Golf Mental Coach

PLUNK! “He really was focused on that putt.”

You hear golf commentators say this all the time, but did you ever wonder how you can improve your own focus and concentration? Since it can really help your golf game, here are some ways to improve those skills — off the course.

Next time you’re having a conversation in a crowded restaurant or a noisy bar, concentrate only on the other person’s voice. To do this, you have to screen out dozens of other sounds. You’ll find that your attention will probably drift to those distractions and then back to the person you’re with. However, the more you want to listen to your companion (remember your first date?), the more intensely focused you’ll be and the longer you’ll be able to sustain that concentration.

As a drill, shift your attention to hear a different conversation from across the room. We all can do it. If someone over there mentions our name, our attention can snap into that conversation in a nanosecond. This focusing ability is so powerful, it’s been studied and is called “The Cocktail Party Effect.”

Now snap your focus and concentration back to the person next to you.

For a visual drill, try this: in your next one-on-one conversation, see if you can determine whether the other person’s left or right eye is dominant. (It’s the one they’re really focusing on you.) Now look only at that eye. Now shift your attention to their whole face. Now back to that dominant eye. You’re shifting and sharpening your focus.

If you practice this, when you get to the golf course, it will become easier and easier to focus on one grain of sand in the sand trap or one dimple on your golf ball.

Before you know it, you’ll be on autofocus.

But what are you doing about the vital Mental Part? And what are you doing that stays consistent on each and every shot?

You see, a Pre-Shot Routine is not just about aim. It’s about intention, focus, concentration and total dedication to being in the moment — and nowhere else. The good news is that a simple addition to what you already do can get you there.

Your Subconscious Mind and body can be trained to respond as you desire, but only through repetitive practice. For those of you who have my CD and are familiar with the following technique, it may be surprising to learn that it can also be used very effectively in your pre-shot routine.

Here it is: take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds until you need to breathe again, and think the words: “Peace, Harmony, Relax, Relax” as you slowly exhale. This may sound very simple, but it’s also very powerful.

Because when you purposely take a deep breath — and hold it — you’re interfering with your natural breathing rhythm. This gets your brain’s attention – to the exclusion of everything else. So now you have no mind chatter and no extraneous thoughts. And — to paraphrase Bobby Jones — the less thinking interference, the more likely your ball will go towards its target.

Practice this exercise ten times a day, off the course, saying the words: “Peace, Harmony, Relax, Relax.” It’s a mantra that becomes an automatic relaxing command to your Subconscious. Now you’re ready to take it to the golf course. Do it before every drive, every iron shot and every putt.

You’re stepping into your own Pre-Shot Bubble. And beginning to score as well as you possibly can.

You see, your Subconscious accepts these affirmations when what you say or think produces no mental conflict.

For example, let’s say that you want to improve your game – to lower your handicap and play winning golf consistently. You want this. Really bad. But deep inside you have a gnawing doubt this could ever happen. Because “you’re not good enough.”

It happened to Paul Goydos in his first PGA Tournament. In his book, “A Good Walk Spoiled,” John Feinstein recounts how Goydos felt watching Payne Stewart hitting balls on the range. He thought, “Who is that guy? I’ve never seen him in my life [Payne wasn't wearing his trademark knickers] and I can’t come close to hitting the ball like that. If everyone out here is that good, I’ve got no chance. Absolutely no chance.”

He didn’t. He missed the cut “by a million.”

The point to keep in mind is that an Infinite Intelligence working within you 24/7 will find a way to accomplish your desires if you talk to yourself in the right way, with phrases that get accepted. (It’s how Hypnotherapists help their clients every day.) And these phrases are more likely to be accepted when you’re sleepy, because your critical resistance is lowered.

Also keep in mind that when your desires and imagination are in conflict, your imagination usually wins. If you want to play winning golf – to be In The Zone for longer and longer periods of time – you have to believe that this will happen.

Cheers to all of you who persuade yourselves to win – on the golf course as well as in life!

Jennifer

Jennifer Scott, C.Ht.

Spiritual & Clinical Hypnotherapist

1866 662 0939

http://ownthezonegolf.com

http://jscotthypnosis.com

http://facebook.com/JShypnosis

http://twitter.com/jscotthypnosis

http://linkedin.com/in/mindmender

As a fitness expert and a regular contributor for The Golf Channel, she has appeared on The Turn, The Big Break, Your Game Night, How Low Can you Go and Game ON! Katherine’s new golf fitness series airs on The Golf Channel in summer 2008.

Katherine is the producer of nine DVDs and author of the ground-breaking book Yoga for Golfers (McGraw-Hill). Her second book Swing Flaws and Fitness Solutions will be published in early 2009. Roberts is dedicated to helping people achieve maximum performance and balance both on and off the course.

