When I was 21 I played Division 1 Pennants for Gailes Golf Club. During this age was where I took the game quite seriously. I was fortunate at the time to meet a young Jason Day. He joined our Pennant team as a largely unknown 16 year old.
I remember when I met him at Oxley Golf Course preparing for our golf matches. He was a very genuine guy who honestly didn't appear to have any ego about him. After mine and my friend's matches finished we went back a few holes and caught up with Jason who was still in the grips of his match. It's funny to look back now when there were no crowds and just young guys playing golf on the weekend.
I remember talking to him at the time and also watching what he was doing. He was square with his match with 4 holes to go. He then proceeded to birdie the next two hardest holes (15 and 16) and parred the 17th to give him the win. When he did birdie those holes, it was like he went to a different gear. His famous intense pre-shot routine that he's known for was exactly the same back then.
I would watch this young kid put so much intensity and energy into every shot particularly when it was down to the crunch. He would firstly stand behind the shot, close his eyes and visualize what he's going to do and then walk into the shot with confidence and in an almost meditative state.
I proceeded to hang out with him on the course during the next number of matches in which he never got beaten, doing exactly the same thing. I even remember seeing him down 3 holes with 5 hole to play before going on a birdie spree and tieing the match on the last hole. The last putt he made at this match again was full of energy and intensity and almost seemed like he willed the ball in the hole.
The biggest takeaway for me was how important pre-shot routine was. No matter what shot you're playing, ensure your routine is always the same and completed with as much confidence as possible. This takes time and energy to practice but will prove immeasurable during your round of golf.
If you feel you don't have a pre-shot routine, book in for a lesson to learn the best one for you.
Comments