Module 1: Identity and Confidence / Lesson 5 of 5

Pre-Shot Focus, Breathing and Tension Release

Lesson 5 of 5

What To Do

Golf is roughly four hours of walking and a few minutes of hitting. What you do with your mind between shots decides how fresh and focused you are when it is time to swing. Players who think about golf for the whole round wear themselves out and carry tension from shot to shot.

This lesson teaches you to switch on and switch off. You switch on in your pre-shot routine with full focus and a set breath. You switch off between shots by thinking about anything that makes you happy and paying attention to your breathing. And you learn where your body tends to get tight so you can release that tension before it gets into your swing.

How To Do It

Step 1: Switch on in your pre-shot routine

When you reach your ball, gather your information, pick your club and a small target, and take one full breath before you step in. From that moment your only job is the target and your swing key. Keep the routine the same length on every shot so your body knows what is coming.

Step 2: Switch off between shots

Once your post-shot routine is done, stop thinking about golf. Think about something that makes you happy: your family, a trip, a song, a meal you are looking forward to. Talk with your playing partners. Golf thinking starts again when you get to your ball.

Step 3: Count your breaths

As you walk, count your breaths and notice how long each one is. Try for a slow breath in for four steps and out for four steps. Counting keeps your mind out of the past and the future and lowers your heart rate before the next shot.

Step 4: Map where you get tight

Everyone carries tension somewhere. For some it is the hands and forearms, for others the shoulders, jaw, or legs. Write down your tight spots so you know exactly what to check when pressure builds.

Step 5: Release the tension

Breathe in for four seconds while you clench the tight area, like making two hard fists. Then breathe out for four seconds as you let go and shake it out. Work through each body part. This is based on progressive muscle relaxation, a method used in sport psychology for decades.

Step 6: JJ's Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMRT)

This is the full version of the tension release, done twice for each muscle group, ideally lying on your back somewhere quiet. Raise your shoulders and tip your head back a little to load your neck and upper shoulders. Hold for five seconds and notice how uncomfortable it is. Release halfway and hold five more seconds. Take a slow, deep breath and tell yourself to relax. Let it all go and feel the tension drain out, paying attention to the contrast. Then spend ten full seconds just relaxing that area. Repeat with your hands and forearms, and your legs.

Step 7: Shorten it as you get better

The first time through takes about 30 minutes. With practice it gets much faster. Once you can relax every muscle group within 10 minutes, skip the tense and half release steps and go straight to the relaxation part. That short version is what you use on the tee.

When To Use It

Between every shot as you walk or ride
In your pre-shot routine, before you step in
On the tee when you feel tightness in your hands or shoulders
After a bad hole, to reset your body and your mind
Before the round, as part of your warm-up

Common Mistakes

Thinking about golf for the whole four hours
Replaying the last shot while you walk to the next one
Holding your breath over the ball
Not knowing where your tension shows up
Rushing the pre-shot routine when you feel nervous

Practical Exercise

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMRT)

Follow along for three muscle groups: neck and shoulders, hands and forearms, then legs. Tense for five, release halfway for five, breathe, then relax completely for ten. The whole sequence runs twice, the way JJ teaches it.

Pattern: 5-5-4-10-5-5-4-10-5-5-4-10 seconds, 2 cycles. The voice counts each second for you.

Ready