Stay In The Zone

On Wed. May 21, I will be interviewed on www.lvgolfguru.com

Dennis Silver will talk to me about my new book Get Into The Zone In Just One Minute: 21 Simple Techniques To Improve Your Performance.

The book is at Barnes and Noble:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Get-into-the-Zone-in-Just-One-Minute/Jay-P-Granat/e/9781934209639/?itm=1

It is also at www.amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Get-Into-Zone-Just-Minute/dp/1934209635/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207397460&sr=8-1

 We will also talk about golf, golf psychology, sports and sport psychology.

I have another new book on tennis coming out later this year.

  This is the third time I have been interviewed on this ESPN affiliate.

Here is an articles that a writer wrote about me——
Sports Doctor Helps Young Athletes Perform Better

(RIVER EDGE, New Jersey) - A young swimmer overwhelmed
with negative thoughts, a teenage baseball player with low
confidence, a child gymnast afraid of falling - what do
they have in common? Aside from amazing athletic talent,
they all suffer from psychological blocks, which is what
Dr. Jay P. Granat Ph.D helps his clients overcome.

“No matter how successful child and teen sports stars are,
a block can prevent them from achieving their true
potential,” said Dr. Granat, who is a psychotherapist with
24 years of clinical experience and has coached thousands
of athletes. “Young athletes can learn the psychology of
greatness and how to deal with the doubts, fears, phobias
and blocks that all athletes face, regardless of age.”  

After working with Dr. Granat, who was voted “Top 10
Mental Gurus” by Golf Digest, many of his clients report
improved sports performance, and reduced levels of fear,
making his one-on-one sessions invaluable for young
athletes and their parents.

By helping clients work through fear, and teaching
youngsters to relax under pressure, Dr. Granat has become
an in-demand “coach of champions” and his approach has
been featured on Good Morning America and in The New York
Times and ESPN Magazine. Over 40 percent of his practice
consists of 11 to 18-year-olds, with many parents and
youngsters referring him to their friends.

“It’s especially difficult for parents to watch their
child suffering,” said Dr. Granat. “After a sports failure
it can be very difficult to bounce back and I see many
youngsters afraid to let the team down, or they fear
disappointing their parents.”

Dr. Granat advises that parents emphasize that they love
their children regardless of sports performance and let
kids know it’s okay to make mistakes.

“When I see over-critical parents, I also see children
looking over their shoulder into the stands, afraid to
mess up,” said Dr. Granat, who has written articles and
books that help both child athletes and parents. “I’ve
witnessed this with my own son - children place a lot of
pressure on themselves and it’s up to parents to be
supportive, not overly critical.”

Some parents also forget that youngsters are not adults -
they need time to grow, develop and learn important
skills.

“If a 14-year-old is playing tennis, they are still a
14-year-old,” said Dr. Granat. “They aren’t always going
to be focused. They are going to make mistakes.”

Youngsters who lose their temper are also common in
sports, and Granat works with clients to get to the root
of the problem.

“Anger can lead to violence on the field, so it’s
important to have ways to deal with temper problems,” said
Dr. Granat, who mentioned that some children even lose
scholarships due to temper problems. “Of course, there can
be a complex dynamic between parents, coaches and
athletes, with adults often setting a bad example for
youngsters.”

Dr. Granat teaches clients to use anger management
technique, visualization, self-hypnosis and meditation to
help control anger.

Burnout is also a common problem in youth athletics, with
parents and coaches pushing children too hard.

“Sometimes a break is needed, and the child shouldn’t be
restricted to one sport only,” said Granat. “Balance is
important.”

Dr. Granat offers services and products to help young
athletes and parents. In addition to one-on-one sessions,
Dr. Granat offers a wide-variety of books and audio
programs on his web site, www.StayInTheZone.com. Topics
include managing stress, staying focused and confident
during sports, and dealing with test anxiety. Free article
topics include “They Laughed When My Child Came Up To
Bat,” and “How To Talk to Your Kids About Sports.”

