26 golfdigest.com | june 2019“It’s like calling a timeout on a kicker.It can cause a bad shot.”P
laying golf on a
packed course can be a
challenge, and I’m not
just talking about finishing in
time for dinner. What you do
while waiting to play your next
shot can make a huge difer-
ence in your round.
Two things to try to avoid:
(1) Don’t let slow play make you
angry. That’s easier said than
done, but if your mood turns
dark, it can negatively impact
performance. You’ll start swing-
ing with more tension; you’ll
tend to rush your shots, and
you’ll project blame for bad
results on “having to wait too
long.” (2) Don’t dwell on the
future. With all that downtime,While You WaitDon’t let the group in frontruin your next shotyou might start thinking about
your next play. Bad idea. It’s OK
to get the yardage and note the
wind, etc., but the longer you
focus on what’s required for the
next shot, the more likely you’ll
drift out of your usual routine.
I wouldn’t start prepping for the
next shot until there’s less than
a minute before you can hit it.
So what should you do with
all that downtime? It’s probablybest to get your mind of golf
entirely. Talk about anything
with your group or caddie. If
you must talk about golf, make
it something more general like
your favorite courses.
If you must swing a club
while you wait, work on a par-
ticular facet of the swing and not
the upcoming task. The ability
to turn your golf brain on and of
on a packed Saturday-morning
golf course is going to make the
experience a lot more enjoyable
than standing in that statuesque
“hands on hips” pose.
—with ron kaspriskeleadbetter is a Golf Digest
Teaching Professional.big putt? know
your routine—
and stick with it▶ You’ve got this seven-foot
putt, and it’s pret ty
important. It’s for birdie
or to win a match, etc.
What should you do before
taking the club back?
Simple. The same thing
you would do if it was a
seven-footer for bogey—
or any other putt that day.
If you normally take one
look at the hole, make a
practice stroke, and then
hit the putt, that should^
be your routine for this
one, too. Placing more
importance on any one
putt—especially when
it means taking longer
to prepare for it—is
going to hurt, not help,
your chance of making
it. Too much focus leads
to tension, because
your mind starts to
become overwhelmed
by the magnitude of the
event—overshadowing
the task at hand.Play Your Best Golf Made Simple by David Leadbetter
photograph courtesy of ted baker