“They throw the ball, I hit it. They hit the ball, I catch it.” – Willie Mays
The baseball world lost a legend this week: Hall of Famer Giant and Medal of Freedom recipient Willie Mays. He was Vin Scully’s favorite player and as big a class act as he was a slugger and center fielder. RIP, “Say Hey Kid.”
To me, there is no better summer sound than the crack of the bat. Many of you know I’m a baseball freak and an avid Dodgers fan. What I love in particular about this game is that a player can miss over two-thirds of his attempts at bat and still have an incredible average.
There are not many other sports, or other ventures in life, where can you “lose” or “miss” that much and still win.
“I became a good pitcher when I stopped trying to make them miss the ball and started trying to make them hit it.” – Sandy Koufax
Like Mr. Koufax mentioned above, you want to shift your mindset from what you don’t want to what you do want. Hypnosis helps athletes not only reduce anxiety, panic, and fear but also to clearly visualize the throw/stroke/move/pitch/catch that they do want to make successfully. This process sets up mirror neurons that allow the automatic replication of behaviors and thoughts.
Click on this link from Harvard University to learn more about the brain’s automaticity: https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2016/mirror-neurons-quarter-century-new-light-new-cracks/
And to learn more about the validity of hypnosis for sports, click on this link from The National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8820393/
I’ve had the honor of treating numerous professional and amateur athletes over my 20+ year career: NBA, MLB, NFL, PGA players, an Olympiad, marathoners, softball players, ice skaters, skateboarders, swimmers, divers, sailboat racers, runners, triathletes, tennis players, gymnasts, boxers, as well as Little Leaguers and high school and college athletes in numerous sports. Indeed, when athletes are in their “zone,” they are in a state of self-hypnosis, which enhances their concentration and psychological edge they need to overcome yips, twisties, slumps, surpass themselves, and win.
I offer a complimentary 30-minute phone consultation to answer any questions you have about how hypnosis can enhance your game or your fitness level. Please contact me by phone or email.
“Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical.” – Yogi Berra
Play ball!