Mind Games
(sports psychology)
How to Optimize Your Performance for
Tournament Golf
by Dr. Rick Jensen
Did you know that the months from September thru December can be
the most stressful months of the year for many touring pros? Why?
Simply put, these are the months during which the PGA and the LPGA
Tour qualifying schools take place. For hopeful newcomers to the
major tours, and for those PGA and LPGA pros who did not make enough
money during the year to retain their tour cards, the last quarter of
each year is critical. Players' performances during the qualifying
tournaments (also known as Q-school) will determine how they spend
the upcoming year. Will players be competing against the world's best
for big bucks, or will they spend another year traveling the
mini-tour as they work diligently on their games? The Q-school
experience is one of "all or nothing" - one chance to alter how a
player is perceived by others for the entire next year of their life.
The feelings that an aspiring tour pro experiences during the last
quarter of the year is mirrored by club players who desperately want
to play well in their club championship, their local amateur
tournament, or their annual corporate golf outing. Regardless of
their level of play, most golfers have a time of year during which
they would love to see their game at its best. The question to be
raised is, "Can a player increase one's chances of performing up to
one's potential at a particular time of the year?" The answer,
fortunately, is "MOST DEFINITELY!"
Although there are no guarantees, touring pros regularly give
themselves the best chance to peak at certain tournaments by the way
that they prepare. Whether a player is preparing for Q-school,
getting geared up for The Masters, or looking forward to their club
championship, a player can improve his/her chances of success by
following a few key strategies.
Strategy #1: Commit to Your Most
Familiar Technique
Players should cease all attempts at technical improvement in the
week or two prior to the tournament. Attempting
to make last minute improvements in one's technique can lead to
disaster once the tournament starts. Often, players who have just
made a technical change in their game do not feel comfortable with
the new technique, have not mastered the technique, and are therefore
plagued with indecision throughout the tournament. Swing changes
should be made weeks before an important tournament to build the
technique into a habit that will repeat under pressure.
In the days prior to a tournament, players benefit much more from
focusing their practice time on "repetition of familiar movements"
and "ballflight repeatability," not on technique. In other words,
players should strive to find the swing that is most understood and
repeatable, and then identify what the ball does when that swing is
used. Once the tournament starts, AIM ACCORDINGLY!
Strategy #2: Assume a Competitive
Mindset
During the week prior to a big tournament, a player should shift
from a "practice" to a "playing" mindset. Research has shown that
athletes' performances peak when they let go of "technical" thoughts
and simply "perform."
Additionally, athletes' performances tend to progressively improve
as their bodies and minds adjust to the demands of competition. In
other words, it takes some time for a player to prepare for the
pressure that competition imposes upon them. Consequently, players
should begin "competing" (as opposed to "improving") at least one
week prior to a big tournament.
Top golf pros prepare for big events by playing a tournament the
week before. Comparably, you will see tennis professionals play a
grass-court tournament the week before Wimbledon. These "warm-up"
tournaments give athletes an opportunity to become re-acclimated to
the demands of tournament conditions.
If you do not have the opportunity to play a warm-up event prior
to a big tournament, you can still spend the preceding week training
under pressure. Play money matches with friends, practice competitive
drills with a playing partner, or create pressure for yourself during
your practice time.
Strategy #3: Obtain a Home Course
Advantage
Whenever possible, be sure that you are as familiar with the
course that you will be competing on as any other player in the
field. Play the course as many times as possible in the weeks and
months prior to the tournament. Doing so will allow you to see the
course under a variety of conditions (e.g., windy, wet, different pin
positions).
Spend as much time as you can on the putting greens. Golf
tournaments are won and lost on the putting green, and not
necessarily because of a player's putting stroke. Local knowledge of
the break and speed of greens is one of the most significant
contributors to tournament success.
Spend time prior to the tournament making decisions about course
strategy. Pre-determine how you will play each hole and how your
strategy will change
if the conditions change. Your goal prior to the first day of any
tournament is to have a pre-established plan of attack for the
course. Effective preparation should eliminate indecision from a
player's tournament experience.
Strategy #4: Strive to Win!
"I hope I don't embarrass myself." "If I could only make the cut
this year."
"I don't expect much, because I haven't been practicing."
Statements such as these are self-limiting and lay the groundwork for
the all-too-familiar "self-fulfilling prophecy." If you are going to
do this to yourself, stay home! If you are serious about your game
and want to perform well in tournaments, then give yourself the best
chance. Prepare, prepare, prepare, and then strive to win.
Remember, you can increase your chances of peaking at the right
time of the year. Like most things in life, peak performance does
require effort. With a little bit of knowledge and some hard work,
you may come to love those big events. Peak performance when it
counts is an art - grab your brush and start painting.
Dr. Rick Jensen is President of the Performance Enhancement
Center of Boca Raton and the Director of Sport Psychology at the
Academy of Golf, PGA National Resort and Spa. He works extensively
with touring pros on the PGA, LPGA, Nike and Golden Bear Tours, and
is a frequent lecturer at golf clubs nationwide. He can be reached at
561-852-3603.
