So how do I get better: Establishing routines

I am a creature of habit, yet I have no habit on the golf course.

I am a creature of habit, yet I have no habit on the golf course. This seems like such a small thing to do yet I am so far away from it.

I don’t have a pre-shot routine, I don’t have a warmup routine, I don’t have a practice routine.

One of my goals this year is to establish something for all three. In reading a few different books about the mental game of golf one of the biggest items to deal with pressure is the pre-shot routine. No matter how big the shot is, it’s just like every other shot, the routine is the same. Currently, my routine is that I don’t have a routine, sometimes I just walk up and hit the ball. Sometimes I take a practice swing. Sometimes I really focus on aligning myself, sometimes I just half-ass it and know that I am pointing in the general direction of the green. Sometimes I just slam down and beer, talk some shit and top the ball.

You never really know.

I need to start with a basic routine. Plan the shot, rehearse the shot, and then take the shot. I ultimately don’t know what it is going to evolve into but I need to start somewhere.

My warmup routine is a bit better, I start with the same clubs, and progress through the same way. But I don’t always show up in time to do it, I don’t apply the same level of concentration to each shot, and I also am not paying attention to the results of my shots to understand how the wind, temperature, or how I am playing is impacting my ball flight. Also, I don’t always stretch before getting to the course or at the course, I see a noticeable difference by stretching before the round and how I perform the first few holes.

Right now I need to figure out what feels right and what is the most effective. I am experimenting with the stretching currently and have kept a semblance of what to hit when I am at the course warming up. It’s a work in progress.

I am going to leave the subject of a practice routine for the future. There is a lot to discuss around that.

Do you have a pre-shot routine? Do you have a golfer you follow that you like their pre-shot routine?