Mental Game

Pre-Shot Routine

A repeatable routine that quiets the mind.

Why it matters

A routine is a sequence you run so that pressure has nothing left to change. Under stress the gap between deciding and throwing stretches, the tempo quickens, and a shot you have made a thousand times comes out differently. The routine is the same on hole 1 and hole 18, which is the entire point of having one.

How to do it

Decide everything behind your lie: the line, the disc, the power, the landing spot.
Rehearse the shot once, at the pace you will actually throw it.
Step in the same way every time, same foot first, same stance.
Take one breath out.
Throw. No pause between the rehearsal and the shot, because that pause is where the tempo goes.
Hold the finish until the disc lands, then step away.

Common mistakes

Only using it on shots that feel important.Use it on every throw including tap-ins. A routine you have never run under pressure is not a routine, it is an intention.

Rehearsing at a different speed from the real throw.A gentle practice motion before a hard throw rehearses the wrong shot. Match the pace.

Re-deciding once you are in your stance.Step all the way off and start again from behind the lie. Deciding twice is how both the line and the tempo go.

Letting the routine get longer when you are nervous.Count it. The number of rehearsals is fixed, and knowing the number is what stops it creeping.

Key points

Pick your line before you step to the tee.
One practice motion, then commit.
Same routine on hole 1 and hole 18.

The drill

Drill · Every single throw — 1 full round with the routine on all 18 holes, tap-ins included. One round, no exceptions, the full routine on every throw however trivial. It will feel pedantic for the first few holes. By hole 18 it will be automatic, and that is the state you want it in before it matters.

Watch: Quick Tip - the Mental Game with Cole Redalen — Infinite Discs