Why Routines Matter

Why Routines Matter. . .

Routines get a bad rap. They can be boring, rote, & are hard to keep.

However, when utilized properly, routines might be the secret sauce your game is missing. Let me explain:

This winter, I began formally working with the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation & The PGA of America, on opening a new Golf Academy in Rabat, Morocco. The project includes working with & coaching their National Team Members.

Recently, while in Rabat, I had the opportunity to attend the Trophy Hassan II Champions Tour Event along with the Ladies European Tour Event, played simultaneously at Royal Dar Es Salam, in Rabat, Morocco, to watch some of these Players compete.

At Professional events, there is one thing that always stands out to me. It’s not the level of play, or the amount of time the spend practicing. Those things are there, without question. But the thing that fascinates me is the depth of focus on their routine, even on the most simple of shots. Nothing is done casually. Every moment toward execution has a purpose and the level of focus is noticeably different from amateur golfers.

Often times when our performance suffers, it’s due to the one of the following legs: Intention, Attention, and Commitment. Those three legs manifest in a clear routine. It’s a process that the Tour Players go through on every, single, shot.

Define. Commit. Execute. Evaluate. Repeat.

Intending what we want to happen. Placing attention on how to do it, and committing to that process without harboring any fear or need of an outcome for self-validation. In fact, if we could build down peak performance to one sentence, it would be:

Deep focus & commitment on the process of bringing about a well defined outcome without attachment. 

This is the point of a routine. Progress is an exercise of constant intention, attention, and commitment. Evaluation give us time to adjust, but routines give us the best chance to play at our peak.