Staying Focused During the Round

Do 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.

Written by Brad Schadewitz

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