we need to play our best. But
being light-hearted also means
being attentive, not just to your
overall game that day, but to the
experience of those around you.
“No matter how things are
going for you,” Rotella says, “you
always have a chance to help
your friends enjoy the day. It’s
supposed to be a fun game, after
all, and the more you enjoy it, the
easier it’ll be to play better.”
There’s more than one
avenue, in other words, to finding
the enjoyment needed to play
our best.
COME UP WITH A PLAN
For many golfers, practice
plans are a lot like New Year’s
resolutions, according to
Rotella. Part of the solution,
Rotella believes, is putting pen
to paper and keeping your goals
in a place where they’re in sight
and not collecting cobwebs in
a drawer.
“Maybe last year you made
a commitment to practicing
certain parts of the game, but
after the first month you didn’t
stick to it. What do you need to
do to get yourself to commit to
a plan?” he asks. “Try writing
your plan down. Keep it in a
place where you can look at it
every day. T a friend about
ell
your plan and ask him or her
to help you honor it.”
Most of us have at least one
golf buddy who would love to
contribute to our improvement
but are wary of giving advice.
And if your regular group of
four is just too salty to help
you, enlist the assistance of a
PGA professional or instructor,
Rotella notes.
ANDREW REDINGTON/GETTY IMAGES
MAKE IT ROUTINE
“The offseason is a great time to work on
your routine,” Rotella says. “When you’re
behind the ball, practice picking targets.
Practice seeing different ball flights in
your mind and committing to the one
you’ve chosen.”
He adds that players then have to carry
that visualization with them as they move
into the setup position.
“Are you seeing your target and then
letting yourself start to swing without any
lengthy delays?” Rotella asks. “My experience
with a lot of people is that when they
come back to the ball, they freeze, get tight
and start worrying. See your shot and start
your swing. Make sure that time period is
fairly short. Don’t give yourself time to think
too much.”
The doctor prescribes grooving the
routine—indoors or outdoors—without
a golf ball, 20-25 times per day. If you
want to hit shots, Rotella stresses that this
not be divorced from the process of
practicing routine.
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