Why Practice?
Why Practice?
…or HOW to Prepare for Competition?
How many times are you great at practice and poor in competition? Probably more than you would like. It is time to stop “practicing” and start having proper preparation for competition.
Let’s think of it in terms of your classroom studies. Would you study your history notes in preparation for your calculus exam? Would you casually look over your Physics notes in preparation for an AP Physics exam. I think not.
Yet, I constantly witness young golfers preparing for the test in golf (competition days) randomly and haphazardly… no pressure, no commitment, happy-go-lucky, I got this sort of focus.
Practice Hard, Play Easy
(Secret of My Success)
“I believe the purpose of practice is to prepare for competition by challenging yourself .”
~Maggie
Apply pressure in practice to learn YOUR tendencies and teach YOURSELF ways to overcome them. Every elite business or athletic professional has learned to limit their tendencies under pressure using their OWN little aids and tricks. (Keep a little notebook in your golf bag.) YOUR tendencies will never go away under pressure. Stop thinking they will. (Just ask Sergio Garcia, 2017 Masters Champion). However, YOU can learn to contain and limit YOUR tendencies. (Like plugging up holes in a sinking boat.)
Teach yourself to have fun building the “house of pain” in practice so that you can learn how to limit your “crumble” in competition. The crumble happens to everyone… even on their best days. Teach yourself to manage it. Guess what? You will learn the ability to smile at adversity in competition and excel under pressure.
I hope you saw Jordan Spieth play some this week. He did not have his “A” game, but he fought through his adversity and holed a bunker shot to win the play-off! I know for a fact that he challenges himself in his practice to prepare for just that very moment! Are you pushing yourself in your practice to be ready for your moment?
Find out How to Prepare for Competition in Maggie Notes