Golfers always ask why they can’t take their golf swings from the practice range to the golf course after they hit the ball so well when warming up, and then play terribly on the golf course. One of the reasons is that they don’t practice their pre-shot routine on the range. For your swing to be consistent, your routine prior to swinging must be the same. Preparation is the only part of the golf swing over which you have 100% control.
A mental and physical routine is used in every sport to prepare the athlete to perform. It keeps the athlete engrossed in the moment, and away from distracting thoughts. Athletes train their minds to do the same thing in sequence over and over until the routine becomes a habit and they don’t have to think about it. These pre-performance routines are the maps that give direction to your brain and body about what you want to do. Without a consistent routine you are asking for inconsistent results.
Why have a pre-shot routine? (www.pmi4.com, Archived Newsletters, February 2005)
- The pre-shot routine prepares your mind to automatically hit a shot.
- A consistent pre-shot routine will produce consistent results.
- The pre-shot routine moves you from the thinking phase to the automatic doing phase.
- It keeps you engrossed in the moment and your thoughts away from the pressure of the results.
- It is a signal to the unconscious mind to get ready to perform.
- It is a series of actions to get you totally absorbed in the process of getting the ball to the target.
Why have a post-shot routine?
The post-shot routine helps you build positive mental consistency. After the shot is hit, the routine prepares your mind to anchor a good shot or to let go of a missed one. Our minds are very active and the memories we remember the most are the ones connected to good feelings or negative feelings. Repetition of the post-shot routine will result in more self confidence.
Anchor your good shots. Anyone who has had a hole-in-one can describe in great detail where, when and how it happened. Why? Because of the excitement generated which anchored it into the memory bank. If a shot comes off as you plan, anchor it by replaying it in your mind with a good feeling, good visualization and a trigger such as a smile or fist pump.
Let go of your bad shots. To release the emotions of a miss-hit and regain your positive thought process:
- Release the frustration and anger with an exhalation or a swear word. It has been proven that this works.
- Take a deep breath to calm your mind and body from the tension.
- Do not try and analyze what went wrong with your swing.
- Step aside and swing the club you used until you feel the swing you wanted.
- Focus on accessing your timing and tempo.
- Visualize the ball going along the target line to the target.
- Anchor the good feelings and visualization.
- Don’t move on down the fairway until you have completed your post-shot routine.
Develop your own personal routines
For complete information on how to develop your own personal golf routines, log on to www.pmi4.com and click on the link for Articles. Scroll down to the article entitled “Use a Consistent Routine for Consistent Golf.”
Play “in the zone” with Joan
Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances
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