Mental Skills for Golf: The Pre-Shot Routine ©
By Betsy Shoenfelt, Ph.D.
A shot routine helps you concentrate and block out distractions, and increases your trust in your swing. A good shot routine draws on the two different parts of your mind: "The Thinker" and "The Doer." The Thinker is the part of the mind that analyzes the situation, controls self-talk, and sets goals for your shot. The Doer controls the automatic performance that has been built in your muscle memory from repetition in practice and play.1 This article addresses the Pre-Shot Routine. Next month we will examine the Post-Shot Routine.
The Pre-Shot Routine consists of two phases. Phase I relies on The Thinker; Phase II on the Doer. The first step in Phase I is to relax using a relaxation technique you feel comfortable with (e.g., one-breath relaxation or cue-controlled relaxation2 ). Being relaxed sends a message to your mind that you are calm and in control, which in turn increases confidence. Next you should analyze the situation. Attend to relevant information such as lie, distance, and obstacles. Make a decision on shot selection and the objective for the shot (i.e., the target, the target line, the desired flight path, club selection, and the swing you will execute to get the ball to the target). The final component of Phase I is to use a practice swing and/or imagery3 to rehearse perfect execution of your shot. Imagery or a practice swing will call up the muscle memory for the shot you wish to execute. If you have practiced relaxation and imagery, Phase I of the Pre-Shot Routine can take as little as 30 to 60 seconds.
Now move to Phase II of the Pre-Shot Routine. You know your shot objective and desired execution from Phase I. Phase II relies on The Doer mind and begins when you are prepared to hit the ball. It is helpful for many golfers to use a swing thought at the beginning of Phase II to trigger the swing. A swing thought is a single word or a short phrase that captures the essence of your desired swing. Swing thoughts might be phrases such as "smooth," "easy does it," or "inside out." Use the swing thought consistently as part of your Pre-Shot Routine. In Phase II, it is critical that you trust your shot. You have practiced many repetitions through actual practice, imagery, and play so that the swing should be strong in your muscle memory. In Phase II, use your swing thought then execute. Just do it. Hit the ball. At this point you do not want to think about your swing. Thinking about the swing disrupts the automatic performance driven by the muscle memory. Questioning creates doubt, decreases confidence, and causes hesitation in the swing. Hence the adage, if you want to mess up your opponent’s swing just ask him/her if he/she inhales or exhales on the backswing. Simply thinking about when one breathes is enough to disrupt the automatic muscle memory and throw the swing out of kilter. To sum up Phase II, use your swing thought, trust your swing, and then execute. (Some golfers use relaxation again as they move from Phase I into Phase II. If you are still loose and comfortable, additional relaxation is not needed. If you feel a little anxious or tight, then repeat the relaxation prior to the swing thought.) After you have hit the ball, move into the Post-Shot Routine, the topic of next month’s column.
Dr. Betsy Shoenfelt, a Professor of Psychology at Western Kentucky University, is a Certified Sport Psychology Consultant, a Member of the United States Olympic Committee Registry of Sport Psychologists, and a member of the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Executive Women’s Golf Association. 1,2,3 Her previous Golfer’s Tee Times Mental Skills for Golf columns may be found on Dr. Shoenfelt’s web page in the WKU website www.wku.edu
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