Hypnotherapy and positive vibes in sport

My usually reliable chipping has been letting me down in my weekly round of golf.
To be honest I've been nowhere near the money for at least three months. So when Jo Anne Freeman of Mind Body Solutions offered SportToday the opportunity to do a sports psychology article and experience first hand some of the successful hypnosis techniques recreational, competitive, and elite sports people can use to help them achieve their goals I jumped at it.
Freeman, who is based at Whakatu House, has got all those fancy qualifications beside her name - B.A. (Psych, Ed), Dip Rec &Sport, Cert.Hypnotherapy etc, etc.
"I can be your secret weapon," said Freeman putting those qualifications into simple lingo myself and most other sports people appreciate.
The fact she was a more than handy sportswoman herself before a motor vehicle accident six years forced her to retire from competitive sport also convinced me she was worth a shot. A former soccer player and snow skier, Freeman represented Auckland University at three New Zealand University national tournaments.
Before putting me under hypnosis Freeman warned me she shouldn't be looked upon as an instant remedy for my form slump.
"It might take two or three attempts before you get into the zone."
Obviously other factors come into play like weather conditions, ground conditions at the course, whether or not I've got the right equipment and of course whether or not I've got the right technique.
Because I'm so unorthodox at golf, like I am at most sports, the later has always played on my mind. Fortunately I managed to shut that negative (yes you got it Freeman places a big emphasis on focusing on the positives not the negatives) out as she prepared me for my first taste of hypnosis.
Even if it doesn't work I've had the opportunity to take a rare rest on the job I thought to myself as I slumped into a dental surgery-type chair.
"I want you to relax and think of a happy place like your favourite holiday spot," Freeman told me as she did her stuff.
Once I was relaxed and following every one of Freeman's instructions she got me to imagine I was on the course and to play a few chips. After she snapped me back to reality I couldn't help but think how good the chipping felt.
Of course the test would come when I hit the course a couple of days later. Unfortunately it wasn't as successful as I had hoped.
Those "other factors" as Freeman described them came into play ... I hadn't played for three weeks because of wet weather, the course was soft and wet (I like it dry and hard) and the grass was long.
However I refuse to give up and have every intention of using Freeman's techniques next time out. I want to be another of her success stories and she's got plenty of those.
They vary from several top elite sportspeople to a couple of Nanas at a Hawke's Bay croquet club. Freeman can deal with nutrition, weight gain/loss, pain management, sporting confidence, pre sport nerves, pre sport sleep difficulties, correct breathing, goal setting, improved muscle memory co-ordination, overcoming fears and learning to visualise success and strategies.
In my case I just want to get the chipping sorted. It's time someone else in our golf group got a taste of being last.