microcosm of life itself," says Lucinda. "I see my
role as helping people overcome the interfering part of the mind
to achieve a higher level of mastery over themselves and ultimately
to really enjoy the game of golf."
As Kim Larsen, Golf Pro with the San Bruno Golf Practice Center
testifies: "After working with Lucinda, I am both more relaxed
and more alert at the same time. I now manage myself and the course
more effectively." Brenda Parnell, a longtime amateur, says "Using
Inner Golf techniques, I have played the best golf of my life,
taking an average of six strokes off my game. It's like magic!"
For more information, call Lucinda at (415) 668-7457.
Reprinted by Permission
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