Local hypnotherapist Dawn Grant of A New Dawn Hypnosis is helping about a dozen Professional Golf Association golfers improve their concentration, including Ted Purdy, Cameron Beckman and Will MacKenzie.

"Golf is 95 percent mental. Hypnotherapy is 100 percent mental," said Grant.

"Like any other behavior, habit, thought or belief - golf and a golfer's swing, their beliefs about their game, their success and their ability to play are all perceptions and programming within their subconscious mind," Grant said.

"Hypnosis is a wonderful tool to get to the root of any issue and to 'reprogram' a person's mind to a more beneficial pattern of thinking, behaving or perceiving."

Purdy sought Grant's help with his putting at the Players Championship in Ponte Vedra in May. Mark Winkley, Purdy's golf instructor for the past seven years, was truly amazed when he sat in on their session. "I think she's helped Ted with his whole game, really," he said.

"I've seen Ted work with sports psychologists and the difference with Dawn was that when she put him in the hypnotic state, she was able to go back to things that were really deep-rooted in his mind about his confidence level ... that's really where she focused."

"I think what Dawn's really brought to the table is finding the root of the problem mentally, you know, confidence-wise, and letting him go out and be able to perform at the best of his ability," Winkley said.

"She's helping him get to that level where he can keep his mind at peace and have confidence that his swing is where he wants it ... and taking that confidence to the course and maintaining it throughout a round ... and not only through a round but through an entire tournament."

Grant recently earned a credential from the PGA and has full access to the putting green, driving range, practice fields and clubhouse on any tournament while she is working with a player.

Contact Grant at (904) 753-0640 or visit www.anewdawnhypnosis.com.