Lucas Glover's win at BethPage was an excellent example of the importance of a solid pre-shot routine, and the pay-off for golfers who have a consistent regimen. He had a few stumbles early in round 4, but hung on and played well on the final holes under extreme pressure. I paid close attention to his pre-shot routine, noted how well he stuck with it down the stretch, and believe that it was the difference at the end.
A well constructed pre-shot routine accomplishes two important purposes. The first is physical. It creates the platform for a successful shot - proper setup and alignment. The second is mental in that the routine occupies the conscious mind with a rehearsed set of positive thoughts that lead to a trigger. This is the part that helps ward off the negative effects of pressure. It creates a mental suit of armour against the doubts that can creep in and derail the shot-making process. Lucas took a consistent 16 seconds from the time he stepped forward from behind the ball until he struck each shot - full swings and putts.
While I do not pretend to know what he was thinking, here is what it looked like to me:
Shot selection - First, Lucas and his caddie would go through the decision making process and agree on the exact shot called for.
Visualization - Then from behind the ball, looking down the line at the target he would visualize the exact flight of the ball as planned.
Start - Next, he moved forward to address the ball - tick tock, tick tock.
Alignment - (to the target and proper ball position) 1) He'd place the club behind the ball aimed directly at the intermediate target. 2) Then he set up to the club and the ball.
Coincidently, a close friend with whom I play a lot of golf recently asked if I would help him develop a routine in preparation his club championship. We spent two separate sessions at the range working on just this. Together, we developed a pattern of well-choreographed moves to insure that he is properly lined up to the target; standing tall to give him plenty of room to swing freely and release the club; and a waggle-trigger to start his backswing with his torso. While I did not subject him to a stop watch, I did tap my foot and count the seconds so that he could become comfortable with the tempo and timing of his new routine.
So far, he has qualified and won 3 matches and has the 36-hole finals this weekend. Two of the three matches were against better players, at least according to the USGA, and Tom credits the confidence in his routine for helping him prevail. I will be able to observe our work closely while I caddie for him in the finals. Good luck Tommy and stick to your routine!
Peter, interesting article. Your ability to translate the physical and mental into text is appreciated. The breakdown of Glover's routine will be helpful in the future.
ReplyDeleteI believe many golfers are handicapped by an exaggerated sense of urgency when they're addressing the ball. "I bet my playing partners think I'm dragging my routine out." "What does the foursome behind me think of all the time I'm taking over the ball?" At least I've thought that more than once.
The hue and cry over slow play in recent years has only perpetuated this feeling. There must be a way to strike a balance. After all, that's the way we practice on the range; why can't we bring the same comfort level onto the track?
Ken N
Ken,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your positive feedback. I understand your point about slow play; however, a positive pre-shot routine should in no way be the cause of slow play. The actual routine should be between 12 (Tiger) and 18 seconds. The key is to have all the distance calculations and decision making finished by the time it is your turn.
I do this by walking briskly and using the time between shots wisely so that when it is my turn, I am standing behind the ball ready to begin my 15 second routine.
Thanks again for you interest.
Peter
Peter,
ReplyDeleteThis is the best article I have ever had the pleasure to read! I'm signing up for shotbyshot.com right away. Good luck to your friend this weekend.