The Super Mental Training Book (60 page)

* Suinn, Richard, "Body Thinking: Psychology for Olympic Champs," Psychology Today, July, 1976.

Teich, Mark and Weintraub, Pamela, "Ultra Sports," Omni, August, 1985.

Thomas, John, "The Power of Positive Swimming," Old Oregon, Winter, 1979.

* Unestahl, Lars-Eric, "New Paths of Sport Learning and Excellence," Department of Sport Psychology, Orebro University, Orebro, Sweden, 1981.

ADDENDUM

As if the teachings of this book need further validation, the testimonial of John Zajc is offered to illustrate that all you have to do to learn self-hypnosis is read and then practice the self-hypnosis procedure spelled out in the Introduction chapter. Zajc, the number one player on the Fullerton College varsity tennis team for the 1990-91 season, did this, and realized the usual successes that come from mastery of the technique. Here is what Zajc related in a December 1, 1990 interview.

Bob Stevenson: When did you learn self-hypnosis?

John Zajc. I learned self-hypnosis about late October, 1990.1 learned the technique by reading copies you gave me of the Introduction and Tennis chapters. I read them twice; the first time was just to get a general idea, and the second time I read them step-by-step, memorizing the instructions. It took me 15 or 20 minutes, and then I tried it out.

Stevenson: Describe a typical self-hypnosis session you engage in.

Zajc: I go to a quiet place in the house, which is the upstairs den. After closing the door I lie down on the couch, and slowly tell myself to relax. I try to get as calm as possible. I stare at a spot on the ceiling, and keep telling myself to "Relax, relax," while taking very deep breaths. It takes me about 5 minutes to get in the hypnotic state.

Stevenson: How do you know you are in the hypnotic state?

Zajc: My heart beats slower and slower, and my body just feels so relaxed. I can almost feel myself going down into something. It's like a sleeplike state.

Stevenson: What suggestions do you give yourself?

Zajc: I give myself five suggestions. The first one is to "Concentrate on every point." This, of course, is for my tennis game. And I repeat it over and over again, probably about five or six times. The next one is to "Hit out on all my shots." The third one is to "Play with a lot of confidence." The fourth is to "Kill, kill the opponent." The last one I tell myself is: "No matter what, you will not be bothered by anything; nothing will disturb you."

Stevenson: Are your eyes closed while you are giving yourself these suggestions?

Zajc: My eyes are closed.

Stevenson: How do you get out of the self-hypnotic state?

Zajc: I just tell myself, "On the count of three, I will awaken and feel great." And basically, I'll come back to normal.

Stevenson: When do you give yourself these suggestions?

Zajc: The night before a big match. I go through the whole routine before going to bed. I use names of my opponents—that's for the "Kill" stage—"kill" whoever I want to beat the next day. Then, a half hour or 45 minutes before the match, I practice self-hypnosis again at home right before I leave. Also, sometimes while driving to the match I'll give myself autosuggestions, just to reinforce them.

Stevenson: Describe how the autosuggestions have affected your tennis play.

Zajc: Recently, for the 1990 Cal Poly Pomona Tennis Championships I was coming off a month-long illness where physically I wasn't there. But, I gave myself autosuggestions throughout the tournament, and my partner and I ended up winning the doubles in the "A" division. Using self-hypnosis for the finals, for instance, I came out to the court in a good frame of mind, good

attitude. I really felt confident, and I played extremely well (we won 7-6, 6-4).

Stevenson: How many points or games per set would you estimate self-hypnosis is worth for you?

Zajc: I would say probably two games per set. The reason being, say it was 4-all; that's the time you need to break serve. The self-hypnosis has made me more mentally tough to come through with that break of serve, and then serve out the set. That's why I say two games. In the past—I don't want to use the word "choke"—but I would not pull through in the tight matches; I tended to lose my composure. Now, with self-hypnosis I'm pulling out the tough ones.

Stevenson: Was it hard to learn self-hypnosis?

Zajc: It was real easy. I just read the procedure over again and practiced it.

Worthy of mention in this section is the November 26,1990 announcement by the Los Angeles Dodgers that they have hired a full-time team psychiatrist, Dr. Herndon Harding, Jr. This hiring came only days after the Dodgers acquired star outfielder Darryl Strawberry from the New York Mets, signing him to a 5-year $20.5 million deal. Strawberry, while with the Mets, had undergone alcohol rehab the previous Spring. This being the case, it only makes sense that the Dodgers would want to obtain some insurance on their $20.5 million investment. Dr. Harding's role, it should be pointed out, is to assist players at all levels of the Dodger organization, that is, both major and minor leaguers.

Meanwhile, a unique book, The Mental Game of Baseball (1989), has made its appearance. Written by Harvey Dorfman, the Oakland A's full-time performance enhancement counselor/ instructor since 1984, and Karl Kuehl, the A's Director of Player Development, the book presents detailed advice on how one can become a more mentally tough baseball player. Interestingly, self-hypnosis is not discussed at all by Dorfman and Kuehl. Rather, they recommend the practice of visualization, presenting some good testimonials along the way, such as this excellent one from Hall of Famer Duke Snider:

I did my preparation in the afternoon. I liked to lay down for an hour before I went to the park. That's when I went over the pitchers in my mind. We didn't call it visualizing then, but I sure used my imagination.

It should be mentioned that there exist ultra powerful mental techniques—techniques far more powerful than those (including self-hypnosis) described in this book. However, these techniques, which exercise one's supersensonic powers, are best learnt in an intimate instructional setting involving the master and his eager understudy. Therefore these mental forces, to be fully appreciated, should be investigated only after one has become a self-hypnosis adept. So, get down the basics. As John Zajc did, learn and apply self-hypnosis. Then, continue your search for something "additional," for it exists.