Self-Hypnosis for a Better Golf Game

Here in the northern hemisphere, and in many other countries, we have just celebrated Halloween. All Hallows’ Eve was known as Samhain to the ancient Celts—the death of the old year. It marked the end of the life of summer and the beginning of the darkness of winter.

Animals like black cats, bats and spiders symbolize Halloween. Figures such as ghosts, skeletons, witches, wizards, pumpkins, graveyards, cobwebs, and haunted houses are also symbols that represent Halloween.

What images symbolize your mental golf game? Are there sand bunkers, water hazards, tight fairways, woods, creeks, fast breaking greens, or players who are better than you? Or is your game symbolized by images of fun, companionship, sculptured fairways, challenging greens, beautiful outdoor weather, and a playful way to exercise and compete?

As the seasons change, with the leaves turning brilliant colors of red, gold and orange, we are reminded that there is a season for everything. If the trees hold on to their leaves in the fall, there would be no room for new growth in the spring. If they didn’t rest in the winter, they would be too tired to bud. What are you holding on to in your golf game that isn’t working for you?

Hypnosis for changing unproductive beliefs

Programming your mind with positive thoughts and images is the key to playing great golf. If you have neglected the mental aspect of your golf game, now in the off season is the time to develop a mental program that enhances your physical game. This is a time to write down the beliefs that did not serve you well this summer, and to create new ones.

We create our lives with our beliefs. Our poor golf games are still dominated by unproductive beliefs about ourselves learned in our childhood years up to the age of 7. These habitual programs were downloaded into our subconscious minds, and we continue our life script to fit into these patterns.

Hypnosis has proved to be the easiest and quickest way to program your subconscious mind for great performances. Hypnosis is a natural state of life. It is an altered state of awareness. In golf, it is known as “the zone state.” You have been in this trance state several times today. You may not have called it hypnosis. Anytime you move from an outward perception to an inner awareness, you enter a trance state. Anytime you go into your own world and imagination, you are going into a hypnotic trance. For example, when you were completely focused on what you were seeing or doing, and a loud noise startled you, you were in this altered state of awareness.

Your unconscious is running the show

The subconscious is the part of your mind that controls the physical movements of your golf swing, just as it has control of your breathing, heartbeat, and other internal organs. It tells your muscles how to do this by the patterns that you have given it. The subconscious does not judge. It cannot distinguish between what is real and what is imagined. It takes in the information literally and stores it. When you repeat patterns, it automatically develops a habit with the goal of making it a program. It stores and organizes memories, emotions, and programs. Over 95% of what we do, think, and say comes from old programming in our subconscious mind. Thus, the subconscious runs your life and old negative programs will sabotage your best intentions of playing your best if you do not reprogram them.

Reprogram your subconscious habitual patterns

1. Repetition is the key to programming the subconscious. This is why you will see the same ads repeated continually on TV. It creates a program in your subconscious. You can create your own programs by affirming and visualizing often what you desire in your golf game. Emotions have an extraordinarily strong impact on the subconscious mind. Whenever you hit a successful shot that you want to repeat, anchor it into your subconscious by feeling the good emotion inside and with a physical action such as a fist pump.
2. The subconscious mind does not recognize negatives. All affirmations and statements must be positive. When you say a negative, your mind visualizes the picture. If you say, “I’m not going to hit it in the water,” your subconscious mind doesn’t register the “not” and sees the ball going into the water, thus programming your result.
3. The subconscious mind represses memories with unresolved negative emotions. The memories will get buried, yet the beliefs and feelings associated with them will still control your reactions. Is this why golfers often change putters? Or have the yips? And nothing changes?
4. The subconscious is much more powerful than your computer. It takes in everything through your five senses and logs it into its vast filing system with a photocopy. When you criticize, judge, or blame yourself or others, it is recorded and can be triggered by a similar situation when you don’t want it to.
5. The subconscious works on the principle of least effort. It follows the path of least resistance. Without purposeful direction from our conscious mind, it follows the easiest, usually more negative path of our engrained habits.
6. The subconscious only functions NOW. This is apparent when you are in the “zone state” and are totally focused in the moment with complete confidence because there is no past or future thoughts interfering. When you rewrite your negative programs from the past, make sure they are what you want in the present. ex., “I AM calm, focused and ready to putt,” instead of I will, or I can.
7. When you allow your subconscious to perform it can be a spiritual experience. Golfers “in the zone” describe themselves as being “out of mind & body.” It is the source of a higher aspect of yourself. Accessing the subconscious opens us up to higher levels of soul energy. When you are in this state, you are experiencing the ultimate energy of your creation — love for what you are doing and love for who you are.

Make a change to empower yourself 

As you know, golf is a metaphor for life. It can show you the life lessons you need to be aware of to create balance in your life. With this awareness you can train your brain to create programs that will bring you more enjoyment and lower scores. It will not happen without effort on your part. Here is a simple plan to do this.

1. Desire. Do not limit yourself. Write down specifically what it is you want in your life/golf game. (Health, wealth, strength, flexibility, calmness, focus, consistency, etc.)
2. Imagination. Create a movie in your mind by visualizing your success in each category by using your imagination. Instruct your brain to make it important by using affirmations, music, and imagery.
3. Take Action. The Law of Attraction states that “like attracts like.” A good example of this is the Placebo Effect. When you believe something is helping you, your mind and body will create the result you desire. If you believe that something will not help you, or you fear changing, “what you resist persists.” When you act in the direction of your desire, do it with emotion — the language of the subconscious. Feel good about what you are planning to accomplish.
4. Gratitude. To create the life/golf game that you desire means staying positive and feeling good about the process to keep your energy level up. Look for positive moments that you have during the day. At night before going to bed, write down several things in your life/golf game that you are grateful for. Do this every night adding new items. In the morning look at the list and you will begin your day with a grateful heart. Start the day in love, live the day in love, and end the day in love.

I have created eight self-hypnosis CDs/Mp3s for your golf game empowerment in the areas of confidence, concentration, anxiety, relaxation, imagery, self-hypnosis, the short game, putting, and fearlessness. Listening to these repeatedly will create new positive programs in your subconscious as described above. They can be purchased online at www.pmi4.com/cart

Enjoy the period of Indian summer that is happening now where the days are dry and unseasonably warm, the skies are blue, clear, and cloudless, and the nights are chilly.

It’s a fun time to get out and play!

Play “in the zone” with Joan

Entrain Your Heart & Brain for Peak Performances!

Improve your golf game NOW by listening to PMI self-hypnosis CDs/Mp3s in the privacy of your own home. Order today at www.pmi4.com/cart

If you have a question, or need help with your mental game, email Joan at pmi4@bellsouth.net or phone 828.707.5478 for a free consultation to learn about mental golf coaching in person, or world-wide by phone. Learn what is missing in your game so you can achieve the success you desire.