It’s that delicate balance; of intense focus, combined with total freedom.

How can we prepare our mind and game to perform at its limitless capability, when the heat is on, and the scorecard is in front of us for 4-5 hours?

I played the Irish Assistant’s Championship a couple of weeks ago at County Meath Golf Club, and for the most part, did just that. It was my first tournament in approximately 12-months (with also very few competitions played in the 10-years prior to that!), there was a lot of competitive rust to shake off, but I managed to find that “zone” and put a solid score together. Thanks to Aodan Comerford and Charlie Walsh for being great sport on the day too, we are pictured below before our tee-off.

The top 16 from a field of approximately 70 players, qualified for the Assistant’s final, which will be held in Surrey, London this July. I carded a level par 73, in the scorching heat, which left me one shot off the leader at -1. I finished T3 for the championship, and secured my position for the finals in London!

So, how did I manage to perform, under pressure, with almost no competitive rounds under my belt for roughly 10-years? I remembered. As I prepared for the event, I made sure to at least hit golf balls every day, and play holes as much as possible. I found with each round I played (with high performers which also helped), I was picking back up all of the skills I had learned throughout my youth in competition – simple things like, when you are not fully settled over the shot, to take a step back and restart, etc. It was fascinating re-learning all of these competitive skills I had taken for granted, but it was fun.

I will admit, as I played the round, I was still catching myself making some silly mistakes I likely wouldn’t have, had I been actively competitive. For example, on the third hole (after a par, birdie start), I had roughly 250 yards to the hole, and a 3-wood in my hand. I knew it could shoot through the green if I struck it well. I chose the club, but I wasn’t fully settled – as I approached the top of my backswing, I sensed a feeling of doubt, and thought ok don’t hit it full – and of course I eased into it, decelerated and sent it on it’s merry way out of bounds right, into the trees! Mental Error 101 – poor commitment and club choice. I made a double bogey in the end, but because I was in an excellent state of mind, it didn’t hinder me at all. I went on to birdie the next two holes to get back to -1.

The big question here, I believe, was how I got into the mental state that allowed for peak performance, when I needed it. And even when things didn’t go to plan, like on the third hole, the wheels didn’t come off. It all came down to the day prior – I played my practice round, in great company and didn’t particularly play well, I lost the money, primarily due to lack of concentration towards the end of the round. I knew I wasn’t in a particularly present state that day, and needed to rectify that if possible before teeing it up the following day. I drove into Trim town after the practice round, got myself a cup of tea and sandwich and sat in the car for a moment. I realised that my mind wasn’t still or present. I was seeking distractions, like my phone, passing unnecessary judgement to those around me (in my head of course!) and knew I was nowhere near the presence I needed to perform at my best the following morning. I parked up beside Trim Castle (well worth a visit!) and meditated in my car, this ended up taking roughly 2-hours before I reached total clarity/stillness. This is something I regularly do, and to be honest, I didn’t pass much heed as I headed home afterwards.

My preparation was excellent; food was ready for the morning, water bottles and mid-round snacks in the bag. Gloves, balls and shoes clean, marked and ready. The stage was set, and I had primed myself to preform with a clear mind. I got to bed at a decent hour and got a solid nights sleep.

The following morning I arrived, and after a few chips, putts and short irons, I was onto the first tee. I was quite nervous and couldn’t really understand why, but the inner stillness remained, and that was key. I could see clearly, as I got up to my first putt, I could see the lines in what felt like HD form, I had zero distractions and could feel the presence throughout my body and thus, my swing. I knew after the first putt in particular, that I was in a good space and no matter what happened, I was in full control.

My swing was decent during the round, but far from its best or “perfect”, many swings at the top of the backswing, I could see the club! But it really didn’t matter, I was able to get the club-face square on the ball and that was all I needed.

Being able to perform to the best of my given ability on the day, came down to the preparation the day before. During the round would have been too late. The hours of practice in the lead up, meant that my swing-awareness, strike, etc was tuned in, but that alone was not enough to guarantee a good performance – as I thankfully learned throughout the practice day.

Performance when it matters, is possible for everyone. Plenty of quality practice (if you are unsure what quality practice looks like for you, why not book a lesson! – bookings), with excellent preparation brings it all together. But for you to express this form purely on the day, the meditation and stillness will seal the deal for you, I am sure of it.

If you would like to learn more about this in person, you can book a coaching session with Gary Shaw Life & Golf through my booking engine: www.bookeo.com/garyshawgolf. Since qualifying as a Life Coach in 2019 with Kingstown College, I’ve consciously blended these Life Coaching tools with the golf ones we are learning with The PGA – it has proven to be a powerful combination in helping my clients perform, enjoy and win on the golf course. I remember many years ago as a youth golfer, wondering why, after countless hours of practice, the results I deserved weren’t showing, when it really mattered. Often, after a tournament I would go out and play more holes (when the pressure is off) and it all seemed so effortless again, it was a mystery! I believe the above brings an end to these wasted performances – you can shoot the scores you deserve, and probably don’t even deserve (in a good way)!

Play well, and talk soon,

Gary