Success Breeds Success

When I get out to the driving range, I go through all of my clubs starting with the wedges and finishing with the driver. I hit each club about 10 times and I have to finish with a good shot before I go on. I won’t put a club back into my bag without feeling good about it. 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.  This is a form of anchoring. 

I will 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, 386 yard hole. I will visualize that hole and hit some drives out to the left center of the fairway to open up the hole for my approach shot. When I’ve hit a good drive, I’ll record it in my brain and move to the practice putting green. 

If this is good for me, how can I use it in my coaching? 

Well, let’s talk about what I did. After every stroke, I evaluated how I was doing - I was focussed on my task. I want Danny to do the same thing with his free throw practice. It can be serious and fun at the same time. For example, there can be a friendly competition.  Danny, Alex, Gary, and Ted are each taking seven* free throws at a time  and rotating - they are keeping track of who has made the greatest number of their seven attempts.

Coach: How is it going here?

Danny: I’m ahead with six out of seven.

Ted: I made five last round - I’m going to nail it next round - seven for seven.

Gary: I’m getting there first.

*Note: Why seven attempts? - Because it’s not five or ten. Do things differently - it will be remembered better.