Importance of pre-performance routine?

“A sequence of task relevant thoughts and actions which an athlete engages in systematically prior to his or her performance of a sporting skill.” Moran (1996)

Every sporting individual has a pre-performance routine, whether they are consciously aware of this routine is another question. This can anything from eating the same meal before an event to the Jason Dufner ‘wiggle’ before each shot. One’s pre-performance routine doesn’t have to take place within the constraints of the sporting environment (e.g. golf course), it can begin at home waking up at a set time for your regular 10am round on a Saturday.

The benefits of a consistent pre-performance routine are crystal clear for all to see in not just at elite level but also at amateur level.

• It helps individuals focus their attention to task specific issues rather than irrelevant cues which could be detrimental to performance therefore enhancing concentration.

• It also helps alleviate negative thinking through a fixate (focused) state of mind any negative thoughts relating to the specific issue are abolished leaving a clear mind for your cognitive thought processes to take effect.

• This improves one’s ability to not focus too much on the mechanical side of the skill (e.g. golf putting- pendulum action or club head angle on point of contact) thus aiding effort towards the task in hand (putting the ball).

In Golf, your pre-performance routine is evident throughout the whole round, before each shot and on the greens whether it’s on the 1st tee or the 18th. What do the pros say?

“A consistent pre-shot routine is as important as good swing mechanics. My pre-shot routine helps me to focus completely, absolutely, on my target instead of my swing.” Ernie Els

“He has done this so many times over his career that it has become engrained in his muscle memory, so even when his mind loses focus and puts his body in an unfamiliar, "golf circumstance," the pre-shot routine will put his body back into a circumstance that his body will recognize” Andrew Farrea talking about Jason Dufner

“A routine is not a routine if you have to think about it.” Davis Love Jnr.

However an important aspect of the pre-performance routine is that it’s unique, just because it works for the professionals doesn’t necessarily mean that it will work for you. Your pre-performance routine needs to be specific and unique to your personality and temperament and if there’s one thing that golf promotes its difference, just look at the swings of the last 10 winners on tour, every last one is different. Your pre-performance routine is both your mental trigger for concentration and confidence and also it’s your medication when you’re ill or if your form drops, if so the one consistent thing at that present time should be your routine. If your confidence in your game drops the last thing you want to be thinking about is you’re routine, if this happens go back to basics (simple thoughts e.g. child’s play- give a child a club and they will just swing without conscious thought and no pressure whatsoever about the outcome, admittedly this is hard to do if Golf is your career but even then there comes a time whereby an individual must bite the bullet, so to speak) but whatever happens remain consistent with your pre-performance routine for this is the part of your game that never leaves you and is something you (the individual) can control.

‘Control your routine and focus your mind’

‘Control the controllables, let everything else naturally unfold’