The Power of Rituals: Pre and Post-shot Routines
In our previous post, we talked about different things you can do to make yourself stand out as a recruit. Today, we will focus on one aspect: Your pre and post-shot routines. With the NCAA Dead Period in place and limited budgets for all athletic departments across the U.S., you might feel more pressure than ever to put up low scores (especially if you are in the high school graduating classes of 2021 or 2022). How will you stay in the moment and execute each shot to the best of your ability? I believe that a large part of the answer lies within your pre and post-shot routines.
Intrusive thoughts will enter your mind. Your nerves are natural, it means you care! Clutch performers do not shove these thoughts and emotions out of their mind. They channel this extra energy into the moment by turning all of their focus into the present moment. An easy way to do this is through your pre-shot routine. Everyone will have their own pre shot routine that works for them. For some people like Rory McIIroy and Brooke Henderson it is short and simple. For others, Bryson DeChambeau and Azahara Munoz, it is more elaborate. The important part is that your pre-shot routine is intentional and consistent? Your movements should have a purpose, whether it’s aligning your body on setup, aligning your club to an intermediate point of aim, relaxing certain muscles, or visualizing your shot shape. These movements should be repeated the same way every time to “trigger” your body into a flow state. To have an effective pre-shot routine, you need to execute it repeatedly in practice. When you do your routine in a low stress environment, your mind and body remember that feeling. It is a signal telling your body “let’s get ready to execute this golf shot.” After thousands of repetitions in practice, your mind and body will be so connected with this signal that you can access this calm and focused state in competition.
Now that we’ve talked about your pre-shot routine, let’s talk about your post-shot routine. This is a very overlooked part of playing golf. Nelson Mandela once said, “You never lose, you either win, or you learn.” A good post-shot routine ensures that you learn from ever golf shot and primes you to perform better on the next one. Like pre-shot routines, post-shot routines are individual to the player. A good post-shot routine consists of honesty, reflection and the opportunity to store or reject the outcome. Your subconscious is always looking for good, positive inner dialogue, so why not reward yourself with positive dialogue after a great shot or making that 15’ par putt?
Why is our pre-shot and post-shot routine so important? It puts our minds and bodies in the moment. If your mind is not in the right place, how can you expect your body to be? The thoughts and emotions you’re allowing to enter must be positive and consistent. Through visualization and controlling your breath, you can be in the moment. This is a must, to play your best golf.
Competitive golf has so many uncontrollable variables. Golfers who optimize the controllable variables consistently win over the long term. Your pre and post-shot routines are the keys to unlocking your potential as a competitor. I look forward to speaking with you about how we can optimize your game and ability to get recruited!
Enjoy a Better Walk!