Recently, I was fortunate enough to be a part of a team that won the Dixie PGA Section Pro-Pro. My partner Matt Sheppard and I played well enough to force a playoff against two very accomplished players. Neither one of us had ever won a section tournament so you can imagine how nervous we were when the playoff started. To ease the tension, I made a point to focus on my routine and have positive self talk that ended up producing the best shots that I had hit all day. Below are some of my thoughts on developing a solid pre-shot routine.
The most important part of a solid routine is developing one that is unique to you. If you walk slow and talk slow, make sure your routine moves at slow speeds. If you walk fast and talk fast, develop one that that is quick and to the point. No matter if you take practice swings or not your routine is developed to ensure that you are as confident and repeatable as you can possibly be over the shot. This routine will become what you can focus on during nervous times on the course taking your mind of the outcomes. That is were positive self talk comes in...
Positive self talk has to do with thinking though shots in a way that allows for you to stay confident and in the present moment. There was a point that I missed a green on a par-3 and I looked at Matt and said "That might be where I am supposed to make birdie from today." Sure enough, I chipped in a very difficult shot for birdie that propelled us into "birdie mode." Positive self talk does not ensure that you will hit the shot perfect, but I promise if you get negative you most certainly will hit bad shots from time to time. So, stay positive!
During the playoff, I focused on making two smooth practice swings, relaxing all my muscles, visualized the shot I wanted, and finally I gave up all expectations and accepted whatever the results were. Lucky for Matt and I, the results led us to a victory.
Remember:
-Develop a repeatable routine that is unique to you
-Always stay positive and avoid negative thoughts at all times
This post is dedicated to "The Man." - Thanks for a fun tournament!
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