Dr. Jay Granat has coached thousands of professional and
student athletes and has 24 years of clinical experience.
The author of several sports psychology books, he has also
lectured and conducted workshops across the country. He
has also worked as a university professor and was a past
Vice President of the New York Society for Ericksonian
Psychotherapy and Hypnosis.

His new book, Get Into The Zone In Just One Minute:
21 Simple Ways To Improve Your Performance, is now
available at www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com .

Dr. Granat has also released a two volume CD program, How
To Get In The Zone With Sports Psychology And Self-Hypnosis,
which is available at http://www.stayinthezone.com/get_stay.htm

Dr. Granat and his techniques have been featured on
numerous national and international television programs
and documentaries and in several magazines.

To contact Dr. Jay Granat to schedule a session, or for
more information, email info@stayinthezone.com, or call
201-342-3663.

This is an interesting, informative and useful site.

Since I do a lot of work with families and with couples, I thought it would be fun, useful, helpful and interesting to write for this site periodically.

www.divorce360.com

I was interviewed by a reporter for www.divorce360.com

Here is the link for that piece. Pardon the wrong spelling of my name.

http://www.divorce360.com/articles/800/why-affairs-happen.aspx?page=2

        Today, I received a wonderful e-mail from a parent of a very talented young golfer in South Africa.  Apparently, this young player had been struggling in tournmanents.  

     His parent contacted me and I suggested that his child start some mental toughness training by listening to  my two volume Stay In The Zone Program.

http://www.stayinthezone.com/get_stay.htm

      The youngster began listening about six weeks ago and apparently has done quite well lately.  In fact, the young man will now be moving to Great Britian to compete there.

      His parents seem delighted and so am I.

       This is the kind of news I like to get when working with a young athlete or an older athlete.  Sometimes, some advice, guidance a tip can make a big difference in how we feel about ourselves and in how we perform.

   Your head is the heaviest part of your body.  If your head moves a great deal, you can throw your body off balance. 

     A still and quiet head is important in baseball hitting, golf, tennis, shooting a baseketball, bowling, hockey, billiards on and on and on.

       A still head also allows your eyes to focus well.

       So, make sure your head remains still and see if doing this improves your performance at your favorite sport.

        For more tips, visit www.stayinthezone.com

      Â

I was watching the baseball game last night and I loved Albert Pujols’ description of hitting philosophy.  He noted that he looks for a ball that he can drive into the gaps.  This simple approach allows him to keep his mind clear and focused when he steps up to the plate.

      In my view, he is one of the best hitters in the game right now.  He has a beautiful swing and great balance.

    Young hitters and coaches should pay attention to any ideas which simplify the hitting process.

    His simple approach to hitting fits in well with the ideas presented on my  CD program for baseball players.  101 Ways To Break Out Of A Hitting Slump

http://www.stayinthezone.com/baseball.htm

   I encourage batters to have either one thought or  no thoughts when they step up to the plate.

   These kinds of ideas are also included in my new book

Get Into The Zone In Just One Minute availabe at www.barnesandnoble.com

and www.amazon.com

  Â

Replace Criticism With Curiosity 

     Berating yourself and putting yourself down will not help you to play in the zone.   Replace your tendency to criticize yourself with a smart question: 

What did you just learn from your last shot or from 

the last point?   

      This wise question will keep you thinking in a smart and useful way and keep you on top of your game.

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is the founder of www.stayinthezone.com and the author of

numerous programs for athletes, coaches and

parents of athletes. 

 

Imagine A Net That IsSix Feet Tall 

 

      Many errors are made when you hit the ball into the net.  Hitting shots from the baseline which clear the net by 3-6 feet is a great way to reduce the number of balls you hit into the net.  Aiming a little higher, 

and adding a bit of topspin will also add some depth to your shots. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How To Help Your Child Succeed At Sports

 

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D.

 

 

           Sports play a huge role in our society.  What are some of the things that

 

parents can do to help their kids to enjoy sports and to succeed at sports?

