Playing Your Best When it Counts the Most

Here’s an interesting bit of information, on average PGA pros make 80% of their money in only 20% of the events they play. This implies that playing great golf for an extended period is hard to accomplish even for the best players in the game. Because of this reality, tour pros and juniors alike are wise to select a handful of tournaments during the year in which they attempt to play their very best golf. For competitive junior golfers, the list of important tournaments often includes national and state qualifiers and tournaments, high school playoffs, and events with strong fields.

​Below are some of the most important keys to performing best when it counts the most.

• Know the course you’re playing. It pays to be become familiar with the course to avoid unnecessary strategy and decision-making errors. It also helps to know the course before a practice plan is put together. This is best done by playing one or more practice rounds and taking notes along the way. The practice rounds will provide the opportunity to identify the parts of the game that will be tested the most. Some courses might require more accurate drives while other courses might make greenside bunker play a priority. These days, Google Earth can offer an assist with learning a course if time is short.
• Hone your game. – Using lessons learned from previous tournaments, the information gathered from practice rounds, and the knowledge of your son or daughter’s coach, create a training and practice plan designed to sharpen the essential skills needed for the tournament. Whether there are several weeks until the tournament or only a few days, the focus needs to be on the things that will make the biggest difference in the score. Ultimately, all golfers must rely on the skills they have developed over time so the days just before the tournament are best used to increase a young player’s confidence and to iron out any last-minute issues.
• Add adversity to training. Often younger players spend time practicing and training for a tournament with little pressure and in ways that don’t simulate actual competition. This can leave them feeling unprepared when the pressure in competition is more intense than they expected or have previously experienced. Adding consequences to practice and course time can go a long way toward relieving the pressure and anxiety associated with tournament play.
• Manage expectations. Even if it’s a course that your son or daughter has played well at before, help them resist the urge to raise expectations. All too often, younger players spend most of the energy thinking about their score and the eventual outcome, especially for important tournaments. Results need to be driven by the process and the things that can be controlled like preparation, decision making, mental game, and real-time adjustments.
• Pay attention to the details. The pros know that the littlest thing can make a big difference. Here’s a quick list of items to which to pay attention:

                o Get plenty of rest in the days leading up to the tournament.
                o   Eat and stay hydrated the day before the tournament and especially during the rounds.
                o   Get to the course early enough to go through a regular warmup routine.
                o   Check the weather so that the right clothing and supplies are packed.
               o   Compare the prevailing wind and the conditions to what was experienced in the practice rounds and confirm strategy or                        make any necessary adjustments.


Important tournaments require more thorough preparation than regular events. I would suggest that in addition to the steps outlined above, you seek the advice of your son or daughter’s golf coach to help get your child in top form for a big event.