"“I knew I was good enough to represent Northland but just couldn’t make the breakthrough. My performances were just not good enough. I had two sessions with Bill and after that I was in the Northland team for the next couple of years. It was so easy. I was more relaxed and focused than I had ever been. I recommend if you’re having trouble breaking through to the next level in your sport to give bill a go.”
Karen C

“My golf was terrible. In practice I was perfect. The club pro said there was nothing wrong with my swing. But as soon as I got out on the course in a competition my swing went to pieces. You wouldn’t believe the difference. And, of course, my shots were all over the place. After two sessions with Bill and listening to the CD he made for me the problem went. I’m enjoying my golf once again.”
John M

Improving your sports performance

There are four main factors that affect sports performance.

1. Physical factors
These include your physical make-up, such as body structure, muscle structure, heart size, and your level of fitness including flexibility, strength, stamina, co-ordination.

2. Mental factors
These have to do with your thoughts and feelings. Included in this is your ability to concentrate, make decisions, cope with pressure.

3. Technical factors
These are about the specific skills needed for your sport.

4. Tactical factors
These are the strategies that the athlete or team uses.

Some of the psychological factors that affect sports performance include levels of anxiety, influence of parents, peers and coaches, personality of the athlete, motivational levels, self-confidence, natural abilities and, of course, the opposition.

Coping with stress and anxiety and building self-confidence are key to sporting success.

Enhancing your ability to stay focused on the skills needed to succeed is critical. Being “in the zone” is a state athletes often refer to. Tiger Woods is a classic example of an athlete who is able to get into the zone and stay there throughout the playing of his golf shot. It would be interesting to know how much Steve Williams contributes to Tiger’s ability to trigger into the zone. Do they have a routine or is it shot specific?

Mental practice is as important as physical practice.

Hypnotherapy can help you hone many of these skills especially the mental and emotional factors, as well as helping you improve the technical aspects. It is not practice that makes perfect, it is perfect practice that makes perfect. Do you need help to be able to practise perfectly? This requires not only help with the technical aspects but also with the capacity to practise to perfect these skills. How well do you practice.

Goal setting is a critical dimension to success in sports. How high are you aiming? To reach the top you need to take lots of small steps. To become national champion you first need to become club champion, then provincial champion and then national champion. How high are you aiming?

Why don’t you give me a ring to see how I can help you improve your sports performance? You might be pleasantly surprised.