 

1.

 

            Do what you can to make sure that your child is having a positive experience

 

with coaches and with teammates.  The wrong coach can turn a kid off

 

 to a sport or to sports in general.  Similarly, conflicts with teammates

 

 and peer pressure can make sports quite unpleasant.  You need to help

 

 your child work out these interpersonal issues, and in some instances, you

 

  will need to intervene or intercede on his or her behalf.

 

 

2.

 

     Try to determine if your child seems better suited for team sports or

 

for individual sports.  Some kids love the camaraderie of team sports.

 

Others enjoy competing on their own.  And of course, some kids like both.

 

 

3.

 

      Your children learn a lot by watching and by observing you and your

 

spouse.  Be sure to model good sportsmanship, grace, gentleness and

 

integrity on and off the athletic field.  We have all read the horror stories

 

about violent sports parents who are out of control on the soccer field,

 

the baseball diamond, in the basketball gym or at the hockey rink.  If you

 

 

behave inappropriately at these venues, your children are apt to do the same

 

thing. 

 

 

4.

 

 

        Lots of kids have difficulty managing the busy schedules which

 

include games, practices, travel, cross training, family activities and

 

school work.  In many instances, the parents and their kids are spread

 

quite thin and are quite overwhelmed.

 

   Help your child to find a balance and make sure that they do not have

 

too much on their plates.

 

5.

 

    

       Be aware of burn out.   If your child has lost some of his her

 

enthusiasm and his or her performance has declined, your youngster 

 

may be burnt out.  Talk with them and see if they need a break, a new

 

challenge, a different approach to their sport or a new sport.

 

 

6.

 

     Is your child an elite athlete?  Elite athletes often show mature talent and

 

exceptional drive earl on.  I counsel many athletes who

 

fall into this category and they usually report loving their sport at an

 

early age.  They love practice and they usually can compete successfully

 

with kids who are a few years older than they are. 

 

 

 

 7.

 

        If your child is an elite athlete, you will discover that the age of

 

specialization has now crept into sports.  While there are some children

 

who can excel at several sports, most top athletes focus on one today.

 

     In addition, baseball players don’t just get a baseball coach.  They get a

 

second base coach, a hitting coach and a pitching coach.

 

 

                                                              8.

 

           If your child wants to achieve a high level of success at sports,

 

it is important the coach, the youngster and you have a good working

 

relationship.   I frequently intervene to help everyone to get on the

 

same page.

 

                                                              9.

 

           Expect to have different coaches and trainers during the course

 

of your kid’s athletic career.  This is normal.  Be open to switching because

 

different coaches teach different things and they call all have a positive impact

 

on your youngster.  If you and your child and the coach are in constant

 

friction, something is wrong and it needs to fixed.

 

 

10.

 

        Many young and talented athletes are clueless about the mental

 

aspects of their sport.  For example, I counseled a very talented tennis

 

player who knew zero about the strategy of the game and less about

 

her own psychological strengths and weaknesses.  I was a bit shocked

 

at how weak her mental skills were, since her mother owned and ran

 

a successful tennis facility.

 

          Similarly, I have seen hundreds of very talented young golfers

 

who can hit the ball great on the range but who fall apart on the course.

 

          Likewise, many baseball players with great swings can not hit in

 

game conditions  because they think very poorly about the game, the

 

count and about themselves when they step up to the plate.

 

          If you want your child to excel at sports they need to learn to

 

understand the strategy as well as the internal mental aspects of

 

their sport.  

 

11.

 

         Do whatever you can to teach your child to be relaxed, confident, focused

 

and optimistic on and off the court.  Show them how to manage the successes

 

and the setbacks.

 

 

 

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a Psychotherapist and the Founder of www.StayInTheZone.com.  He is the author of a new book, Get Into The Zone In Just One Minute and many other programs for athletes, parents and coaches.

He can be reached at info@stayinthezone.com