Have a Routine

As I got more into competitive golf as a kid, I realized that all of my hard work and practice also meant that I had more on the line in a pressure situation. Whether it was the Junior Club Championship or just a friendly match with a school teammate, I realized that I needed a crutch to lean on when I got nervous. My answer was the pre-shot routine. By having something else to focus on instead of the situation, I was crawling into a shell and less concerned about what was on the line.

The pre-shot routine in golf is simply the ritual you go through before you make a swing. Watch any player on TV, from the tee box to the green, and you’ll see the same motions every time before they hit the ball. It might be the number of practice swings, the way they walk up to the ball, or how many times they look at the target. The actions themselves are not important, but focusing on that routine is.

When you’re able to concentrate on the things within your control, everything else becomes a blur. Watch the NBA playoffs - every free throw shooter has one too. It’s a safety cocoon that even traders can enter to free themselves up to perform their best. For me, my trading routine involves doing my nightly homework and setting up my conditional orders the following morning. This gives me a feeling of being prepared, so that once I get the signal to place a trade, I’m able to do it without hesitation.

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Jeff White
President, The Stock Bandit, Inc.
www.TheStockBandit.com

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