The Mental Game Series Part 3 Trust Your Swing
Build a Routine That Makes Trust Automatic
Settle in. Let’s talk golf.
In Part 1, we talked about trusting your swing.
In Part 2, we talked about getting out of your head.
Now let’s make it practical.
Because trust doesn’t just appear.
It’s built.
And for me?
It started with a checklist.
The Idea That Changed My Approach
There’s an incredible book called The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande.
The premise is simple:
Even experts need systems.
Pilots use checklists.
Surgeons use checklists.
Engineers use checklists.
Not because they don’t know what to do.
But because pressure makes humans forget basics.
Golf is no different.
My Routine Isn’t Fancy
It’s simple.
It lives on my phone.
I look at it daily.
Not because I don’t know it.
But because repetition makes it automatic (muscle memory).
And automatic makes it trustworthy.
My Personal Trust-Your-Swing Checklist
Before a round – and sometimes before a range session – I run through this:
1. “I am a golfer.”
(Yes, like Happy Gilmore. And yes, it works.)
2. Grab the right club.
Give yourself buffer.
If my 5-iron carries 150, I take the 4.
Confidence loves margin.
3. Feet shoulder width.
4. Ball position correct for the club.
(Driver at left heel. Irons centered properly.)
5. Knees slightly bent.
Back straight.
6. Lower the club.
7. Stretch arms out.
Let triceps lightly touch the torso.
Elbows straight.
Arms in a natural “V.”
8. On the takeaway, allow a slight pull with the right hand/wrist to initiate hinge.
9. Deep breath.
10. “Slow… Pause…Swing…” on the backswing (the 3:1 ratio).
11. Visualize the arc.
12. Extend fully through impact.
13. Hold the finish.
Why This Works
When I follow this sequence:
• My speed becomes consistent
• My apex stabilizes
• My trajectory improves
• My contact tightens
Every time.
Not because I’m forcing it.
But because I removed randomness (check out the videos I selected for this).
This routine turns mechanics into muscle memory.
It turns nerves into structure.
It turns chaos into flow.
The Important Part
This checklist is not meant to run through while you’re frozen over the ball.
That’s panic.
This is built through repetition – before the round, at the range, and during practice swings.
By the time I step into the ball?
There’s only one thought:
Trust it.
The routine lives underneath.
Make It Yours
Your checklist does not need to look like mine.
It might include:
• One swing thought
• One tempo cue
• One breathing reset
• One alignment reminder
The goal isn’t perfection.
It’s familiarity.
When pressure shows up, you don’t rise to the occasion.
You fall back on your system.
Why This Makes Trust Easier
Trusting your swing is hard when it feels random.
Trusting your swing is easier when you’ve built it deliberately.
My checklist removes doubt before doubt starts.
And the more automatic it becomes…
The less thought-invoking the swing becomes.
That’s the goal.
The Next Shot
Your next shot doesn’t have to be perfect – just intentional.
Build your system. Then trust it.
Do you have a routine written down yet?
Or are you still hoping confidence just shows up?
Drop your system (or your struggle) in the comments – I’d love to hear it.
Real Talk. Play Better.
Effort builds results.
More on Trust Your Swing coming soon.
We’ll dig deeper into handling bad rounds, resetting mid-round, and separating identity from score in future posts.
