The past few articles I have written have been about equipment along with several golf tips, however one of the most important things in golf that I have not covered is the mental part of the game. Since I'm not a psychologist I will not try to get deeply into how the mind works during a round of golf....who knows anyway? - everybody's different. But whether you call it Golf Psychology, Sports Psychology, The Mental Game, The Mental Side of Golf, or Trying To Get In The Zone it boils down to something simple. That is to focus your attention on what YOU want to have happen.
Yes, it is simple in essence. No, it is not always easy to do. Yes there are distractions. No it's not always a trivial matter to focus. But, the fact is YOU are the only one in control of where and how you focus your attention. If your attention is on something other than the immediate task it seems unreasonable to expect a good result.
Having a comfortable pre -shot routine helps tremendously with focusing.
What is a pre-shot routine and what is it good for? A pre-shot routine is a consistent and systematic process (a sequence of thoughts, checkpoints, movements or details) that is executed by a golfer prior to hitting a golf shot. Pre-shot routines are likely as varied in their steps and details from person to person as fingerprints (each golfer's pre-shot routine is unique and has its own style).
A pre-shot routine is good for eliminating negative thoughts prior to hitting a golf shot and helps to keep the player “grounded” and gives them the opportunity to focus more exclusively on the shot at hand. Why? Because executing a pre-shot routine requires the focus of conscious attention on relevant tasks, thereby eliminating or at least reducing any extra time to attend to irrelevant or unwanted thoughts.
What are the components of a pre-shot routine? Though there is a lot of variation between players and styles, it is safe to say that the routine for each player covers the details that are important to that particular player. Placement of the hands on the club, body alignment, placement of the club on the target line, shot visualization, a certain number of waggles, practice swings or a certain number of looks to the target are a few of the possibilities that a player might include in their pre-shot routine. Some players may consider that their pre-shot routine begins when they select the club from their bag. Others may consider the routine begins when they approach the ball. Again, personal preference vary greatly. The important thing is to do the routine every time. As Bobby Jones once said “If I ever abandon my pre-shot routine I expect a bad shot”.
Through my own experience developing a pre-shot routine helped me to improve as a player. Also, it helped with those first tee jitters and staying target oriented. How can you develop your own pre-shot routine? Your own personal routine should fit your style and rhythm as a player. What this means... is that you should try to match the tempo or rhythm of your routine to your personality and how you play golf. Do you play fast or slow. For instance, if you are a very fast paced individual (talk fast, eat fast, drive fast), it probably wouldn't work very well for you to have a long, drawn out, methodical slow and deliberate routine. Likewise, if you are methodical and plodding, I doubt that a short and hurried routine would work well. Developing your routine takes time, thought and practice. Just be sure to include the components that are important to you and match your rhythm and style. After all the whole point is to give you a feeling of comfort, familiarity and confidence and to occupy your mind with relevant tasks rather than let all those extra unwanted worries, distractions or mental wanderings have any space or time in your mind.
Start developing your own pre-shot routine and in no time you will have one that is right for you. Once you have incorporated this in your game you will notice improvement in your consistency and scores.
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