Getting ready to play golf next week? If you don’t play a lot or have time to get out and practice beforehand there are some things to do to get yourself prepared before the big day and it really doesn’t take a lot of effort!
If you can just take a few minutes in the week before you play to simply think golf. Think about getting your bag ready and what you need in your bag. Think about doing some golf stretches and maybe some swinging before you go out. Think about your warmup time that day and what you want to do there and how much time it will take to get yourself prepared. It’s not really any fun to go out if you’re not ready but you can get ready easier than you thought.
Visualize as much as you can
When you are stopped at a red light you can see yourself making some putts You can see yourself stepping on to the first tee and making a beautiful stroke and watching the ball fly down the fairway. Before you fall asleep you can see the golf course, you can smell the cut grass, you can hear the birds chirping. The more vivid you make your picture the more realistic it is to your “system”. Seeing a golf ball flying down the fairway or on to a green or rolling into the cup will awaken your senses to that possibility.
Use your mind’s eye
Imagine yourself feeling great picking up your tee or smiling as you watch the ball roll into the cup. Just seeing golf in your mind’s eye allows your brain circuits to fire and awaken! Imagine hitting trouble shots that work out and bunker shots that go on to the green. Imagine yourself standing over a chip shot and making a chip stroke and the ball reacting just as you imagined it would.
Planning ahead helps learning
This thought process days before the activity allows for learning and preparation to happen. You could even see a poor shot and see yourself reacting to it in a positive manner. Making a plan ahead of time and then dwelling on it for days will then let that plan come to you much easier the day of your play. You could tell yourself what your goals are days before the round and start contemplating them. A goal like Accepting where your shot goes, Allowing your body to make its best stroke without too much thought, and being Aware of the environment so your senses are piqued.
You might see yourself playing a shot and then holding your finish in balance. You might pick out a phrase you want to say the whole round, something like “the shot”, or “hold the finish”, or “accept where the ball goes”, or smooth swing. You might like to review in your mind the concept of Point A and how you can apply it to your game.
Seeing yourself playing golf or thinking golf will definitely help you to feel more prepared and competent when you don’t have time to practice.