5 steps to transform your mental game  

By Lori Hammond

Coach and Professional Hypnotist. Giving you simple tools to stop overwhelm and harness joyful forward momentum.

NOTE: You'll get value from this cheat sheet even if you have no interest in golf.

 

When I was a newly trained hypnotist (and felt like I didn't know what I was doing) a man asked if hypnosis could help with "chipping yips".

 

I had no idea what chipping yips were so I googled it.

 

Apparently it's a golf thing (I've never played golf).

 

Nick Foy says "The chipping yips are a mental lapse where your body and mind aren’t in sync. Your body tenses up and tries to over-control the golf shot instead of letting it happen naturally."

 

The yips cause players to stab and jerk at the ball instead of swing the club in a fluid and free flowing way.

 

I called the man and said "Yes, hypnosis can help with chipping yips." 

 

He didn't hire me. 😂

 

Even though I tried to speak with confidence, I was thinking "I have no idea what I'm doing!" and that came across in my voice. 

 

Now I realize that helping someone with their golf game is like helping someone speak publicly, nail a job interview, stop overeating, or.... well, just about anything!

 

When a person struggles with their golf swing it's because they are afraid they might mess up. They're focusing on what could go wrong.

 

When a person struggles with public speaking, they're thinking "What if I screw up and everyone laughs?"



When a person struggles with wanting to eat things they shouldn't eat it's because they're thinking, "I'm not supposed to eat cheesecake"

 

In each of those instances, the focus on what they DON'T want is driving their subconscious mind to give it to them.

 

Nick Foy tells people to fix chipping yips by doing the following (then the interesting part is coming...in case you aren't interested in golf).

 

  1. Stop worrying about it and think about something else. While walking between shots, keep your mind focused elsewhere to displace any negative thoughts of yipping from creeping into your head.

 

  1. Once you get up to your ball, have a habitual pre-shot routine that gives you confidence.

 

  1. Take a deep breath and focus on the target where you want the ball to land.

 

  1. Visualize the ball flying and landing on the target spot.

 

  1. Let go of all thinking and trust your subconscious to play the shot.

 

As I read this advice I realized "This is exactly what I did when I overcame my fear of public speaking!"

 

The first time I was asked to speak publicly I freaked out.

 

I practiced obsessively and relentlessly.

 

I did my presentation in front of a camera and watched it back.

 

It was TERRIBLE!

 

I looked robotic and uncomfortable and insecure. I stumbled over my words.

 

I was thinking, "What if I screw up? What if I bore people?"... and it was causing me to screw up and be boring.

 

SPOILER ALERT: I nailed the presentation.

 

I had an absolute blast and so did the people in the audience.

 

And I did it by following the 5 steps to stop chipping yips (even though I didn't know them yet).

 

Let's walk through the steps again so you can use them... with yourself or with clients... to transform just about any behavior that kept you stuck.

 

5 Steps to Transform Your Mental Game

 

  1. Stop worrying about it and think about something else.

 

Focus on positive "What if" scenarios instead of negative "What ifs". 

 

Lori's public speaking example: 

I asked my subconscious mind to help me give a fantastic presentation and decided to trust myself to be smooth and confident when I stood on stage. Ever time I noticed myself freaking out about speaking I took a slow breath and said, "Nope, I've given this job to my subconscious," and made myself think about something else...like the color of the sky or the temperature of the air on my skin. It doesn't have to be complicated. 

 

  1. Have a habitual pre-shot routine that gives you confidence.

 

Please keep this simple. 

 

The most effective routine is to shift your Body language, Breathing, and Beliefs (self-talk).

 

I call this the 3 B's... and it's the quickest and most effective self-hypnosis in the world. 

 

Before I got on stage I stood up straight and relaxed my shoulders (Body language)...

 

Took a deep Breath with a looong slooow exhale.

 

And said, "This is going to be fun! I can do this!" (Belief). 

 

One of the things you'll love most about changing your beliefs is how easy it is. When you change your self talk it has an immediate effect on your body and mind...

 

...even if you don't believe the positive thing you're saying to yourself at first. 

 

  1. Take a deep breath and focus on the target where you want the ball to land. 

 

We've already talked about this. Breath is part of the 3 Bs.

 

That breath allows you to shift your focus from negative ("What if I screw up?") to positive ("What if I nail it?!")

 

  1. Visualize the ball flying and landing on your intended spot and rolling across the green to the hole.

 

This one is so important!

 

Please notice that you are not thinking about how you will approach the ball, how you will position your body, how you will swing the club etc.

 

Remember, yips are a problem of trying to over-control the shot instead of letting it happen naturally.

 

When I decided to trust my subconscious mind to help me give a good presentation, I vividly and playfully imagined the following:

 

👏 Receiving a standing ovation.

 

🙌 People shaking my hand and saying, "That was amazing! I want to know more about hypnosis."

 

🙋‍♀️ People participating and following along as I spoke.

 

I did NOT plan and micro-manage every word. 

 

I STOPPED rehearsing. 

 

I focused on the OUTCOME instead of the process. 

 

There's a part of you that knows exactly how to get the result you want.

 

The instant you stop focusing on what you don't want (worry, craving, fear)...

 

And start vividly imagining a positive outcome...

 

You set a magical, subconscious chain of events in motion. 



  1. Let go of all thinking and trust your subconscious to play the shot.

 

This one might seem the scariest and I believe it's the most important. 

 

This is called "flow" and it happens when we stop micro-managing ourselves and allow our subconscious to take over. 

 

The biggest reason I was willing to trust my subconscious when I stood on stage for the first time is because I absolutely knew I would screw up if I worried and micro-managed myself. 

 

Yes, there was a little part of me that wasn't sure these 5 steps would work. But I knew I would ensure failure if I freaked out. 

 

Where have you been freaking yourself out ?

 

What if this is an opportunity to follow the 5 steps and get into flow?

Join Lori's Next Group Hypnosis Session

Do you feel lonely and need to connect?

Are you struggling and need extra support and guidance?

Join me for a deeply relaxing, enjoyable group hypnosis session this coming Tuesday. 

Experience healing in the place where struggle used to be.

I'd love to see you there!

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