It was a great day for golf with the temperature hovering around 88 degrees, and a crystal clear blue sky up above. James looked forward to playing a round of golf with his corporate buddies. Not being new to golf, and having won previous country club tournaments, today James felt additional nervousness.

The time had come for James to tee off. He had executed his swing hundreds of times. He knew that the pin was roughly 420 yards away. James decided that his target, an intermediate one, would be a grassy area about 280 yards away. To James’s right, 60 yards away, was a water area. James set up with his familiar grip, stance, feet, arm and body alignment exactly as he had practiced many times over. He looked at his target and told himself “Now, don’t let it go into the water. Make sure you don’t get it to the bunker.” His friends were watching him and he thought, “Don’t disappoint them!” He executed his swing and the ball went right into the water. In the company of his friends, James felt terribly embarrassed as he shook his head and examined his driver. He couldn’t explain what went wrong and tried to shake it off as the jitters of using his new clubs.

John was a hockey player who felt jitters while competing. He dealt with it by becoming overly aggressive and was even called to the bench on several occasions. What he didn’t realize was that being overly aggressive was a sign of a loss of Focus and Concentration. He learned to appreciate the “warning” signs, and with the help of Sports Hypnosis he was able to refocus in a heart-beat. This helped him win a college scholarship to a division one university.

Jennifer was a high school senior and had done well in state and regional gymnastic meets. She had even qualified for Nationals. It’s then that she started to become preoccupied with “What if I fall off the balance beam? What if I mess up my vault and floor routines?” Surely, with these types of negative thoughts, her performance declined to the point that she even considered giving up gymnastics. She had committed eleven years of her life to becoming a solid candidate for a gymnastics college scholarship. She was reconsidering this plan simply because she was having a hard time coping with the jitters of Competition and the added pressures of learning harder skills.

These scenarios are typical of the jitters of competing in sports. Fortunately, these anxieties and tentative thoughts can be easily eliminated using Sports Hypnosis. Initially, a Sport Psychology Consultant and a Sports Hypnotist will assess and formulate a plan of action that will enable the athlete to rid themselves of tentative unwanted thoughts. Dr. Sterk developed the CAP-the Comprehensive Athletic Profile-an inventory that helps gather information during the assessment process. As a Sports Hypnotist he’s helped many people to succeed in their sport.

Dr. Sam Sterk, Ph.D., is a Sport Psychology Consultant and a Certified Master Hypnotherapist. Dr. Sterk is the Director of Peak Performance Plus LLC, a Counseling, Hypnosis and Sports Psychology practice. He has been the Director of several counseling agencies. Dr. Sterk teaches Medical Hypnosis at a local medical school. As a Certified Sport Psychology Consultant, he has been affiliated with the United States Olympic Center. But whether you’re an Olympian or simply an amateur athlete, you can gain the mental edge to improve your sports performance. Dr. Sterk conducts his private practice in Scottsdale, and also trains others in how to do Sports Hypnosis.

A confidential appointment can be made by simply calling 480-767-0956 or 480-861-6718

Our website is: www.peakplusaz.com
Email: peakplus@aol.com