Habits – the small decisions and actions you take every day that over time become automatic and ingrained in our behaviour. Habits allow us to carry out essential activities without thinking about them, freeing up our brains to carry out more complex tasks.
You can probably think of dozens of habits that you perform consciously or unconsciously every day – such as brushing your teeth, taking a shower, or feeding the dog. You might also be able to think of some habits that aren’t so beneficial – such as procrastinating, impulse buying or smoking. Either way, habits are powerful and can dictate our behaviour and have a significant impact on outcomes.
So how does this apply to golf? Just as our lives in general are a sum of our habits, our golf game is also the sum of our habits – good or bad. While many golfers are looking for a quick fix to problems in their game, the truth is that it takes time and patience to become a better golfer – and the development of good habits.
Here are eight habits that every golfer should work on building into their game, so that you can transform the way you play.
Practice with intent
The best way to make your golf practice sessions count is to have a plan and practice with intent. Rather than just getting out there and hitting a bucket of balls at the driving range, come up with a plan of what you need to work on, find some drills to help you achieve your purpose and measure your progress when you’re done. Your practice sessions should not be general and vague, but rather they should be meaningful, focused, specific, deliberate and unique to you. Practicing without any plan in mind is usually going to be mostly a waste of time. Good players make every second they spend practicing count, and work on all areas of their game, particularly the areas where they are weak.
Click here to read more about developing good practice habits.
Warm up properly before your round
A good warm up should be non-negotiable, but you’d probably be surprised to discover just how many golfers skip it. A good general warm up will prepare your body for the exertion to come and also has the bonus of helping to prevent injuries from occurring. Your warm up should include some type of:
- Movement (such as running or walking) that will increase your heart rate and literally ‘warm you up’
- Stretching of problem areas or muscle groups that you are about to use
- A range of practice shots
You’ll feel much more ready to play (and will more than likely play better) if you get a good warm up under your belt first.
Have a pre-shot routine
A pre-shot routine of mental and physical preparation (thoughts and actions) that you repeat every time you take a shot can significantly improve your performance and focus. An effective pre-shot routine will immediately bring you into the headspace for success, and will increase the amount of control you have over your performance. All professional players have pre-shot routines that enable them to achieve a more consistent performance – and amateur golfers would benefit from establishing a pre-shot routine too.
Your mental pre-shot routine might include elements such as:
- Visualising your shot and how you want to play it
- Repeating a keyword or cue to yourself
Your physical pre-shot routine might include elements such as:
- Checking the direction of the wind
- Getting a visual for the shot
- Checking your grip is correct
- Taking a few practice swings
Of course, the scope for a pre-shot routine is broad, and can include anything that you will find helpful. A more consistent performance will come from establishing a comfortable and consistent pre-shot routine, and will ensure that you are mentally, physically and technically ready to perform at your best. A repeatable pre-shot routine will make every shot feel the same, no matter what’s at stake, and help you control your nerves.
Keep your reactions in check
Golf can be a frustrating game, but don’t let your emotions get the best of you. Excesses of negative emotion can cause you to become rushed and flustered, make poor decisions and execute your shots poorly. There’s really no point dwelling on bad shots. You can’t change what you’ve already done, but you can learn from it and aim to do better in the future. Don’t allow pressure or something going wrong to change your emotional state, but instead work on calming your breathing and focussing on the things that you can control. Put your emotions aside, stay rational and logical and focus on executing the basics well. Being cool, calm and collected will enable you to make the best choices and hit the best shots you are capable of hitting. Stay in the present, not the future or the past, and give your undivided attention to whatever you are doing.
Evaluate your round
For the majority of amateur golfers, once a round is over, it’s done with. Most will fail to evaluate or analyse how they played – and are thus missing out on useful insights that can improve their game. So instead of just packing up and heading home, or to the 19th hole, take a few moments to think about what went well and what went not so well – and why. Did you feel like your swing wasn’t smooth and comfortable today? Did the greens feel too fast for your game? Did you get angry and lose your focus? You’ll find clues everywhere on ways you can improve, so don’t miss out on this valuable information. Make evaluating your game a habit, so that you can learn what you did that worked well – and then repeat it.
There are also plenty of ways to track your performance data too, so take advantage of these if you are so inclined to get access to detailed statistics and data that can add to your awareness of your game.
Put on sunscreen
Overcast day? Do you tend to forget about sunscreen on cloudy days, or in colder weather when the sun isn’t so strong? Big mistake in Australia’s sunny climate. Sun damage can cause both aesthetic (think wrinkles and lines) and medical (think skin cancer) problems for your skin. Unfortunately, many golfers tend to forget about sunscreen except on scorching hot days. However, exposure to UV rays is still risky on overcast days or cooler days, and you’ll be far better off just applying sunscreen before every round you play as a matter of course.
Clean your clubs
We’re all guilty of not cleaning our clubs as often as we should – but keeping your clubs clean is a trait that all good players possess. This is especially important for your wedges, as dirt in the grooves can cause you to lose up to 50% of the backspin you are trying to apply to the ball. Clean your wedge every time you use it – it only takes a few seconds to clean out the grooves with a tee, and your club will be ready to go next time you want it – and you’ll be able to hit with more control too.
Use a golf buggy
You may feel a golf buggy is unnecessary to a good round – but it can help your game in a number of different ways.
- It allows you to conserve energy. Swinging a golf club repetitively uses a lot of energy, and carrying your bag on top of this can drain your energy, especially in the heat, giving you less energy to use on your game. Using a golf buggy allows your body to contribute all its energy stores towards your strokes, and will usually give you a better round.
- Carrying your clubs can place a lot of compressive force on your spine, causing poor posture, fatigue, back problems and the increased chance of injury. Using a golf buggy saves your back and muscles, and allows you to stay more flexible and pain-free. And let’s face it, if you can keep one more stress factor away from your back, you’re winning.
Using a golf buggy can definitely help you play better and focus more on your game, so it’s a habit worth developing. You can read more about the benefits of using a golf buggy here and you can access Parmaker’s range of high quality and affordable golf buggies here.
