When I was younger I thought that pre-shot routines were the preserve of the very best tour pros looking for the finest of edges. I had no idea just how TRANSFORMATIONAL they can be to a player’s game AT ANY LEVEL – if you can create the best one for you! Consistent play comes from using a consistent process. Yet consistent doesn’t always mean consistently your best. Indeed the majority of routines I see (even those of tour pros) can be seriously improved upon, mainly because their purpose is not understood well enough. So what are they for?

To consistently put you into a peak state of CONGRUENT FOCUS for each shot you play.

Sounds simple, so what is congruent focus?

-       Focus – you connect with a precise target and clearly see the shot

-       Congruent – you know 100% that you’re about to play that shot

Whatever level you play at, this state of “see it, believe it” frees your mind and body to relax and work together with single minded intent. The process you follow to create this state is your own personal recipe for success, with key ingredients added in the right order. Without the right recipe, the meal won’t come out right! Some times you’ll get lucky, other times you’ll be unwittingly following a recipe for a dogs’ dinner!

A good routine for you will:

-       Help you immerse yourself in the process of the present moment, stopping you from jumping ahead and thinking “what if…?” or looking back and thinking “if only…!”

-       Remove pressure by giving you a sequence of simple things to focus on

-       Be simple to follow, so it helps you stop the world, relax and feel good

-       Get you 100% ready every time, freeing you to play your best golf

So if congruent focus is your goal, what are your key ingredients and what is their sequence in your personal success recipe?

Many players use a routine to practise getting their swing into the right “positions”. This might help them with their swing, but when they’re over the ball, it won’t help them know where to hit the ball! So the ingredients clearly need to include your target – what else they include is up for experimentation! For example, you might find more congruent focus if you:

-       see the strike, ball flight, landing spot, bounce and roll – as a movie played forwards or backwards

-       pick a target a few feet in front of the ball to help your clubface alignment

-       have a preview swing or two so your body knows how it will feel

-       break your routine into two phases – the “Think Box” or time behind the ball to work out all the details of your shot and get yourself ready, and the “Play Box” or time over the ball when you simply see it, feel it, play it.

…AND you might not! We are all different and have our own personal recipes for success. There is not one best routine because we all see things and feel things differently.

However, one common link binds every powerful routine – they all have a consistent tempo and rhythm to them. When players have a stop-start routine, it creates a state of uncertainty, lessening congruence. The rhythm and tempo of the best routines reflect the players’ personality – your routine is not just your success recipe, it’s your very own dance!

I’ll share with you my own routine, not because it’s the best recipe for you, but because it’s the best recipe for me, and good recipes are often created by building on someone else’s.

1. Stand 6ft behind the ball
2. See and feel a connection with the final target. Maintain this connection throughout the rest of the routine.
3. See the ball trajectory, landing spot and finishing target
4. See a short target a few feet in front of the ball to use for alignment
5. Set the grip and take an exact preview swing that will be the same as the shot. Once is enough but repeat this if needed until it feels perfect.
6. Maintaining connection with your target, address the ball
7. Align the club face with the short target
8. Take the stance and set the posture
9. Take one final good look up to the target, to strengthen target connection and clarify the trajectory
10. Look back to the ball, maintaining connection, play the shot

So why not now, design your very own routine. Head out and try out different things to see what builds the most congruent focus for you. If you don’t have a routine, have a go using the one above and then change it to suit you.

Enjoy creating your very own recipe, and dancing your own dance. Then enjoy the results it brings you! If you’ve found this article useful, make sure you get my free newsletter which gives you free mp3 audios on the key mental aspects of the game.

Love every shot!

Adam Sprackling

Mental Performance Coach