Play the golf of your dreams

By Dominic Sainsbury , NZPGA.

Over the years, I have played golf with a lot of people and have been lucky enough to see some of the world's best golfers play the game.

There seems to be one key aspect differentiating the successful players from the rest. This is the way they prepare themselves to play a shot, either in practice or in play.

When under pressure, people resort to what they are most used to doing. If this is a well-planned and practised pre-shot routine then you will be able to perform under pressure. If not, then it is a lottery.

Now is a good time to reflect on your pre-shot routine and start to develop a routine that is designed to make all shots seem as similar as possible, regardless of the circumstances. An example would be a shot in practice as similar as possible to a shot to win the US Open.

Players often focus too much on the outcome or consequences of the shot rather than simply thinking of what they are trying to do with the ball. It is crucial that the routine is used in practice as well as competition.

During the golf swing every part of your body moves at some point. This is a very complex movement pattern and no two golf swings are the same.

When we add in outside agencies that affect the ball such as wind, humidity, grass, lie, slopes and the like, they cannot be avoided. But the one thing we can control is our mental approach to each shot.

Most players have a physical routine but leave the mental side to chance. You must develop a routine which accounts for the physical and mental actions in the preparation to playing the shot.

Some of the best players I have spoken to all share a similar approach to each shot and that can be summed up in two questions they ask themselves.

The first question is where do I want this ball to go? That is not where do I not want this ball to go?

The second question is what do I have to do to have the best chance of making that happen?

To quote American sports psychologist Robert Rotella, who worked with many top golf professionals: “It is more important to be decisive than to be correct when preparing to play a golf shot or putt.”

The first question is normally very straight forward when, for example, playing a tee shot. I want this ball to go down the middle of the fairway about 280.

Then the detail comes into the second question. I need to make a fully committed swing and take a deep breath to relax my muscles and focus my mind. I like to play a little draw so the ball will start at a target I pick just to the right of the middle of fairway and draw back to the middle. I factor in the wind, if there is any, and this process goes on until I am confident, calm and focused to play the shot.

I go regularly to see my Professional Golfers’ Associaton (PGA) coach who helps me with my golf game and I hit more good shots now that I used to. A lot of this is down to way I approach each shot and help I have received with how I play the game.

The way you approach each shot and the way you think is a choice you get to make. Rotella, to again quote him, tells the top players he works with: “The foundation of consistency is a good pre-shot routine” and “a golfer must expect only two things from themself: to have fun, and to focus their mind properly on every shot.”

Now is a good time to work on your pre-shot routine. So get in touch with your loach PGA professional to discuss what the best approach for you. If you don’t have a PGA professional follow the link to find one in your area — https://www.pga.org.nz/find-a-pga-pro?ComeFromCat=875