Thirty years ago today, on April 2, 1992, I founded Positive Mental Imagery, a mental sports consulting service dedicated to helping golfers achieve their peak performances.
Playing golf with the women at my country club I noticed that they spent an inordinate amount of time complaining and voicing negativity about their games. One player even kept a running track of the number of missed shots (in her opinion) in her round!!
Listening to constant complaining took away my enjoyment of playing. I asked my group if they would like to know how to have fun playing. Two gals said yes, and my business started in my family room. The first workshop was two hours long and continued for six weeks.
The following Fall at our opening day luncheon I gave a short presentation on what is now called “mental golf.” Thirty-five women signed up for the workshop. As they learned the mental tools, they reminded each other when someone slipped back into voicing self-limiting thoughts. By the end of the season the atmosphere on the golf course had changed, the participants’ attitudes were more positive, and they were having more fun.
Hypnosis Mind Imagery for Golf
For decades pro athletes, Olympic and sports teams have been using the mental tool of hypnosis to gain the mental edge on their opponents. In 1952 the Russians showed up at the Melbourne Olympics with 11 sports hypnotists. Their athletes dominated the games with 37 gold medals.
Self-hypnosis is a temporary altered trance state where the person is alert, relaxed, and in a focused state of consciousness. It is a natural state of life. You may have been in this state several times today although you may not have called it hypnosis. Some of the natural states of trance we encounter are highway trance, television trance, movie trance, video games, reading, eating, doing two things at the same time, daydreaming. Anytime you go into your own world and imagination you are going into hypnosis.
It is well known that Tiger Woods’ mental coach, psychologist Dr. Jay Brunza used hypnosis when Tiger was 13 years old to help him be “in the zone” for full focus and concentration on his swing and hitting the ball perfectly. Tiger used the power of self-hypnosis to visualize every swing, and putt in his mind before executing it.
Hypnosis is the easiest, quickest and most proven way to achieve great mental golf. https://bit.ly/3LBp8Zi Link for a further explanation of hypnosis.
To help my clients in more rapid change modalities, I became certified in 1994 in hypnosis, certified as a Neuro-Linguistic Practitioner (NLP) in 1996, became a certified sports hypnotherapist in 2001, and NGH Board Certified Hypnotherapist in 2006. I taught seminars at the annual NGH Hypnosis Convention to show hypnotists how to help their sports clients.
All hypnosis is self-hypnosis. When you are “in the zone” you are in an altered state where time appears to stand still. What happens is that you have slowed down your conscious problem-solving thinking mind. At the same time, your intuitive subconscious mind has speeded up so that you know what to do intuitively without any doubt, anxiety or fearful interference. You just know what to do. You are in the flow state where you are fully involved in the process of creating the shot, enjoying the feeling.
To help put yourself in this trance state of mind, I have created eight self-hypnosis audios with golf imagery and positive suggestions for changing your limiting beliefs. All you must do is listen daily in a quiet place for 30 minutes.
Self-hypnosis golf CDs and MP3s are available on the PMI website at www.pmi4.com/cart
As I competed in state, national, and international tournaments, I talked to more expert golfers and gave workshops all over the country. Golfers were taught how to enhance their natural learning skills of visualization, hearing, and feeling to gain a greater awareness of themselves and their golf games. They learned how to free their minds for sharper focus and concentration, which resulted in better shot making and lower scores. The workshops resulted in the following:
- 100% of the participants reported they were more relaxed on the golf course.
- 100% of the participants reported their attitude on the golf course was more positive.
- 90% of the participants reported they were having more fun while playing/competing.
- 50% of the participants lowered their handicaps 2 or more strokes after one month.
I received advanced mental golf training in 1995 with Chuck Hogan, PGA Professional in Dallas, TX. who was one of the first teachers to combine the mental and physical aspects of the game. In 1998 I travelled to Stockholm, Sweden to participate in the original “Coaching for the Future” 2-week seminar with Pia Nilsson, Lynn Marriott and Kjell Enhager. With the vision of shooting a 54 round, the Swedish Golf Federation program trained world class winners like Annika Sorenstam to have the confidence of a total human being, not just a scoring machine.
At the insistence of my workshop clients, I wrote “The Heart of Golf, Access Your Supreme Intelligence for Peak Performances” in 2017 which covers all the mental/emotional problems and solutions that golfers encounter on the golf course. It accomplished my purpose of showing golfers how to access the zone state for peak performances.
April is the signal for a fresh start with the new cycle of spring when nature begins to burst forth in color. Begin now to create a new mental golf game by using self-hypnosis. It will be your new nature and help unleash your full potential and enjoyment before the summer season arrives.
Play “in the zone” with Joan
Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances
To train your brain to believe in yourself and your abilities to play your best golf, you can listen to Positive Mental Imagery self-empowering guided imagery self-hypnosis CDs in the privacy of your own home. All eight different CDs are available now as MP3s also. www.pmi4.com/cart
If you aren’t able to maintain trust and belief in yourself on the golf course or have trouble figuring out what your blocks are, email Joan at pmi4@bellsouth.net for a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation about developing a new strategy. Learn what is missing in your golf game so you can achieve the success you desire.
“THE HEART OF GOLF, Access Your Supreme Intelligence for Peak Performances” 
explores and explains negative emotions such as fear and performance anxiety, the four Cs of mind blockage, the four progressive stages of learning the supreme intelligence of the heart, and the way to access the zone in competition. It is a player’s guide for developing your true inner self by returning to the joy and love of self instead of seeking praise and rewards from the outside world.
“THE HEART OF GOLF” guidebook for transforming your life and your golf game is available on Amazon and Kindle https://amzn.to/2MQzjfq
All royalties will be donated to Junior Golf!
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