Last week I reviewed the importance to prepare yourself and your equipment in readiness to play golf well and with good intentions.
All of this pre golf preparation should be done well in advance of leaving for a tournament, but if it does help to avoid those night before nerves, do it then and please remember to leave yourself time to ‘wind down’ before going to bed.
Just make sure that you do get a good night’s sleep before a tournament, it really does help because you could be the best player in the world, but if you don’t have the energy to win, then you’ll be back in the pack.
Golf is not just about hitting a golf ball it’s about the whole package from the start of preparation to the prize giving and you must get the whole thing right.
If the day and evening before are organised sensibly then the morning should start with the surety of mind that everything is ready for the journey to the course but unfortunately, mental setbacks can still be about, even during the journey.
There are plenty of fools who drive cars these days (particularly on the N332) and they can put you in situations which could tax your patience but leaving home in plenty of time can help overcome this problem but remember that it is just as easy to laugh at these people as it is to fly into a rage.
There is one particular thing which you should avoid doing just prior to play and on the days running up to a competition for that matter.
You must avoid hitting golf balls just for the sake of something to do because only too often we see golfers doing this type of thing and they must understand that it is not always positive.
You should never hit golf balls to pass the time unless you are prepared to practise sensibly and always hit balls following your swing sequence with the full concentration to play any shot.
Do it right and you will practise successfully, do it wrong and you will practise failure.