Developing pre-shot routines in Golf
“I drew a few deep breaths and began my pre-shot routine. Suddenly, despite the noise, energy, and excitement, there was solitude. My mind quieted.”
Pre-performance routines are typically used in self-paced sports such as golf, tennis, sport shooting etc. They can also be used in certain scenarios in team sports such as goal kicking in rugby, free-taking in hurling, penalty kicks in football, and free throws in basketball. Pre-performance routines are a ‘sequence of task-relevant thoughts and actions which an athlete engages in systematically prior to his or her performance of a specific skill’ (Moran, 1996, p.176). What this means is that routines have physical (e.g. bouncing the ball 4 times before serving) and mental (e.g. visualising where you will hit the serve) components. These routines have multiple benefits such as:
· Helping athletes to focus on the task specific cues
· Reduce the tendency to focus on negative or uncontrollable factors of performance
· Trigger well-learnt movement patterns
· Prevent distraction
· Increase confidence
· Bring your mind into the present moment
· Allow for more consistent performance under pressure
(Cotterill, 2010; Cotterill et al., 2010; Cotterill et al., 2013; Taylor, 2020).
Pre-performance routines are usually beneficial where there is an adequate amount of time to prepare for the task. However, in some cases, the time between shots may lead to certain athletes over-thinking, becoming distracted, and overly focusing on emotions such as fear and anxiety leading to worry and doubt (Singer, 2002). These negative consequences of having too much time before a performance may be due to factors such as internal expectations an athlete has of themselves (e.g. I have to win!) or perceptions of external expectations others have of the athletes (e.g. if I mess this up they will all think I am useless). Furthermore, factors such as the weather, opponents playing well, spectators, and even being in a winning position can lead to the experience of these unhelpful experiences when there is plenty of time before or between performances. This is where the routine comes in. A pre-performance routine can be used to bring an athlete back into the present moment, allow them to focus on the task at hand and enhance their ability to manage the symptoms of pressure they might be experiencing. Pre-performance routines are controllable and specific to an individual athlete, and the step-wise nature of these routines allows an athlete to focus on what they have to do.
Pre-shot routines in Golf
Golf is a game where there is ample time to dwell on mistakes and worry about the outcome of the game, long before it is over. A pre-shot routine can help with these unhelpful thoughts which are not allowing you to focus on what you have to do in the moment, and bring consistency to your performance. In a study assessing how to develop effective pre-performance routines in golf, it was found that that use of routines allowed golfers to come into the present moment prior to shooting, not dwell on mistakes or worry about the future, and their routines were composed of a variety of psychological skills (i.e. imagery, self-talk, relaxation techniques etc.) (Cotterill et al., 2010). Routines were composed of a shot selection phase, and the utilisation of a routine allowed some golfers to enter a flow like state. Therefore, pre-shot routines are not as simple as a few practice swings before taking your shot. According to Cotterill’s (2010) review on pre-performance routines in sport, three previous studies assessing golfers’ routines found that performances were better in golfers who utilised consistent routines during a round.
Pre-shot routines in golf may also prevent the unwanted experience of ‘choking’ when in a winning position. Choking is the decrement or collapse in an athlete’s level of performance, even when trying and striving to perform better (Baumeister, 1984; 1986). In 1996, Greg Norman was six strokes ahead of Nick Faldo, his nearest competitor, going into the final day of the Masters. By the end of the day, Nick Faldo had won the Masters by 5 strokes ahead of Greg Norman after Norman’s second half collapse. Without knowing what was going through Norman’s mind that day, choking usually occurs when anxiety levels rise when performing under pressure. Golfer’s and other athletes who ‘choke’ tend to become distracted by uncontrollable factors such as the scoreboard and worrying about the outcome, their opponents, or even dwelling on mistakes and internal experiences (e.g. nervousness, anxiety etc.), which leads to distraction. Furthermore, golfer’s in these situations may end of trying to consciously control the technical aspects of their technique, leading to a phenomenon known as ‘paralysis by analysis’. This is a result of attempts to control movement execution which decreases fluent, coordinated movements processed by the brain (Mesagno & Beckman, 2017)
A pre-shot routine can allow you to come back into the present moment and focus on each shot with clarity and focus, increases consistency in performance, and reduce focus on the technical execution of a shot, even when you might feel anxious or when worrying about uncontrollable elements of the match.
Develop your Pre-shot routine.
According to Singer (2002), the purpose of any routine is to attain an optimal level of emotional arousal, to increase confidence and to be fully focused on the task at hand. Singer (2002) developed a 5-step pre-performance routine. These five steps are:
1. Readying: the purpose of this stage is to enter the optimal emotional state in preparation for your next shot. This requires being aware of your current state and understanding whether that is helpful or unhelpful to your performance. This stage also involves engaging in behaviours associated with your best performance. An example of a readying phase may involve using breathing techniques to reduce tension and nervousness, coupled with strong and confident body language.
2. Imaging: in this phase you’re the aim is to visualise yourself playing confidently and making the shot you want to make. For optimal execution of this phase, visualising yourself hitting the shot in real time is also recommended. Engaging in optimal visualisation can also lead to increases in confidence and belief just prior to shot execution.
3. External Focus: the aim here is to direct your focus to external elements of performance. A prolonged internal focus of attention can lead to rumination, doubt, and an unhelpful focus on shot technique. In this phase, using trigger words to direct your attention can be helpful. This can be simple and will be individual to each golfer. An example could be “Smooth Swing, strong strike” with the focus being on a smooth swing when raising the club, and a strong contact on the golf ball during the downswing. Here, the focus of attention is externally focused on the golf club, and the golf ball. Alternately, focus could be directed to the fairway or an intermediate contact point depending on where you are aiming.
4. Executing: this is the ‘just do it’ phase. The aim here is to take action without focusing on outcomes, this directly follows your focusing phase.
5. Evaluating: here, based on the outcome and effective of the routine and the shot you just took, make an evaluation on what went well, what could have gone better, and what one action or tweak you might make in the next shot to increase its effectiveness.
Figure 1. Singer’s (1988) 5-step process.
Tips to get started:
· Practice! Practice! Practice!
· Bring your routine consistently to the range and on the golf course.
· Do what works for you, it doesn’t have to be complicated.
· During the evaluation phase and even when home, reflect on your mindset, body language and behaviours to identify what you were doing and thinking when hitting the ball well, and when you weren’t hitting it well. This will provide you with plenty of information to start off each pre-shot routine as effectively as possible.
· Be patient, this will take time to figure out and find what works for you.