Quotes

Some recent emails received from users of the system:

Neil…I purchased your book on my iPhone and find it a tremendously helpful and applicable system… I am using it to prepare for a race in May that I attempted last year and did not complete because I let myself get overwhelmed. I have been studying sports psychology since and came across your system which I feel is the most applicable system I have come across.

Dear Neil…I have come across the Increment System and wanted to compliment you on the power of this system…Mr. Harris…thanks again for making sports psychology understandable and actually usable to a yank football coach…

Hi Neil…Just thought you’d like to know that today I shot a gross 76, net 62. Waiting to hear if I won, and expecting handicap to drop to 12. I just kept doing the things we talked about and probably had a hot day all round. Thanks again for all your help…

Hi Neil…Just a quick note to let you know I used the system for the last couple of rounds and have got cut both times. I have been able to hold my score despite minor blips (ie a few 3 putts). Previously I would have let this ruin my score…

The system has been used by a number of world class athletes and keen amateurs, and some of their comments are shown below:

  • Alex Gough is a professional squash player who has spent 10 years in the world top 20, reaching a career high ranking of no. 5. He won a bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games in 1998. Unseeded and at the age of 37, Alex astounded the squash world by reaching the quarter finals of the 2007 World Open in Bermuda. I had introduced him to the Increment System just 8 weeks prior to this achievement. “The Increment System has helped me to become more self-aware while preparing and playing, and allows me to pinpoint areas of my mental state that need attention. Since my initial successes with the system, I have incorporated it into all my matches.” Alex Gough
  • Comments from a world top 20 squash professional who has been using the system: “The Increment System gives me a consistent reference point for my mental state. It is a system that I had to implement myself and use my own thoughts, rather than be spoon fed them by certain books. I have learnt that I can think about my mental application heading into a tournament without feeling like I’m being consumed by it. I can have more control over where I am meant to be and want to be, rather than just guessing how I should be feeling and over-analysing it. It has made me aware that thinking about the event in advance isn’t a bad thing. I’m more aware of how I want to feel and can pinpoint how to feel that way. I thought Neil’s knowledge of sports psychology was insightful and thought-provoking.”
  • Guy Jones is a passionate 16-handicap golfer regularly competing at club level: “Most of the sports psychology books I have read are good eye openers. However there is little in the way of detail into the application of the ideas. The system brings the ideas into a manageable process. It monitors where you are and how the applied process is working for you. I have learned how to be the player I am in non-competitive rounds in a competition. I have recognised what I am like when I am playing well and have a process of replicating that in competitions. I would say my mental performance has improved. I am calmer in competitions. I feel free to play my own game. The scores I’m now making were infrequent previously and would have been a good round.” Guy Jones
  • Comments from a competitive cyclist, competing in events in the UK“Using the Increment System I have learnt that, contrary to what I thought, I have quite a good awareness of my mental state during competition and that it works very much to my advantage. The system has helped me focus on being cognitive of my mental state, and has created an awareness of my own capabilities. I have felt very strong mentally and have noticed how lacking in this area many of my fellow competitors are.”
  • Neil Harris (yes, I apply the system to my own game!) is a professional golfer who has competed on the Jamega Tour in the UK: “The Increment System is allowing me to discover previously unachievable levels of calm, consistent play. It helps me to prepare for events, and then manage my emotions in the heat of competition. One year ago I was playing off a handicap of six, and now I am teeing it up with former Walker Cup players. The Increment System has been a critical element in making this possible.” Neil Harris
  • Comments from a field hockey goalkeeper playing in the Ulster Premier League“The Increment System effectively breaks the process of improving one’s mental state into more sizable chunks than other sports psychology approaches I have read. That is, it does not require a massive change up front, which inevitably is unrealistic and thus not effectively implemented. The most important aspect I have learnt is to be aware of my nerve levels, but more importantly how to reduce these to an ‘effective’ level. I have also become a lot more focused and communicative on the pitch. I would definitely recommend the system to others.”
  • David Birkmyre is an enthusiastic 24-handicap golfer competing at club level: “Using the Increment System I’ve learned how to ‘slow down and focus’ on the task in hand, and I’ve managed to ‘stand outside’ myself allowing me to become more objective without incidental distractions. The most valuable part of the system for me was learning to be aware of how I am focusing. This is a most versatile system which can be applied successfully to all types of sporting and indeed other competitive and social situations such as public speaking. I would recommend it to others without hesitation.” David Birkmyre
  • Phil Nightingale is a professional squash player ranked in the world top 150: “The Increment System provides a mean of applying classic but yet specific sports psychology tools to the individual. It ensures the right focus is made in the right areas at the right time. Using the system I have learnt the importance of a having a mental framework for match preparation. I have felt more relaxed, loose, confident, and at ease. I would recommend the system to others.” Phil Nightingale
  • Andy Mouldycliff is an 8-handicap golfer regularly competing at club level: By applying The Increment System, I have achieved more consistent competition results. It has helped me to remain calm in pressure situations, but at the same time to be determined without becoming tense. I have felt stronger mentally: in one particularly close matchplay game which I managed to win, I am convinced the difference was that I remained calm and had more belief in myself than him. It’s only been three months since I started applying the system, but in that time I have had my best competitive round for more than 18 months and I also won a monthly stableford competition at my club. I would have no hesitation in recommending the system to to others.” Andy Mouldycliff