Stick To The Routine
By Timothy Low
Like so many other beneficial things - It’s so often easier said than done. From a golf standpoint, a good routine is the fundamental base on which good players build their games. Seems almost too good to be true, but it isn’t. Pretty much every top level golfer I’ve had the pleasure of meeting or played with has mentioned it as the cornerstone of their game for many years.
Much like the golf swing, every player has his own unique routine. You’ve seen the quick ones like an Angel Cabrera who literally gets over the ball, waggles the club a few times, looks at the target and pulls the trigger. You’ve also seen the far end of the spectrum with the Jim Furyks and J.B Holmes of the world (read: slow…very slow). A routine shouldn’t be looked at as a preflight checklist of swing thoughts and the like, rather it should feel intuitive, personal and comfortable.
A solid, consistent and repeatable routine “primes” the golfer to be in the most conducive state for success. It usually consists of -
Planning (taking in the variables, deciding & committing to the shot you want to hit)
Visualisation (seeing it in your mind before you execute it)
A trigger that sets your swing in motion
Of course you can toss in a whole series of other actions too. Sergio Garcia adjusts his glove for example, Rory McIlroy twirls his clubhead several times while stepping into the shot, Patrick Reed shovels some sand from behind his ball in a bunker… it really is up to you and whatever feels most natural.
Off the course, a routine is just as important. And I’ve definitely endeavored to put a routine back into place for myself during the “circuit breaker” period. Just like a pre shot routine, I find a consistent morning routine helps me prime up for the day and unsurprisingly results in more productive work being done.
Is it always easy to get up before the sun rises, get a quick home workout in, meditate, cook breakfast, get some putting practice in and power through at least one chapter of a book before 10? No, of course not. But are the days I smash all that out before attempting to get work done awesome? Totally!
New routines and habits take time to ingrain. I speak from personal experience when I tell you how hard it is from a golf standpoint to keep going through my routine on every shot (especially on the days when things aren’t going so well). But regardless of the score at the end of the day, there’s usually some sense of satisfaction that comes with sticking to the routine for all 18 holes.
It’s all about momentum, like rolling a big ass rock along the ground. Sure it may be hard at the outset, but once you get going it’ll feel natural and effortless.
So in keeping in line with last week’s post (you can click here to check it out), give a new routine a shot. Prime yourself for the day ahead, start ingraining a few new productive habits while we’re all hanging around in limbo waiting for the normality of life to resume. Let’s use this time to create some powerful new patterns that will put us all in good stead for the future.
Keep motivated, stay safe and keep well!
Take care,
Timothy Low, Compass Club Founder