Building a Routine Pt. 1 (Practice)

Some may think doing the same routine over and over makes a task feel mundane and makes you lazy. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Routine builds consistency. It is a necessary building block for anyone trying to improve as a golfer. Routine goes beyond the 10 seconds before you hit your shot. It refers to the hours spent practicing and even the 24 hours before a round.

Building a consistent, attainable practice routine is essential for any junior golfer trying to improve. It is important to note that having a routine doesn’t mean you don’t change how you practice. In fact, switching up the drills and methods you use for practice is an important part of your schedule. In the past, I have struggled with sticking to my practice routine for a few reasons. The first was that I built a routine that was not realistic in tandem with my other commitments and goals. For example, in 9th grade, I decided I would practice four times a week for three hours and play twice. I marked Tuesdays for short game and speed training, Wednesdays for lag putting, irons, and wedges, Thursdays for putting mechanics and driver, Fridays for a little bit of everything, and Saturdays and Sundays to put it all together on the course. In theory, this would be incredible for my growth as a golfer, in reality, it was a disaster. By the third week, I was being hit with hours of homework assignments, tests, and quizzes, and had missed a few days. I was completely thrown out of my routine because of this and ultimately realized that I needed to come up with a more realistic schedule I could stick with. I came up with a plan to practice efficiently and effectively four days a week and play once. This proved to be way more successful than my previous routine which led to inconsistency and a lack of measurable results. By sticking to the same schedule nearly every week, I could see whether or not I was making progress in certain areas. For example, I noticed that when I finished off my usual short putting practice sessions with 20 five-foot putts, my score was stuck around 13/20. This told me that I needed to reevaluate how I was working on my putting and helped it become one of the strong suits of my game. Although having some consistent games to measure your improvement is important, I advise you to rotate the drills you do. This avoids the common error of falling into a rut and losing motivation to practice. I’ve made this mistake and it made me temporarily lose my love for practicing. I dreaded doing the same things over and over again, which made my practice less effective and I wasn’t seeing the growth I expected. Oftentimes I ask a friend or search online for new games and drills to practice with.

Creating and following a practice routine has a myriad of beneficial effects to not only your golf game, but your life. It creates structure and promotes healthy habits like being outdoors and exercising. Additionally, I've found that being in a consistent routine raises my overall mood because I am freed up from any stress over when and how I am going to practice. These are just my ideas when it comes to practicing but I'd love to hear your thoughts and routines!