Her new book, Swing Faults and Fitness Fixes, written with Hank Haney will be in stores in early 2009.

Katherine is the flexibility expert for the San Diego Padres and has just competed her fourth year with the team.

1.) Hip Huggers

As a physical fitness consultant to golfers for many years, I often see recurrent issues affecting golf performance – low back, rotator cuff injuries or tight hamstrings.

When evaluating my clients’ needs I examine not only the obvious problems, but also the not so obvious. For example, chronic low back pain due to the golf swing is often treated by addressing the erector spinae or back muscles. In fact, it is far more comprehensive to incorporate attention to the hamstrings, abdominals and chest muscles. As golfers we focus tremendous attention towards increasing rotation by practicing exercises that increase our range of motion. Although it is essential to maintain flexibility in the back according to Dr. David Seaman, “95% of the muscular effort involved in creating torso rotation comes from your oblique abdominal muscles”. To work on spinal rotation without regard for addressing the abdominals would be a waste of energy.

In the Natural Golf swing the gluts and hips assist with a solid foundation as well as power and distance in your swing. The ability to access that power from your gluts is a direct benefit from having flexibility in the hip flexors and quadriceps as well as promoting hip extension by using the full contraction of the gluts.

Often low back discomfort can be disguised as a shortened hip flexors. When a golfer tries to increase abdominal strength to create a healthier back they can sometimes increase hip tension. Without this flexibility we will not only have a full range of motion in the hips and you will be challenged to engage and use the full intensity of the gluts to power through the swing.

This month we will focus on three exercises that directly stretch the hip and strengthen the gluts.

Warrior Lunge

Begin on your knees placing your right foot forward and sliding your left knee backwards. Be sure to maintain a 90 degree angle in the right knee and larger than 90 degree angle in the left leg. Engage the buttocks on the left side and hold for twenty breaths. Switch sides and repeat.

Bridge Pose

Lying on your back place knees at a 90 degree angle. Press your navel towards your spine and your low back towards the floor. Maintaining this action lift the hips off the floor as high as possible. Hold for ten to fifteen breaths. Repeat three times.

Pigeon Pose

Begin on all fours and move your right knee up to touching your right wrist. Then take your right heel in your left hand and bring your right leg up as pictured. Then slide your left leg back while supporting your upper body with your hands. Draw your navel into your spine and engage your buttocks on the right side pressing the leg into the floor. If you feel any discomfort in your low back or knee come out of the pose.

Practicing these lengthening exercises for the hip flexors and quads will help you maintain a healthy back, strong foundation and greater extension on your finish.

Why wait another minute to lose that weight and to lose it permanently? You have the power to do this without dieting.

And I can help you.
Look in the mirror. The person you see there can morph into the fit, trim, healthy and very attractive person who’s been hiding within. Why Weight To Lose is different from anything you’ve ever experienced. Because you’ll be accessing two powers you already have, but may not have realized:

• The power of Self Hypnosis, and
• The power of your own Spirit Guides

You’re going to learn how to get your Subconscious Mind into the act. And you’re going to connect with your Spirit Guides. You might know them as intuition, inner knowing, angels or inspiration. But however you name them, you surely have been guided by this inner wisdom before, whether you knew it or not.

Your Spirit Will Light The Way
Now you’ll learn how to listen to this Guidance. Each step of the way, it will help you to accomplish your goals. It will help you overcome all your resistances, procrastination, questions and challenges.

• With Why Weight To Lose, you’ll be both losing and gaining:
• You’ll be losing weight
• You’ll be gaining a healthy lifestyle, and
• You’ll be gaining new behaviors that will last a lifetime

Those pounds will be coming off, but you won’t be counting calories. Instead, you’ll be training your Subconscious Mind and body to:

• Eat slowly so you’re satisfied with smaller portions of food.
• Desire healthy foods.
• Feel a compulsion to exercise.
• Feel a need to drink lots of water
• Want to get on the scale every morning.

The scale will actually become your friend. By getting on it every day, you’ll learn about how your body works. It will give you important information. You’ll learn how to live with consciousness, not fear. Then once your body looks and feels the way you want it to, you’ll be able to maintain it that way for life.

As a Clinical Hypnotherapist, I’ve helped hundreds of clients do the same thing: lose weight permanently. Through Self Hypnosis, they’ve learned how to get to a deeper level where mental chatter quiets down. Then new suggestions can go in like a knife through butter. You’ll be amazed that you won’t feel deprived. Your urges will change. And pounds will melt off your body every week until you’re down to your desired goal.

