Golfers Trained To Tap Before Teeing Off
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It may seem a bit off course, but golfers in Ohio are learning do-it-yourself acupuncture as part of their latest golf training regime. Golf performance coach Stephen Ladd has introduced his students to a method he calls ";Tap in Golf: The Ultimate Mental Game Mastery System"; and for many that method is proving successful.
For a number of people the idea of acupuncture conjures up images of sticking long needles in various parts of a person's body as they lie flat on an examining table for several hours. Ladd's system is nothing like that. It involves no needles, takes a relatively short time to master and can be performed almost anywhere as both amateur and professional golfers are taught to focus on their negative issues or anxieties while "tapping" on specific points on their hands and face. The system is a golf-specific variety of a common acupuncture method known as Emotional Freedom Technique, which is often used to treat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
"I was introduced to 'tapping' from a friend who had three PhD's in science," Ladd says, explaining how he came to develop the unusual training method, "She recommended that I try it for my fear of needles, as I had always wanted to donate blood. I thought she was kidding. When I ended up donating blood the next day without one bit of anxiety, I was hooked. And I knew this could be adapted to golf."
Ladd wasn't the only one to experience quick results from tapping. In a test group of 103 golfers, 91 reported significant improvements in their game after learning Tap In Golf, with an average handicap reduction of 36 per cent. Some members of the group even reported a handicap reduction of as much as 55 to 75 per cent and only two of the golfers found that the training had a negative impact on their performance. In most cases the improvements occurred within minutes of the training.
Using the system, golfers were able to address problems that normally impeded their game such as stress and poor swing habits. According to Ladd, Tap in Golf improves performance by teaching golfers how to play with confidence, eliminate tension and anxiety, cure the yips, and consistently play to potential.
"Any golfer will tell you that there is a huge mental component to this game, and the ability to stay calm, focussed and 'in the zone' is vital to consistently posting low numbers," Ladd says, "My system is designed to 'clear' the negative issues that many golfers face out on the links and in their heads."
Right now Ladd is offering the uninitiated a sample of his teaching by providing a free report, "How to Eliminate First Tee Jitters in Less Than One Minute," through his website at www.TapInGolf.com. A downloadable E-book and spiral bound copy of Tap in Golf: The Ultimate Mental Game Mastery System is also available.