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While most Americans relax with friends and family today to celebrate the Fourth of July, JT Poston is preparing to defend his title at the John Deere Classic this week.
Poston, who won last year’s championship by three strokes at age 21, knows that in order to repeat, he’ll need to stick to his regular routine—even if that means putting in a little work during the week off.
He said, “I’m going to try not to put too much pressure on myself and just go out and perform like I usually try.” “I don’t think there will be any kind of different game plan for this week; other than looking forward to coming back.”
so what He is Poston’s game plan coming in a week? Despite his knowledge of the course (TPC Deere Run), the 30-year-old says he will follow his usual pre-tournament routine – which helps him avoid any surprises on the golf course.
“We usually get into town either Sunday night or Monday morning, and prep starts kind of right away,” he says. “You’re trying to get a feel for the golf course and how it plays.
Is he resolute? Is it fast? Is it softer? We are used to green speeds and things like that, and see if there are some new tees that might have been added since we were here in the past.”
Poston admits he’s seen a lot of courses before, “so there aren’t usually many surprises; other than maybe the occasional new tee here or there.” However, he participates in as many rounds as possible before the tournament. By doing this, he is able to mentally shut down, and understand what it takes to win a given week.
“So my approach is kind of practice and work on what I know I need to work on during the week, then run nine holes on Tuesday and then nine holes in the pro on Wednesday,” he said. “That’s just kind of how I act most weeks.”
This is a great tip for hobbyists to follow.
While most of us often play the same training sessions, it’s important to maintain a training routine that allows you to gain confidence before you go – and to develop a game plan that will help you perform at your best.
Once an amateur gets a feel for the golf course and how their game fits into the yardage, pin locations and conditions, they can develop the right strategy, revealing how aggressive or conservative they are.
This is something Poston will do before the John Deere Classic kicks off this week, knowing it will require low points to defend his title.
“You know going through the week is what it takes to win some golf courses,” he says. John Deere, for example, usually has a lot of birdies, so you really want to be good with the bat. You want to hit as many fairways as possible and be sharp with your scoring clubs.
“You kind of attack every week depending on the track and the kind of way you play.”