junior training
Staying Focused During the Round In this, the second of a three part series on managing competitive play, we learn about some of the keys to avoid late round fatigue
By Brad Schadewitz National Junior Coach
Your water consumption should be consistent throughout the round (Photo 2). If you feel thirsty you’re already becoming dehydrated. If it’s hot, make sure you have a drink on every tee at least. Even if it’s not too hot and you don’t think you’ve lost that much in the way of fluid, you should still take on water every hole. Watch any pro tournament and regardless of the temperatures, those guys are constantly keeping themselves hydrated. They’re pros for a reason. You might want to copy their swings, but you’ll do well to copy their on-course nutrition practices.
The Pro’s Final Thought
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o you ever feel tired late on in your round? Do you have a tendency to leak a few shots over the final few holes? In Hong Kong, the generally hot and humid conditions make adequate hydration and nutrition paramount – at any level of golf you play at. Whether it be a match with your buddies, a monthly medal or even if you’re playing at the UBS Hong Kong Open, ensuring your body is fully “fuelled” is crucial – and it also happens to be the easiest part of your game to manage. Whenever I go out and watch juniors play, I’m constantly amazed at the lack of food and water – your “fuel” – that is taken onboard. If you don’t replenish the loss of water and nutrients that you lose through sweating, you’re destined to lose energy – and therefore strokes. Depending on the time you tee off, it can be up to four hours since you had your last meal, so you need to be thinking about a snack by the 3rd or 4th hole. A banana, trail mix or “energy” bar is always a good option. Always avoid foods like candy bars, potato chip and hot dogs that are high in both fat and sugar. There are far better options available to you. Ideally, you want to take on nutrition every one and a half hours (Photo 1). As a result, your next snack should be taken by around the 10th or 11th hole. To keep you fully energized for the all-important final stretch of holes, eat again on the 15th tee. Losing a tournament because of a bad break is one thing; losing a tournament because you lost focus through a lack of energy is inexcusable. To reiterate: it’s the simplest thing you can control. 34
HK Golfer・Jan/Feb 2009
Every time you go to the course, regardless of the type of round you’re going to play, make sure you pack your bag with two pieces of fruit, two nutrition bars and a bottle of water, which you’ll need to refill throughout. Before a morning or afternoon tee time, make sure you have a balanced breakfast or lunch, and arrive at the first tee fully hydrated. Follow this simple formula and you’ll have much more energy during your round, which, crucially, will keep those wasted shots to a minimum.
2 www.hkga.com
www.hkga.com
HK Golfer・Jan/Feb 2009
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