Tim Smale, whose clients include former Labour Party spin king Alastair Campbell and a host of sporting stars and high-profile business people, believes a 35 minute-a-day mental masterclass - via his specially designed golf hypnosis MP3 downloads and CDs - could spell an end to short putting misery for millions of golfers worldwide. He has joined forces with Chris Jenkins, a PGA Professional golfer and coach to Oliver Fisher - described as the best young British golfer since Nick Faldo - to launch golfhypnotherapy.com">www.golfhypnotherapy.com, a website dedicated to providing golf hypnosis and instruction techniques specifically targeted at times in a round when pressure and anxiety can wreak havoc.
"Golfers face around 50 high pressure situations during a round, particularly in competition play, and nervous tension can cause even the best players in the world to 'choke'," said Smale, aged 46, from his private practice off London's Trafalgar Square.
"Having a short putt for par seems like an easy task until you actually step up to the ball - then this tiddler can suddenly look like a 10-foot monster. Nervous tension and a sudden fear of missing combine with disastrous effects and what generally happens is that the subconscious mind - the powerful part of the brain which enables humans to perform simple functions 'without thinking' - is overruled. "Our aim at golfhypnotherapy.com is to create golf hypnosis products that enable golfers to harness the power of their subconscious using a mixture of clinical hypnosis and executive coaching.
"This form of mind coaching is fast and effective in making wholesale behavioural change using safe and ethical hypnotherapeutic techniques. The objective is to use hypnosis to access the subconscious mind to resolve issues quickly - and I expect golfers to see improvements to their game after listing to our golf hypnosis CDs and downloads just three times." Smale and Jenkins' first audio mind coaching aid is 'Become A Deadly Short Putter' which features specific golf instruction tips, drills and information used by Jenkins throughout his pro career to help clients develop confidence and repeatable technique on the green.
It is backed up by a second product, 'Beat First Tee Nerves' designed to help golfers make a great start to their round - and keep it going. The leading golf instruction professional at Crowlands Heath Golf Club in Sussex, England, Jenkins has taught British golf prodigy Oliver Fisher since the age of 9 and developed him into the youngest-ever Walker Cup star.
Said Jenkins, 39: "There is no doubt that having a mind coach is like having an extra club in the bag. All the top pros have mind 'gurus' but the average golfer simply cannot afford to have that kind of resource at his disposal. "What we are doing through golfhypnotherapy.com is giving casual golfers the chance to experience all the hints, tips and mind coaching techniques used by the pros - from the comfort of their own home. All they have to do is sit back and listen - they'll get better at golf while they 'sleep' thanks to our golf hypnosis programme." Before setting up Mindworks - London's first dedicated practice specialising in Mind Coaching - Smale had spent 20 years working in senior management roles in some of the UK's most successful media organisations.
As a result of his fascination, study and subsequent qualifications, he established a confidential consulting practice in the heart of London's West End which aims to enhance personal performance, increase self esteem, build confidence, encourage safer risk taking, provide focus, overcome phobias and calm anxieties. A member of the Hypnotherapy Association, Hypnotherapy Society and Counselling and Psychotherapy Society, he uses hypnosis to enhance performance, modify behaviour and manage stress for individuals from corporate business, sport and all other walks of life. Smale was mind coach to Alastair Campbell's London triathlon team in 2004.
He added: "Hypnosis is a naturally occurring phenomenon, a state of mind that we experience many times every day of our lives. To understand it better we must first understand the power of the subconscious mind. "It is a resource we can tap into for creativity, emotion and intuition and it is responsible for maintaining our bodies in good health and for all the autonomic processes we take for granted, such as breathing, blood circulation and tissue repair. "Tapping into this in a golf context means golfers will absorb the information we provide through golf hypnosis and use it, subconsciously, to play better by using good habits.
"Habits such as these, and many more, are formed in the subconscious mind and allow us to perform many tasks 'without thinking'. In order to modify a habit or behaviour or enhance a performance it follows that we must first access the subconscious mind and re-programme it. "We access the subconscious mind through 'intended golf hypnosis' - a safe and enjoyable process that can change the way we live on many exciting levels."
In recent years, using a mind coach has become all the rage in professional golf. Jamil Qureshi, magician-turned-psychologist was recently signed by the European Tour to work with the European Ryder Cup team and has private clients including Simon Dyson, Thomas Bjorn and Lee Westwood.
Other European stars including Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Graeme McDowell all work with psychologist Dr Karl Morris, while in the US mind coach Bob Rotella has clients including David Duval and Brad Faxon.
John Kelly is an award-winning sports journalist and contributor to www.golfhypnotherapy.com which provides hypnosis programmes specifically designed to help golfers improve their game. Golf instruction CDs and MP3 downloads are available on our website.