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Doctor Ensures Victory Is All In Their Heads

Tribune photo by CHRISTINE DeLESSIO

Nick Dewan talks with Pierce DeBaldo, 15, an eighth grader at Saddlebrook Prep, to help with his putting.

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By MARY SHEDDEN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 25, 2009

In the world of sports cliches, some swear by the mantra "Keep your eyes on the prize."

A better rule for winners to live by may be "Keep your head in the game."

Modern superstars, legendary athletes and even some weekend warriors have taken their game to a higher level thanks to a commitment to meditation and visualization, says Clearwater psychiatrist Naakesh "Nick" Dewan.

"Keeping your eyes on the prize is what gets you to training camp," says Dewan, who teaches meditation and visualization techniques at the Saddlebrook Resort golf academy in Wesley Chapel. "But the prize cannot be on your mind when crunch time comes."

In the Western world, meditation brings up images of new-age music and incense - not a putting green or tennis court. But Dewan, who is Indian and was raised Hindu, says it's really nothing more than learning how to control and reduce the tensions in your mind.

He recently created two CDs that blend sports with meditation and visualization - the act of mentally walking through a game yet to happen. Dewan talks listeners through "Golf Dreams" and "Tennis Quest," focusing on how breathing techniques and visualization can sharpen a person's focus on performance. A third CD, "Ultimate Relaxation," also is available for downloading at www.drnickdewan.com.

These mental practices can help individuals surpass their physical expectations, Dewan says.

"Meditation is like lifting weights," he says. "It's done off the course."

It's not easy convincing Western-minded athletes to look inside themselves, says Dewan who started working with athletes 16 years ago at San Diego State University. So much time today is spent on the physiological aspects of sport that the brain often falls through the cracks, he says.

"The game is 99 percent mental, but they spend 90 percent of the time on the physical," he says.

Paying attention to the mental side of the game can be the difference between a championship and a choke. Modern superstars Michael Phelps and Tiger Woods, and legends such as Jack Nicklaus, incorporate these calming practices into their winning ways.

Arthur Ashe is said to have won the 1975 Wimbledon tennis championship in part because of meditation breaks he took between sets. He sat on the sidelines on Centre Court with a towel over his head, breathing slowly and calming his nerves.

Ashe upset overwhelming favorite Jimmy Connors and became the first black man to win a Wimbledon singles championship. His practice of focusing repeatedly on a few fine points is a way to "lay down memory tracks," Dewan says. The ability to visualize a perfect serve or tee shot may help you duplicate it in a real-life situation.

That practice also helps athletes get out of their own way. Too often, play is ruined when someone thinks too much about getting it just right, he says.

"If you are focusing on yourself too much, your anxiety rises," he says. "If you only focus on yourself, the probability of an error is higher."

Want to share your health and fitness idea? Contact me at (813) 259-7365 or mshedden@tampatrib.com.

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