The scale will absolutely help you stay conscious about what you’ve been eating and drinking. But getting on it once a week is not enough. Not if you truly want to lose weight and take control of your life.

Ask my client, Susan, when you check out her Blog at: http://susanlosingaweightlossadventure.blogspot.com/ Also, look at her videos here on my Home Page. She’s been on every diet imaginable for most of her life. They worked for a while, but she never had tools before to maintain her weight. She always put it back on.

Now, getting on the scale every day is one of her most important tools. Because it gives her information. And that’s what she needs to stay on track. She’s made the scale her friend.

What about you? Is your scale your enemy or your friend? If you get on every day, it will give you information. That’s why it’s your friend. It will help you stay conscious of what you’ve eaten or what you’ve had to drink. And how much. That number you’ll see on the scale will trigger your memory from the day before.

I’m a good role model for my clients because I’ve learned how to manage my weight… for many years. This means that I don’t let my weight go up more than two or three pounds from my ideal. I don’t deprive myself either. Once I see I’ve put on a couple of pounds, this fact registers at a deep level and then – without any effort – I automatically eat less. Within a couple of days, my weight is back where I want it to be.
Don’t you want that too? Comments are appreciated and welcome.

If you’re reading this, then you’re interested in losing weight, maintaining your weight and creating a healthy lifestyle. I know. I know. You’ve read a ton of articles before about this subject. You’ve gone on different diets. Lost weight. And then put the weight back on again. But did you ever ask yourself why? Why can’t I seem to manage my weight? I know good nutrition. I know what I’m supposed to eat. Why am I always struggling to either lose weight or maintain it?

If you really wanted answers to these questions, you’d find out the truth that diets don’t work. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with you, it’s the very nature of dieting. Diets are temporary. No matter what the program, you’re grateful when the diet is finished because now you can get back to your normal life.

That’s the problem. You’re living your life like a yo-yo. On a diet. Off a diet, etc. I’m sure you’d like to find a better way and one without deprivation and without counting calories. Also, a better way so you can maintain your weight and new healthy lifestyle. Then please…stop dieting. Stop depriving yourself and choose another way.

I call this new approach Spiritual Weight Loss because it taps into your hidden resource of power. It has two key components:

The first is Hypnosis. Hypnosis is an easy state to get into because you’re actually in and out of it every day but don’t realize it because it’s so natural. The best example I can think of is when you drive your car and arrive at your destination without knowing where you’ve been for a while. It’s a kind of zone-like state but you’re not asleep. Just somewhere else. And while you’re in this state, you’re not aware of your driving. You’re on automatic, and it’s your Subconscious Mind that has taken control of your car.

Once you learn how to get into this state purposefully, you’ll be able to create a new reality about food. Your desires will change. Old habits will be transformed. You’ll find yourself wanting to eat less and to eat slowly. Cravings will go away. You’ll want to work out… to drink plenty of water. You won’t feel deprived and you will lose weight.

The second component of Spiritual Weight Loss is connecting to your Spirit Guides who will help you get through frustrations and hard times. You might know them as intuition, inner knowing, angels, inspiration, your God-self, the smarter me or a stream of intelligence that somehow comes through when you’re not consciously thinking.

This Blog is just the beginning of a discussion about Spiritual Weight Loss. I’m sure you have many questions. You might completely disagree with what I’m saying. Whatever your thoughts, I welcome them. I’d like feedback.

This website will feature different clients who are working with my Spiritual Weight Loss program. We’ll have ongoing videos of their progress.
Come visit. I welcome your comments.

Jennifer
Jennifer Scott, C.Ht.
Clinical Hypnotherapist
1-866-662-0939

I was never thin. And I was never petite, even though my French teacher in high school called all the girls Petite + their last name. I was Petite Brown, measuring 5’9 tall and weighing about 135.

I never had a serious weight problem until I went to Greece as a high school exchange student. The family I lived with thought I was too thin and fed me wonderful food for two months. I gained 30 pounds during that time. This might have been my first foray into emotional eating, because even though I had a wonderful experience, I was homesick and a bit anxious most of the time I was there. Once I returned home, I did lose the weight but it seems to me, looking back, that that was the beginning of that not so nice world of yo-yo-ing.

When I went off to college, I gained the “freshman fifteen” (and then some) partly due to the cafeteria-style eating with no limit on what you ate or how much, and the challenges presented by being away from home and the whole social scene and pressures.

Once I got all of that under control, I did pretty well, although I was constantly moving in about a 15-pound range. Upon graduation, I got married and by then was 5’10” and weighed only 136. By this time I really knew how to diet and control my weight. With each of my three pregnancies, I gained just 20 pounds, the recommended weight gain for pregnant women at the time. But after each pregnancy I lost only about 15 of those 20 pounds and so the weight started creeping up.

