Making the time to either look back or reflect on a past performance can have huge benefits for any golfer. Questioning and examining golf experiences or performances can help you learn from them and may enable you to deal with similar situations in the future far more effectively. This type of practice is called ‘self-reflection’.
What is Self-Reflection?
Learning from experience and working around aspects of your performance that need to be changed. Questioning your common routines, challenging your usual practices and asking why-type questions. This attitude or open-minded way of looking at things builds on your achievements, asking what went well and why, but it can also be critical, working constructively with the weaker sides of performance. Fifteen minutes of your time could be well spent on self-reflection!
Reflection is important to: Identify lessons learnt e.g. If I could live that experience again (a particular round, hole or practice session) what would I do differently? What would I repeat?
Inform practice sessions e.g. What area of my game (technically and/or mentally) is a priority to work on this week?
Enhance confidence e.g. By logging the experiences you are pleased with you are effectively creating a confidence library of good shots, positive experiences, achievements and so on that you can refer back to.
Example Practice Session Reflections:
Did I engage in a quality practice session today? Did I practice my long and short game? Did I spend enough time on my least favourite practice? Did I work on the weaker elements of my game? Did I spend enough time ingraining my pre-shot routine? Did I
think of new drills I could complete? Were the goals I set myself challenging
enough? What areas do I need to focus on in my next practice session? What did I do
particularly well today? What am I pleased with?
Example Competition Round Reflections:
If I could play that round again what would I do differently? Are there any decisions I
would change e.g. with regards to my course management? Did I let anything distract me e.g. a bad shot, my opponent? Did I effectively use my pre-shot routine? What was my thought control like today? Following that performance what part of my game should I focus on in my practice sessions next week? What do I need to work on? What decisions would I make again? If I could play that round again what would I do the same?
What was particularly good about that round? Which shots am I particularly
pleased with? It is important to challenge your decisions and create action plans that will help ensure that you do not make the same mistake twice! It is also essential that you build your confidence by placing emphasis on what you do well. Although it’s important to work on areas of weakness it is also important to acknowledge and remember the areas you are pleased with! It is recommended that you regularly record your selfreflections using a ‘Self-Reflection Grid´ similar to the one below.
