Last Updated on June 29, 2024 by Britt Olizarowicz
We already know what golf professionals are doing on the course that we aren’t doing. They have great pre-shot routines, impressive swing speeds, and clubface angles that are incredibly square at impact. However, there are things that pro golfers are doing off the course you should adopt. As a golf professional, I can tell you that these 8 off-course habits should help you take your game to the next level.
On-Course Planning
Do you ever plan a round of golf?
To do this, you must visualize or write down your game plan for different courses and conditions. You’ll plan out a strategy and try to use it when you play your next round.
Many pro golfers do this with the help of a yardage book.
However, you can do it without the yardage book and simply by making some notes on your scorecard. The key is to have an understanding or a game plan in place.
Physical Strength and Conditioning
If you want to hit the ball further without having to swing any harder, consider incorporating strength training and flexibility into your daily routine.
Even cardiovascular workouts can help improve your stamina on course. However, where the pros spend most of their time and attention on core stability and their rotational power.
The more efficiently you can rotate and stabilize the core, the better you will be at shooting consistently low scores.
Proper Hydration in Days Leading Up to Play
Drinking water on the course is important.
However, if you have a tournament or a big round of golf coming up, make sure that you are hydrated properly in the days leading up to it. To ensure that you don’t get dehydrated and lose focus and stamina on the course, drink water and balance electrolytes in the days before the event.
Rest and Recovery
This one may surprise you, but professionals spend some time resting and playing golf. They prioritize sleep and allow their body to recover.
If you overtrain, you’ll do more harm than good.
I’m constantly having this discussion with newly retired golfers. They desire to get out there and play seven days a week because they can. I don’t blame them, but it comes as no surprise when their games are not improving.
They go out and play with the same tools, but they have tired bodies and no real awareness of what they need to do to improve.
Instead split up your practice and play, incprorate some rest. If you are someone that needs a club in your hand everyday, make some days just for the short game.
Techniques such as foam rolling, massage, and ice baths should also be implemented to aid muscle recovery.
Mindset and Meditation Work
Have you started to realize that your mental game could use a little work? All golfers should work on their mindfulness, meditation, and even visualization. However, the place to work on these things is off the course, not on it. When you are on the golf course, it’s too late to work on these things; instead, implement them off the course and then head out there and perform.
I’ve always found that reading books about the mental game of golf is a great way to do this. In addition, you can practice focus in anything you do.
Here’s a simple one: When brushing your teeth tomorrow, focus only on brushing your teeth, no other thoughts. It takes some work, but it will help train your brain to focus only on one thing at a time.
Equipment Tweaking and Golf Bag Preparation
When you are off the golf course check your equipment, clean it, organize your bag and even take it in to a club fitter from time to time to make sure it’s still the right fit for your game.
You know those grooves are not perfectly clean, and that’s putting you at a disadvantage when you play your next round of golf.
Studying Stats from Previous Rounds
Start tracking stats from all of your golf rounds. You can keep things simple with fairways hit, greens in regulation, and putts, but collecting strokes gained information is even more helpful.
Use these stats to analyze your performance and determine your strengths and weaknesses in your game.
This data is very valuable.
Matt Fitzpatrick records every shot he takes in golf and adds it to these spreadsheets to analyze where he needs to focus his improvement. You don’t have to get this extreme, but any analysis would be helpful.
Nutritional Planning
Finally, we can’t say that every professional golfer does this, but many do. If you want to perform your best on the courses, you must fuel your body correctly.
Follow a balanced diet rich in proteins and healthy fats. Plan your meals and snacks, so you have the right things to eat before and during your next round of golf.
Performance on the course is a reflection of how you prepared.
Final Thoughts
You may feel that some of the things that professional golfers do off the course are because golf is what they do for a living. Although that may be true, we can learn from these tips and play a little better because of them. Who knows, maybe your secret to breaking 100, 90, 80, etc. lies in here somewhere.
