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Graduation is probably one of the most significant highlights in our lives. It is only proper to reward any graduate not only with recognition for a job well done but also with encouragement to face the next level ahead, be it college or the workplace. The season of spring is also a time for many graduation announcements. These announcements may come from friends, relatives or acquaintances. No matter how you are connected, picking a gift for their graduation may be a very difficult decision to make, what with the hundreds of choices you have. The best gift perhaps is one that is both practical and useful.

A graduation gift need not be expensive or glamorous to be appreciated. Gifts such as a tool kit or a food basket will be really useful especially if the graduate is going off to a dorm away from home. For high school graduates, some excellent gift ideas include MP3 players, a good book, a personal digital organizer, laptop computers, cameras, personalized deck accessories, clothes and jewelry. For the college-bound graduate, especially those who will be staying in dorms, great gift ideas include a small TV, stereo, a computer, books, alarm clocks, reading lights, bookshelves - and the list goes on.

Just think of something that he or she can make good use of and that can be the perfect gift you can give. Maybe you can ask the graduate in advance what his/her top five gift requests are and work from there. Most graduates will probably think of big ticket gifts, but you don’t have to spend a lot for a gift. A simple and well-thought of gift can be the most memorable among the lots of gifts he/she will receive come graduation time. You can attach a nice card with a heartfelt note to your gift as a special touch.

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In the mid 1990’s Stanford - trained engineer Gary Craig turned the psychology world on its head with the introduction of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). EFT is a meridian-based therapy, often referred to as “do-it-yourself acupuncture without the needles”. Instead you simply “tap” on a few “clearing points” on the face and body while focusing on the negative emotion, in order to “clear” it.

Sounds a bit unusual, eh?

It is unusual.

But so are the results.

Gary and his team achieved “astonishing results” while working with war veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These men had recurring nightmares, phobias, paranoia, shame and guilt among other socially crippling conditions and feelings. EFT was able to give them peace and hope in a matter of hours, where more traditional therapies had failed for years.

So what does this have to do with reducing your golf handicap?

Well, if EFT can help a war veteran with PTSD, then your first tee jitters, yips, or anxiety about hitting over water don’t really stand a chance!

Try it for yourself.

The next time you are faced with a shot that is causing you any sort of negative emotion, do the following:

Step away from the ball.

Identify the negative feeling and focus on it while performing the “tapping” as described below.

1) Using the tips of your index and middle fingers, tap on the boney area about one inch directly below one eye - approximately 10 times.

2) Next tap 10 times on the boney area just outside the same side eye.

3) Then tap the insides of your wrists together approximately 10 times.

4) Finally, take a deep breath, step up to the ball and swing away.

Yes, it really can be that simple to eliminate the mental and emotional barriers between you and consistent peak performance.

The above demonstration is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the enormous potential inherent in these techniques to reduce your golf handicap and increase your enjoyment out on the links.