Keep Calm and get over it: An examination of post-shot routines in skilled and professional golfers internationally
Presentation
Overview
Overview
Description
In closed skills sports like golf, pre-shot routines were widely promoted as optimal strategies to foster mental and physical readiness, cope with distractions, and set and commit to a plan of action (Lidor, 2013). However, the emotional, cognitive, and physical state resulting from maladaptive reactions to a previous shot have the potential to interfere with the effectiveness of the next pre-shot routine and with the next shot unless golfers effectively deal with their reactions to their previous shot. Post-shot routines have been defined as a sequence of consistent and deliberate actions and thoughts that golfers use after a shot and prior to the pre-shot routine of their next shot (Post-Shot Routine Model; Schmid, Watson, & Prior, 2016). However, the nature, function, content, and frequency of post-shot routines remain empirically unexplored. A sample of 434 golfers (from more than 20 countries and including 107 professional golfers) completed an online survey designed to systematically examine which components of post-shot routines are most effective across golfers (e.g., skill level, experience), situations (i.e., quality and outcome of previous shot), and type of shot (e.g., drive, putt), as well as the factors that may prevent golfers from using post-shot routines. A large majority (86%) of participants reported using pre-shot routines consistently and admitted that their pre-shot routines could be, at least occasionally, affected by maladaptive reactions to a previous shot. However, only 30% reported using (inconsistently) their own tailored post-shot routines, mainly to prevent negative reactions from affecting future performance. Post-shot routines included various cognitive-behavioral strategies depending upon the quality of the shot execution and outcome satisfaction. Step processes were commonly reported, but only rarely included all four steps of the Post-Shot Routine Model (Schmid et al., 2016). Implications for practitioners and coaches to design interventions and training programs are discussed.
