Mental Tool 2, How Jason Day Practices

Objective

→ Learn the importance of writing things out

→ Change mindset through journaling

→ Gather feedback from practices

Mental Game Checklist

Reflect Daily and Improve Your Golf Development

When Jason Day was asked how much time he spent working on his short game each day? He responded

 

Properly set Goals
Properly set Goals

with “Probably about 3 hours, but half of that time I am writing notes about what I was experiencing during that practice.” That is 90 minutes of journaling, reflecting on his short game practice, EVERY DAY! When you write things down, it speeds up your learning curve and your brain is able to absorb more information. We will cover more aspects of journaling and how it can benefit your game later in this program.

 

In 2016, I am making a conscious effort to sit alone for 15-20 minutes per day to gather my thoughts and reflect on what went well and what areas need improvement.

The best athletes in the world are constantly reflecting and adjusting their process to improve their long term development. With this online program, I will guide you through the different strategies and tools essential for becoming the best athlete or golfer you can be.

In tool 2, we discuss journaling. Journaling is not what most people think. Journaling allows a person to reflect on their thoughts. By writing it down, it reinforces the feelings and beliefs in your mind, which lead to a greater impact on your development.

 

Exercise 1:

For 15-20 minutes per day, I challenge you to:

  1. Find a quiet space where you will not be disturbed
  2. Bring a notebook and pen
  3. Sit for a few minutes and gather your thoughts from that day or the previous day.
    1. What went well
    2. What could be improved
    3. How would you of handled certain situations differently if you could have more time to prepare and do it all over again.

Tip: When doing this exercise all yourself time to think for a few minutes without distraction or writing.  Collect your thoughts. Then after 5 minutes or so just write down all the thoughts that are in your mind. You can go back and organize them for more clarity and structure.

 

Exercise 2:

A good tool we used with our players when coaching at Ohio State, was “Burning your goals”. To summarize this tool, it would have you as the player read one small article each day. At the end of the article it had you write out 15 things that went well that day.

Most players would say ” I can’t think of 15 things that went well today”. The beauty of this program is to start thinking with a positive outlook. We take many things in life for granted. For example, do you have good hearing? One positive thing that happened today is that you heard your phone alarm go off this morning to wake up. This may sound cheesy, but I promise you, by writing down 15 things that were positive each day, you will begin to change your mindset. It is the little things like this that will change your mindset for the longterm! Not just on the golf course, but in life.

What went well today: 

Write down on a note paper at the end of each day, that looks something like this:

  1. I was able to go to the golf course and practice for 2 hours
  2. I learned that by eating healthy, I was able to focus more while practicing.
  3. I have a nice vehicle that allowed me to get to the golf course
  4. I have a good support group that helps me pursue my dreams
  5. I am able to afford a golf coach that helps me improve my golf mechanics
  6. When I got home, my dog was really happy to see me. I am thankful I can afford to have a pet
  7. My girlfriend made me dinner
  8. I have great equipment that I use to pursue my golf goals
  9. I am able to afford this online program to help me fully develop as a golfer
  10. I am using a computer, which allows me to do my work on
  11. I have a gym membership, which allows me the opportunity to work on my fitness
  12. The roof over my head is very nice
  13. I was able to afford groceries at the store
  14. I put gas in my car today
  15. The clothes I wear are new and I feel comfortable at the course

I challenge you to do this for 90 days straight. As we move on through the program, you will get caught up with other journaling exercises, but this exercise should be done every day to change your mindset, which leads to confidence and positive thoughts!

 

Becoming the best golfer you can be is all about PROCESS. As you can see it is not rocket science. It is simple tactics and strategies that can be implemented consistently, which separate the average from the great. Add this to your daily PROCESS, and I guarantee you will speed up your golf development and improve your performance on the golf course!

Remember this article as you will be using it in all aspects of your journey to become a better golfer. In practice planning and preparation, involves writing down your practices so they have a purpose and lead to better results!

Next you will receive emails with post round review sheets to fill out and “what I learned today” worksheets to fill out after you practice.

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