Strategy #2 / Recency - The latest time that you do something is also very important.

Much of the time that we say “last”, we really mean “latest.” For example, you may have said, “The last time I played golf, I played pretty well,” it is understood that you really intend to play many more times before you play your last round of golf.

The latest time you have worked with your players is the one you want them to keep and use thereafter. This is the one you have been working toward with your players – this is the one you want to Reinforce.

In the practice session on having the pitchers cover first base, Coach Tracy reinforced their good attempts with verbal rewards. Upon the completion of a successful attempt, he sent each of the satisfied players on to their next task - the player should take a success experience away with him. We store away the final part of an experience with our feelings. Feelings are more important than thoughts here. The feelings we carry away from an experience are very strong and they significantly reinforce our thoughts.

Personal Usage – When I get out to the golf driving range, I go through all of my clubs starting with the wedges and finishing with the driver. I hit each club about 6-8 times, and I have to finish with a good shot before I go on to the next club. I won’t put a club back into my bag without feeling good about that club. This means that when I pull my 7 iron out on the course, I will have confidence in hitting it. After all, my latest experience with it left me feeling good about it.

I finish my practice with the driver because my next round of golf will be played at the Brookside Golf Course and the first hole is a par 4, dogleg right, 412-yard hole – and I am ready to hit a shot long and straight to that dogleg – just like the last one I hit at the range.

In tennis, you would want your players to start off hitting easy serves and build up from there – let the rhythm take place. Joyce has been hitting some good practice serves and she has just stroked a beauty. Coach Bruce will anchor it by saying, “Fantastic, now let’s get to work on your backhands.”

Success breeds success.