Lesson 1 of 5
What To Do
JJ calls the pre-shot routine essential to developing a process to be relaxed and confident over a golf shot. It is what you fall back on when you are under pressure and need to be clutch. Golf is a closed sport. Unlike basketball or soccer, nothing is coming at you. You decide when you start your routine and you stand still over the ball. That means you can control your routine and your setup on every single shot.
JJ's routine has five parts: Analysis, Visualization, Gain Feel, Performance Cue and Trust. It does not have to be identical every time. You do not need a set number of practice swings. But every routine needs to include the main structure, because the structure is what builds trust in the upcoming shot.
In this lesson you will write down the routine you think you do, then test it the way JJ has his players test theirs.
How To Do It
Step 1: Analysis, the thinking phase
Gather all the information you need about the shot: lie of the ball, slope and grain if you are putting, wind direction, distance to the hole, whether it is a green, yellow or red flag, distance to your landing spot, and the right club. Once you have picked a clear and precise target, move to the next phase.
Step 2: Visualization
How do you want the shot to look? See where it starts, how it curves and where it finishes. Some people cannot see the shot in their mind's eye. That is fine. Verbalize what you are trying to do and what you want it to look like.
Step 3: Gain feel
Take practice swings that develop the feel for the exact shot you are about to hit. JJ is clear on this: make your practice swings useful. Do not just use them to get loose. When you have the feel, go.
Step 4: Performance cue
As you step in, have one performance cue that gives you the mindset to execute. Examples from JJ: a breath, a straight-back takeaway, tempo, or aligning properly. One cue only. You will build yours in Lesson 4.
Step 5: Trust
This can be the hardest part. To give the shot its best chance, you have to trust that you prepared properly. This is the time to let go and focus on your one performance cue.
Step 6: Test it with a friend
Write down your step-by-step routine. Give the list to a friend for a few holes and have them check how consistently you go through it. You can also have them time it from the moment you pull the club to the moment you swing. Good routines stay within a second or two. If yours gets longer on hard shots, that is where doubt is sneaking in.
Everything you save here is stored in My Playbook.
When To Use It
- On every full shot, chip and putt, in practice and on the course
- When you feel pressure and need something solid to fall back on
- On the range, in the last third of every practice session
Common Mistakes
- Using practice swings only to get loose instead of to feel the shot
- Skipping the analysis and picking a vague target
- Having three or four swing thoughts instead of one performance cue
- Running the routine on easy shots and abandoning it on hard ones
- Thinking your routine is consistent without ever having someone check it
Practical Exercise
Routine Starter Breath
JJ has his players start a long, slow belly breath before they reach the ball. It is the best way to control anxiety and move from the thinking side of your brain to the athletic side. Do this as you walk up to your shot, then start your analysis.
Pattern: 4-4-4-4 seconds, 3 cycles. The voice counts each second for you.
Ready
Takeaways
- Golf is a closed sport. You control when your routine starts
- Analysis, Visualization, Gain Feel, Performance Cue, Trust
- Practice swings are for feel, not for getting loose
- The routine does not have to be identical, but the structure does
- Have a friend check your routine. Most players are less consistent than they think
Reflect
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