The importance of commitment to a routine.
The reason why I’ve found it so important to commit to a routine is because it takes decision making out of the equation during the time of the routine. When we are not questioning what is happening, there is a whole slough of events that carries forward in support of the commitment.
I find it extremely valuable to have a routine for almost anything I do associated with golf. The night before a round, the morning of the round, a warm-up routine and a pre-shot routine; all of these are important. When you know what you are up to at any given moment and you know what’s coming, you can be more in your body rather than spending time in thought- or in your head- a place where “nae goffer” plays their best round.
An effective night-before-the-round routine includes: getting your bag ready with balls, tees, gloves, snacks, drinks, sunscreen, and making sure you have an extra battery for your rangefinder, etc. It can also include making sure all your grooves are clean and your grips are washed and tacky. I also like to include checking the weather for the duration of the upcoming round and gathering the necessary clothing it may require. This might be a bucket hat for sun, extra socks for a 36-hole extravaganza, or an umbrella for rain.
Once that is all set and ready to go I usually have a light stretching routine I end each night with that gets my body ready for tomorrow’s game. This would include three or four mobility exercises and stretches that I know support my swing; and I like to set aside five to ten minutes to just mess around and get into my body with whatever feels natural or needed. I do this nearly every night, some nights I don’t, but I would never miss the opportunity for this extra time the night before a round of golf.
The morning of a round I give myself plenty of time to prepare without feeling rushed. It’s never as easy as I want it to be but it’s paramount. Good golf typically doesn't come from feeling rushed because this can spike our nervous system and create tension (something that the great Fred Shoemaker once told me was the great killer of good golf swings). I want to feel relaxed the morning of the round because I want to feel relaxed on the first tee, so I set that feeling as early in the day as possible. I eat a good breakfast, breathe, and get to the course with plenty of time to feel at ease during my warm-up.
Once I’m at the course I always start with a ten-minute mobility routine in a spot where I won’t be bothered and somewhere away from the driving range (a locker room can work but I've done plenty of my warm-ups in a banquet room somewhere in the clubhouse behind a stack of chairs). This routine would be a bit faster than the night routine because I'm getting my body warmed up and blood flowing rather than to help relax. In fact, we know that golf requires a certain amount of energy and so if I'm feeling sluggish I might add some jumping jacks or a few extra squats with an added jump to get my adrenaline flowing- this’ll help me hit it further but may not help me make a short touchy putt.
This is the thing that makes golf so special- we have to balance the nervous system and be ready to use a soft touch in our hands if necessary but also be ready to hit a big drive a minute later- it’s a real challenge to balance the nervous system and something that makes golf so appealing to many without even knowing it directly.
Once I get warmed up in the locker room I head to the putting green and roll some long flowing putts for 5-10 minutes to get my hands moving on the club and begin to connect with the speed of the greens. After that I’ll hit balls for roughly 15-20 minutes by starting small and working to full swings with some short irons and eventually moving into longer clubs (15-20 minutes should be plenty). After full swings I’ll head back to the putting green, hopefully stopping somewhere to hit a few chips and a bunker shot or five if available. Now I’m ready for the first tee.
Finally, a pre-shot routine is something designed to keep you in the moment. It has to be busy enough to keep your attention but not so busy that you feel bogged down by the thought of it (it’s a fine line but typically less is more). I usually have a routine for putting, a routine for chipping and then another routine for full shots. A full shot routine would start with a deep breath, triggering the beginning of the routine followed by the same number of steps into the ball, maybe two or four. Once I address the ball, I may check my grip a few times during my routine and look at the target two to three times. If there’s something I'm working on in my swing, I'll usually take an exaggerated practice swing with that in mind. Finally, after the last look at the target I let it go with nothing held back- I know I've done everything I could possibly do to prepare myself to hit the shot at hand and send the ball at the target.
When you are truly committed, you eliminate any chance to pull back or hesitate and you are guaranteed to either get the result you want or learn something about your game. By letting go you may realize that when you give yourself trust you are greater than you ever thought possible.
By Isaac Weintraub
Isaac is a PGA of America and PGA of Canada Class A Member. He is the Head Teaching Professional at Spring Hills Golf Course in Corralitos, CA (Santa Cruz) and in 2024 Isaac was given the honor of an Askernish Golf Club Honorary Lifetime Member (Outer Hebrides, Scotland). Isaac is the Project Manager of the Pogonip Golf Course Restoration Project and a Shivas Irons Society/Golf in the Kingdom Golf Camp Coach.