How do you prepare?

Here's the scenario.  You have a big comp coming up, say one of the board comps at your club (or even the N vS!).  You want to be at your best and play as well as you can.  How do you get ready for the comp?  Do you do anything different or do you just roll up and see how it goes?

If you do prepare, when do you start?  The day before? A week?  A month even for a real biggie?  And what do you do?  A practice regime?  Play the course in advance?  Yoga?

Interested to see the different approaches and views

Chris, good question!

I have to say that in my experience my performance on any particular day seems to have very little to do with my preparation.  When I do make a special effort for a particular comp the outcome often seems to be worse!

I'm not proud to admit this but some of my best rounds have come after a 'heavy' session the night before.  I know it's not right but that seems to be the way it is!

Last year my best scores seem to come along when least expected and when my expectations weren't great.

Does anybody else find that their performance is almost random and not based on practice/preparation?

Richard

I prepare for every round the same.

A few practice swings or shots to wake the body up and half an hour on the putting green to get the speed of the day.

TheLyth

I jump out of the car, get to the first tee on time, couple of swings with 2 clubs, then ready to go.

This worked OK until I lost my body, now, no matter what I do it takes half a dozen holes to get limbered up, but then the result is really of no consequence now, just the taking part is good enough for me.

Couple of cups of coffee and a ciggy, two if it's a big competition!  Obviously that doesn't compare to Chris's warm up, which consists of running onto the tee 2 minutes before time discarding his suit like Superman shouting 'sorry, I got held up'...

Few putts on the putting green, some swings with 2 clubs in my hands and an amount of coffee/Red Bull which is determined by the amount of alcohol the previous night....

I like to get to the course at least an hour and a half before the start.

Have brekkers, go on the practice range, do a bit of putting, have a look in the pro-shop, have a couple oif beers and from there on it's anybody's guess.

In my younger days I used to walk the course the day or evening before . Now I'm an old fart it doesn't really matter what the score is, it's the fun to be had and the spirit of the game. A good day out without stress except for the 'blasted bunkers', impossible rough, greens too fast, ground too wet or dry, too windy, sun in my eyes, fairways too narrow, trees in the way, blah, blah, blah.

Really looking forward to the 26th. ha ha

2 bottles of wine and some spicy food the night before.  Hot shower, several repetitions of ...I will not drink again before a game. Get out there and storm it and do it all again next week.

Tim,

ive seen that episode a few times but with the inclusion of him holding a maccys saying I didn't have time for lunch!

i prefer to spend more time on the putting green before a comp to get the speed of the day, then swing gently with a coup,e of clubs. Then step up, grip it & rip it & enjoy the company of my playing partners.

Usually two pints of Guinness, and occasionally with a full Monty breakfast. Empty the bladder then go to the 1st tee. A few putts and chips. A couple of practice swings then SMACK!

Sorry Brian, I read that as 'A few pints and chips'  thinking more beer and food!

Do you inject or smoke the heroin Brian?

Tim, not on my backswing!

Darren, if its food or drink I'll give it a go.

Then What Fie?

Tee off first, tee off first, tee off first, that's 5 shots to start with. ha ha

I try do the same when ever I play, I hit about 25 or so balls on the range, tend to be a bit stiff in the back these days so it helps to loosen up, a few putts and then off to the first tee. l learnt a long time ago that if I changed my routine I would put pressure on myself to play well and would generally play worse,  if you practise all the time then carry on, but if you don't,  then don't change, it will just make your mindset different and you will probably play worse, Basically get up to the tee and hit the ball to a target and then do it again and so on until you finished your round, If I think like that it doesn't matter what event I am playing its just another day on the golf course.

Even if I've been on the sauce the night before, i'll always try and wake up a few hours before a round, even if it's 4am in summer for a 6am tee off. Hearty breakfast and a few coffees then at the club, 10mins stretching/loosening up, hit a few balls, practice a few putts then away we go.