Sports Hypnosis

[epee1]

I just made an appointment with a sports hypnotherapist to see if he could help me up my game mentally. Hey, if Aladar Kogler says it helps then I'm willing to try it. Has anyone ever tried this approach (and is willing to admit it) and what kind of feedback do you have regarding the experience?

[Go? Fencing?]

I went to a hypnotherapist to help me with my fear of needles, and it did help. Not a whole lot, but at least to the point where I can get shots, whereas I used to be completely unable to. I think if I went for a few more sessions, I could get even better, but I really hate being under hypnosis.

Seems like as long as you're willing to let it help, to believe that it will help, it will.

[JackOfHearts]

What kind of "mental" problems are you having when fencing?

[Feltan]

In the 1970's, when I was a junior fencer, there was another junior fencer who's father would hypnotise him before a tournament. Being that we were teenagers, and it was the 70's, we would all walk behind this kid after his treatment like a bunch of Herman Munster Zombies -- arms out in front of us mumbling things.

It was great fun -- at least for us.

Did it help this fencer? I don't think it made him any better or any worse.

Regards,
Feltan

[sabreur]

I do autogenous training, aka self-hypnosis or visualization, and it helps me--or at least, I think it helps me.

[Gav]

I think it helps me.

And that's the rub "I think it helps me".

Give it a go and if it works for you it works. Hypnosis is a kind of play acting. In a sense your mind allows itself to be ... fooled ... into believing the hypnosis. Whether it is efficacious is down to the individual and their susceptibility to suggestion and submission to authority [and other factors]. There is nothing mystical about it. It's certainly not an effect in the way that a physicist may describe it. You can achieve the same affect by practising good psychology - as Sabreur describes it.

[rory]

Self-hypnosis/autogenic training is a form of visualisation while in a deeply relaxed state.
Typically you spend some time relaxing with breathing techniques (often yoga-based), then while relaxed and concentrated you visualise crrect actions and repeat mantras/self-affirming phrases.

It's actually very effective at increasing confidence, and actually at improving technique in many cases (*thinking* about doing something has the same effect on the neural pathways as doing it, and improves your execution of the visualised action).

It's also very relaxing.

[AllenJ]

This is not meant as a bash in any way but...
My first feelings are that I wouldn't go for it. If the old masters back in the day where this stuff was really important managed without it, then we certainly can with our little sport. However, there is nothing wrong, I suppose, for looking for any kind of advantage in competietion. But the masters say in the manuals that it is important to have a clear calm mind. I'd quote people, but Im at work and dont have all my texts here. That and I just personally dont like the idea of someone else tapping into my head like that. But thats just me.

[epee1]

What kind of "mental" problems are you having when fencing?

Mostly I just get caught up in the neg. self talk loop after a couple of DE's - I also have a tendency to come down really hard on myself when I drill if I don't do the move perfectly every time. Then I get all tense and it spirals downhill exponentially -

I'm also hoping it helps with my motivation - I'm kicking my training up another two gears and want to keep the intensity very high.

[epee1]

Self-hypnosis/autogenic training is a form of visualisation while in a deeply relaxed state.
Typically you spend some time relaxing with breathing techniques (often yoga-based), then while relaxed and concentrated you visualise crrect actions and repeat mantras/self-affirming phrases.

It's actually very effective at increasing confidence, and actually at improving technique in many cases (*thinking* about doing something has the same effect on the neural pathways as doing it, and improves your execution of the visualised action).

It's also very relaxing.

starting yoga class tonight - i'm kind of jazzed about trying it

[Gav]

Mostly I just get caught up in the neg. self talk loop after a couple of DE's - I also have a tendency to come down really hard on myself when I drill if I don't do the move perfectly every time. Then I get all tense and it spirals downhill exponentially -

I'm also hoping it helps with my motivation - I'm kicking my training up another two gears and want to keep the intensity very high.

Hmmm.... I have suffered the same. The fact that you can ackowledge that fact is half way there. What you need to do now is act - don't procrastinate or worry about it. There are some simple visualisations that you can do to help. You must have been successful, at Fencing, at some point? Try and recall that memory. If you have a journal or sports diary go back and re-read your entry. You can also try writing it down now if you haven't. Try and remember how it felt. Analyse it and attempt to identify the things that put you in that state: the sights, the emotions, the tastes - whatever works to bring you back to that state (I actually like watching fencing videos but rarely get the chance to indulge myself before a bout). Where, and how, you do that is up to you: I like somewhere quiet, or where I can hear or see Fencing o think about it. And practise going through this visualisation ~3 times a week (the idea being to familiarise yourself with getting into that state; you have to find the triggers). I'm almost certain that your hypnotherapist is going to go through something similar with you.

The trick with negative emotions - I've found - is to just get on with it. Never dwell. If you lose go and stretch off, calm yourself and if you don't feel like talking don't. There's also various breathing techniques that will help control your mood - and Yoga should help you learn them.

Additionally try and minimise outside influences. Get a routine. If you find 25 minutes of tantric yoga followed by an hours kickboxing get you in the mood for a fight then do it. It's a very personal thing and you should indentify the [mental] preparation that works for you.

[jeff]

I've tried to hypnotize the other fencer while on the strip, beaming thoughts at him like: "You are getting very sleepy now. You are going to make a terrible mistake now". Never seems to work!

[Gav]

Try making him act like a chicken. If it works for Paul McKenna ...

[Sciurus-Rex]

I did the hypnotism thing once. The results were sorta iffy.
And as an interesting side-effect, now every time I hear the word "bubbles," I black out for about 30 minutes and can't remember what I did during that lost time...

[Li'l Bebe]

I've done some visualization in the past when I've hit a slump or a rough spot in my training. I actually used the psychological training article on this site. I found an old tape recorder, and made my own visualization tape. It helped to have me saying everything, because then when I yell at myself in my head, or think of one of the triggers in the tape, then it works better. It significantly helped at first, but I guess after a while the effectiveness wore off. The key is to stay focused on the fencing, and not start day dreaming about other things, or fall asleep.

[Fencergrl]

A lot of professional and elite sports trainers use visualization. I did as a kid when I played sports and found it really helped. I do yoga, and plan to get back into visualizations again soon.

In a course I took years ago, my instructor was a friend of this teacher and coach up north. He wanted to put together a basketball team, but the community was small and had no gym.. Not to be deterred, the coach did visualizations and showed slow motion video clips to his players.

When the team finally got a gym built, they got an opportunity to practice together. What was interesting is the kids didn’t have a lot of bad habits to break, because they visualized doing their shots etc… using perfect technique. I seem to remember the team went on to win several championships.

At the world cup in Vancouver last year, I noticed one of the male epeeists, before going into the medal round, find a quite place and meditate. He struck me as a pretty high-strung person, yet he seemed to perform calmly on the piste, the points never ran away from him when he went up against the world’s top athletes. I admired that in him. Since then, I often see pictures of him on the podium at other World Cup events.

So yeah, I think it’s worth a try to explore hypnosis, as well as yoga.