Step 3: The Rehearsal Phase
The next step of your Shot Routine is the Rehearsal Phase. The purpose of this phase is to prime your body and mind to play the shot that you’ve decided upon in the Thinking Phase. Your swing will benefit from your brain connecting with the intention for the shot (through your senses), so it knows which neural pathways and muscles to activate during the swing. Here are some ways you can rehearse a shot before you play it. Experiment with these and find out what is your best way/combination to connect with the shot.
Visual Rehearsal or “Visualization”
“I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp, in focus picture of it in my head. It’s like a color movie. First, I see the ball where I want it to finish, nice and white and sitting up high on bright green grass. Then the scene quickly changes and I see the ball going there: its path, trajectory and shape, even its behavior on landing. Then there is a sort of fade out and the next scene shows me making the kind of swing that will turn the previous images into reality.” – Jack Nicklaus
This is probably one of the most famous quotes about visualization for golf. This type of visualization clearly worked well for one of the greatest golfers of all time, but my research and experience show that there are many ways to “visualize” which will affect how you feel and execute a shot. In this section, we’ll discuss the importance of visualization and how you can find out the best way for you to do it.
Why does visualization work?
Whichever way you visualize, the primary reason it works is that it sends messages to the movement centers of your brain which organize your movement during the swing or putt. Instead of thinking about the action required to make the movement, you’re more connected with the purpose and effect of it.
Have you ever noticed that when you’re faced with a tough shot out of trouble, you’re often able to pull it off, whereas you can sometimes miss an “easy” shot into the green from the fairway? The reason for this is because you have a much clearer intention (or visualization) and higher level of focus for the more challenging shot. By simply asking yourself: “What am I trying to achieve here?”, you can often produce the swing to get it there. During these shots, the swing is created subconsciously and fluidly by the intention for the shot, instead of you being disconnected or unclear about the intention and thinking about the swing you need to make.
Let’s take a look at a couple of case studies that show scientific proof of the positive effects of visualization.
Case Study 1
In a study done at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado, they tested the effect of visualization on a group of 30 golfers.
The group was randomly divided into 3 sub-groups of 10 players, to conduct a test on the effect of visualization on putting.
Firstly, each group did a series of putting drills using their normal putting routine.
After this, the first group was asked to perform the same drills as before, but this time thinking only about their stroke. The second group was asked to do detailed visualization of the line and speed of the putt and where on the hole the ball would enter. The third group was asked to visualize the ball finishing short of the hole on each putt. After a week of doing these same drills each day, they were asked to do the drills again using their normal putting routine. The results compared to their first attempt at the drills were as follows:
- The group that just practiced the stroke improved by 11%.
- The group that visualized each putt following its line to the hole and going in, improved by 30%.
- The group that visualized the ball finishing short, worsened by 21%!!!
Case Study 2: The Effect of Visualization On Body Movement
Studies on something that’s called “Functional Equivalence” prove that imagined actions have a similar “internal representation” (mental and physiological) as actual, real experiences.
One such study is an experiment performed by Psychologist Dr. Richard Suinn, who wanted to test “psycho-neuro-muscular theory” on experienced skiers.
With electrodes attached to their body and eyes closed, he had them imagine skiing down a specific down-hill ski run.
What he discovered was that the muscles that would have been used to make the turns for real were “firing” during the imagined ski run. It was like they were practicing skiing, without being on the slopes. This is exactly what you are doing by using visualization in the rehearsal phase of your pre shot routine – priming those muscles that will be used in the action for real.
There are many more studies that support the many benefits of visualization, that it:
- Gives us a clear intention which increases commitment and reduces doubt
Visualization will get you focused on something essential for hitting good shots: what you are intending to do with the golf ball. This will increase commitment and lower doubt and distraction, which can inhibit the swing. Everyone performs better with clear goals which keeps them focused on the things that will positively impact their performance.
