There is often little to differentiate the top sports people physically. The difference in performance between those at the top of their game and the others often relates to their mental strength; their determination, single mindedness and ability to keep going when everyone else stops.
Top sportsmen such as Beth Tweddle, Andre Agassi and Bernhard Langer have used hypnotherapy in preparation for top competition. Sports psychologists are now part of Olympic teams, using techniques that we use in hypnotherapy.
There are two main streams to the work we do:
1) Dealing with negative thoughts. Fear of failure, superstitions or poor confidence following a defeat can be addressed. You will learn techniques to overcome these if they are felt in the run up to future performances.
2) Visualisation. This works on the basis that the subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between reality and imagination. The repeated visualisation of a tennis stroke or a golf swing for example, can develop neural networks and improve neuro-muscular performance. Visualising success can also convince the subconscious that the desired goal is achievable which results in a strong motivation to deliver it.
The therapy is completely personalised and the number of sessions will vary accordingly. However, sportsmen typically notice a significant improvement in their sports performance after each session as they learn techniques that they can practice straight away. Whilst the number of sessions may range up to 4 or 5 the time period is typically longer than with other conditions as each sportsman is given time to apply their new techniques and notice the difference in their performance.
Caroline