Preparing Students for Championship Tournament Play

By Matt Kilgariff • Director of Player Development

Like clockwork … after the stroke play club championship I hear about the collapses and drama that occurred over the stressful week of play. Then, I am typically asked a question such as, “How could I shoot 72 one day and 90 the next?” My answer, “Tournament golf is different and difficult. Unlike casual play, it is pressure filled and every shot counts … even two footers!”

So, my goal with casual golfers and weekend warriors is to get them “tournament tough” by teaching them the art of playing without fear. Since more than 70% of shots come from within 100 yards, we start there with the low-hanging fruit. I give my students drills to “quantify their practices” which helps them experience and measure progress and begin to build confidence.

Utilizing drills is a terrific way to instruct your students by replicating pressure they may face on the golf course in tournament rounds. The goal is to strive for improvement over the previous session. Check out the book Every Shot Counts, by Mark Brody. It is a great resource for many quantifiable practice drills. The drill examples show golfers how they rate compared to tour players and other golfers with differing handicaps.

Preparing my “regular students” for tournament play is a bit easier. I know what their “game play” tendencies are and what to help with to make them better prepared for tournament play. When working with them on the course, I try to get their mind off mechanical thoughts and redirect them toward visualization of the shots we want to execute.

Most players when preparing for tournaments get in their heads … thinking only about results. This leads to fear. Help them alleviate fear by creating a sound process. Their routine should include a system to manage themselves and their game.

Vision54 has a unique and holistic approach to create SuperGolfers that includes nine key concepts.

I personally find two of the concepts, Think Box and Play Box especially useful when working with students prepping for tournament play. Think Box is the mental side of the practice swing. It is an internal feel and thought about movement based on technique and being 100% committed to the decision for every shot. Play Box is vastly different than Think Box. Once a player enters the Play Box, things become external, and the player must be 100% present with every shot. Consider it “go time.”

As a teacher, make yourself more available to your students leading up to big events. Get them out on the course. Help them create and refine their processes. Coach them on their routine, visualizing shots, and execution. Do what it takes to boost their confidence.

Tiger Woods shared that he plays in pictures. His last look at the target is a snapshot of what the ball is going to do … then he executes the shot. Therefore, he does not “think” about how he is going to do it, he just makes it happen. His process is everything.

Ask your student to keep mental scorecards of their process. Did they commit to it every time? Reiterate that if they go from a result-oriented mindset to a process mindset, their shot quality and scores will improve.

Hope this helps. Good luck to you and all of your players.

To learn more about Every Shot Counts, check out: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/every-shotcounts-mark-broadie/1116243502

To learn more about Vision54, check out: https:// www.vision54.com/about-vision54

Matt Kilgariff is a PGA professional who spent much of his career working for Butch Harmon and the Harmon Family. He is currently the Director of Player Development at The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. Prior to joining The Bridges, Kilgariff was Director of Player Development at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. Matt has also been part of TaylorMade’s National Advisory Staff since 2012.