- Primes the mind and body
Visualizing yourself performing an action and the outcome of it will tell the body which muscles it needs to use to create that movement for real (without you having to think about it while doing it)
- Keeps your focus more external
Studies on motor learning and skill acquisition by academics such as Professor Gabriele Wulf (the study is available in the resources), show that most golfers have more success in performing the correct movement when they are focused more on what they are trying to achieve as an effect of their movement, rather than the movement itself. An example of this would be getting a slicer to create a more in-to-out swing path by getting them to try to hit a hook around a tree, rather than telling them how they need to move their body to correct the slice. On the golf course, most golfers move away from what they are trying to achieve and focus more on swing mechanics which exacerbates poor play.
- Increases confidence
By imagining the desired outcome of your shot, you’ll feel more confident in your ability to hit it. The opposite, imagining the outcome you fear, is never going to help you hit a good shot.
What type of visualization is best for you?
We all see the world in slightly different ways. We communicate and learn in different ways. This is why I evaluate a new student with my mental game assessment and have them experiment in practice, so we can develop the optimal process for that individual player. Let’s take a look at some of the different ways that you can “visualize”, so you can begin experimenting.
Outcome Visualization
Outcome visualization is where you create a visual representation of how the ball will move from where it is now, to its final resting point.
There are several ways that you can do this. I should add here that the way you visualize a shot could be different for full shots, short game shots and putts. E.g., you might only imagine the flight or path of the ball for short game shots and putts, whereas your longer shots are more about static targets than the shape of the ball flight. Here are some ways to visualize the outcome of your shots:
- Imagine a color or black and white movie of the ball flight
- Imagine a colored line to represent the ball-flight, like the Shot Tracer technology used to show shots on the TV. Experiment with different thickness and colors for the line
- Is the image of the shot moving or a static picture?
- Visualize the start of the shot, the apex or the ball coming down to the target? Experiment with each of the 3 parts.
- What is the shape and trajectory of the ball flight? Fade, draw or straight? Low, medium or high?
- Some players see a window 10-20 yards in front of them to hit the ball through (for a tee or approach shot)
Process Visualization
Another type of visualization is to add a visual representation of the swing you will make to create the shot. It could be the club coming into the ball or being able to see yourself swing as if you are watching yourself on TV. This type of visualization is called “process visualization”, or external perspective. My experience suggests that even though this visualization includes the swing, you need to combine it with the desired target or ball flight.
Physical Rehearsal
Almost every player takes at least one “practice swing” to physically rehearse the shot. This could be more of a technical rehearsal to feel the different positions in the swing (more so for full shots) or the feel of impact (more so for the short game and putting).
Tiger Woods says that after he decides on the shot he’s going to play, he feels the shot with his hands during his rehearsal swings and he can still feel the shot while over the ball, using his imagination of the sensation.
Whichever way you’ve visualized the shot, the rehearsal can help you deepen your connection and commitment. It might be that, for you, the feel of the shot is more important than the look of it.
Experiment with using your rehearsal swings to play the shot exactly as you are about to play it. Which part of the swing is it best for you to focus on?
If it’s a fade shot, feel a fade swing. If it’s a low shot, feel a low shot in your rehearsal swings. You’re ingraining that shot in your short-term memory, ready for recall a few seconds later during the actual shot. During your “Random Practice” sessions, you will learn how to hit all types of shots and have a stored feel for them.
I’m not saying that you can’t focus on anything technical in your rehearsal. If you are a more technical player and you feel more comfortable having a swing thought during your rehearsal swings, I’m not going to tell you otherwise. Some players can make adjustments in their swing if they notice patterns in their misses and will make that adjustment during the rehearsal swings.
Auditory Rehearsal
If you’re more auditory, you should try imagining the rhythm and tempo of the shot. How long will the swing take and what is the tempo of it? What is the sound of impact? Can you hear the woosh of a pure strike before you hit it? Fred Couples used to say his pre shot rehearsal was predominantly about rhythm and tempo.
Verbal Rehearsal
If you’re more verbal, you will benefit from verbally describing certain aspects of the shot or your swing to yourself. Some players tell me that when they have a caddie it increases their commitment to their shots and improves their performance. My response to them is to be your “Inner Caddie” who is there during every shot and every round. Tell him/her what you intend to do with the ball.
