You get the chance to offer a professional golfer some tips to make them perform better. When you suggest trying guided imagery to help him relax, he scoffs and tells you that sports figures should be tense because it keeps them sharp. How would you explain the benefits of relaxation on sports performance to him?
Consider the golfer who is lining up a putt. By thinking that there may be some bad outcome if he or she misses, the body interprets this as a threat, and the stress response activates automatically. When this happens, the running and fighting muscles, rather than the putting muscles, are activated. The shot is more likely to go awry and performance will suffer.
Learning how to relax the mind and body through repeated practice helps prevent the onset of the stress response. The more frequently the performer practices relaxation techniques, the more that relaxed state becomes one's natural state. So learning to relax is the first, and possibly most important, tool to help the athlete perform optimally.
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