Famous Users of Sports Hypnosis
Sports Hypnosis has been used for many years with top performing athletes.
The first known use was with Russian gymnasts and weight-lifters in the fifties.
The Brazilian National football team that won the World Cup in Sweden in 1958 used hypnosis for team bonding.
Wigan Athletic used a Hypnotherapist in its first season in the Premiership when they were favourites for relegation but reached the League Cup Final and almost qualified for Europe.
Other clubs that have used Hypnosis are Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Stoke City, Ipswich Town, Swindon Town, Swansea City, Birmingham City, Sheffield United, Bristol Rovers, Bristol City, Cheltenham Town, Hereford United, Arsenal, Fulham, Portsmouth, Barnsley, Reading and Colchester United.
England cricket captain Mike Brearley, athlete Iwan Thomas and golfers Ian Woosnam and Nick Faldo were all known to use Sports Hypnosis.
Boxers Frank Bruno, Nigel Benn and Steve Collins used Hypnosis before many successful fights.
The Formula 1 racing driver Michael Shumacher used Hypnosis to enhance his extraordinary abilities.
Amongst other high-profile athletes who have used Hypnosis are ASP Tour surfer Russell Winter and Beijing Olympic Champions Vince Hancock (Olympic Skeet) and Steve Hooker (Pole Vault).
There are countless other examples but more recently Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Lewis Hamilton, David Beckham and Michael Jordan are all known users of hypnotic techniques for performance enhancement and these are just the most well-known amongst many others.