Golfer Sweetens Her Swing with Hypnosis

Golfer Lydia Ko uses hypnosis as a tool for focus and performance. (Photo source: Fox Sports)

Lydia Ko is a prodigy.  She is a once in a generation talent.

The slight golfer from New Zealand has the potential to redefine the sport.  She won a LPGA tournament at the age of 15. She became the number one ranked player in the world at 17.

What has been the secret to Ko’s dramatic and unprecedented rise in professional golf?

This article published by ESPN captures her journey from obscurity in New Zealand to the highest level of performance on professional ranks.

Perhaps most interesting and innovative is Ko’s training with her mental performance coach, David Niethe. 

"Lydia has been hypnotized many a time by me," Niethe explains in the ESPN article.  “We would use hypnosis if we deemed we needed to.  There was a lot of action, reflection, deciding strategies. We'd talk about something, then try to make it a habit."

Read more about hypnosis for athletic performance at these links:

Hypnosis Helped Mary Lou Retton Vault to Olympic Gold

How the Lady Terps Achieve Zen

Hypnosis for Athletic Success, Capitals Style