Granted, Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods are gifted athletes. But there are many other athletes who have similar (even superior) physical abilities. So why have these two dominated their sports with such regularity? Aside from the amount of time they devoted to practicing, the answer is: they learned how to handle pressure.
Not coincidentally, these two remarkable athletes have some experience with hypnosis themselves. Since the age of 13, Tiger Woods has worked with his mental coach, Jay Brunza. Jordan and the Bulls practiced hypnosis daily with the help of head coach Phil Jackson.
Mentally, golf is perhaps the most demanding game around. It is well known among golfers that much of the score depends on how a golfer thinks. Jack Nicklaus has stated many times that he believes that golf is 90% mental preparation and only 10% skill.
He prepares by visualizing problem putts and mentally rehearsing how he will play each shot.
Almost sounds like what we do with hypnosis!
Hmm….