In my late forties, I suffered from a bout of depression, the treatment for which included medication, and my weight skyrocketed. I got up to about 230 (two hundred thirty) before I decided to do something about it. That’s when I went on all the various commercial diet programs. I did lose weight: twice I lost 50 pounds, but I always put it right back on. I would start celebrating with food as soon as I reached my goal weight.

About 6 years ago, I learned that my back and neck were riddled with arthritis and stenosis. I had the first of 3 surgeries. As a result of my back problems I was very sedentary and became a magnet for weight gain. When I reached 247 pounds about a year and a half ago, I knew I had to do something and decided to look into using hypnosis. That is when I found Jennifer Scott.

I have lost almost 40 pounds since working with her and her program. My goal is to lose another 40 pounds and to keep it off forever!

• Want it
• See it
• Feel it
• Believe it

All four of these points are important, but I’m emphasizing Belief because it’s key.

You can deeply want something and feel that it’s already yours. But if you don’t truly believe that you can have this desire fulfilled, it will never happen.

Here’s an example of what I mean: Let’s say that you want great wealth. You can picture your bank account overflowing with thousands of dollars.  (The more specific the amount the better.) You can almost feel the money in your hands. But if you don’t believe that you’re worthy or if there’s an obstacle to that wealth somewhere in the deeper part of your mind, you still won’t achieve that wealth.

In Joseph Murphy’s 1963 book, “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind”, he says the following about not achieving the results that you want:

“Any time you try to force your Subconscious Mind to do something for you,  you will fail. Your Subconscious Mind does not respond to mental coercion. It responds to  your faith or Conscious Mind acceptance.”

Belief is a relaxed state of mind. Whenever you use effort or willpower, you’re trying too hard and your Subconscious Mind does not respond to force.

So whatever it is that you want to create, check inside first to see if there is any resistance to believing. You may think you believe that you can achieve what you desire, but you’ll never do it if doubts lurk beneath the surface.

Once you learn Self Hypnosis, this entire process will become faster and more efficient.

Always wishing you the best.

Jennifer

Jennifer Scott, C.Ht.

Clinical Hypnotherapist

1 866 662 0939

http://jscotthypnosis.com

http://facebook.com/JShypnosis

http://twitter.com/jscotthypnosis

http://linkedin.com/mindmender

Change your thoughts. Change your life.

You may not know it, but your Conscious Mind gets tired of figuring things out. Like, Do I need a new set of clubs? Or should I get the old ones re-shafted? Maybe a new putter would help. Maybe some lessons. Why am I so inconsistent?

Round and round your Conscious Mind goes, trying to figure out what’s wrong with your golf game. And while searching for what’s wrong, you go to the driving range and practice hitting shots, beating balls, trying different swing fixes.

Guess what? You’re at the wrong practice facility! You should be reinforcing the mental techniques of relaxation in “Own The Zone” TM (http://ownthezonegolf.com). You need to practice the mental part just as often as the physical. Because ” if you don’t use it, you lose it.”

I get many letters from clients who’ve had great initial success with my mental techniques,  but later reverted back to their higher golf scores. When I ask them if they were practicing and reinforcing these techniques, they confessed they weren’t.

The best part of practicing my mental techniques is that you don’t have to go anywhere special or spend any money to do it. You can practice these techniques at home, before you go to sleep, before you get up from bed, at work or even in a car. One client tells me it does wonders to diffuse his anger at bad car drivers!

Ok. Here’s one technique: Take a deep breath. Hold it for a few seconds. And on the exhale think, “Peace, Harmony, Relax, Relax. Do this two more times. Your body will enjoy the deep breaths and also the words. They’re soothing and the combination  of the deep breaths and the words will immediately release any mental or physical tension. Practice when you feel neutral or when you’re feeling stressed. Once you’ve created this technique as a habit, you’ll find that it will work like a charm to release stress on the golf course. But it must be practiced so you’ll remember to use it.

You can also use this technique during your pre-shot routine. Use it while you stare at your target,  whether it’s a drive, a fairway wood shot, an iron, a wedge or even a putt. Your eyes will create a trustworthy pathway to your target especially when you release built-up tension. You can practice this when putting on your living room rug. Trust is the key with this technique.

You don’t have to go to the driving range. Because your brain is the one practice facility you take everywhere with you.

Jennifer

Jennifer Scott, C.Ht.

Spiritual & Clinical Hypnotherapist

1866 662 0939

http://ownthezonegolf.com

http://jscotthypnosis.com

http://facebook.com/JShypnosis

http://twitter.com/jscotthypnosis

http://linkedin.com/in/mindmender

Change your thoughts. Change your life.