How to be “Saskatchewan Confident”

PGA of Saskatchewan Professional Clinton Schmaltz Hosts Successful High Performance Workshop

 

Competitive Golf throughout Saskatchewan is off to an amazing start in 2020.

Clinton Schmaltz, PGA of Saskatchewan’s “2019 Teacher of the Year”, assembled a strong line-up of High Performance experts to educate some of Saskatchewan’s top golfers on performing better, on and off the golf course. The High Performance Workshop, hosted at The Willows Golf & Country Club in Saskatoon on Saturday, March 7th, featured local fitness and health professionals who tailored their presentations for the dedicated golfers in attendance. 

A key word in that last sentence….”local“.

One of the top takeaways from the Workshop was knowing that the experts were all local Saskatchewan residents, which means all attendees are now able to reach out to any of the four experts (five, including PGA of Saskatchewan Professional Clinton Schmaltz) for further, ongoing assistance. Having attended dozens of Golf Seminars over the years, I have to say it’s refreshing to see PGA of Canada Professionals utilize their local industry professionals when hosting events and seminars. 

Another great takeaway from the Workshop was during one of the final group discussions, led by Dr. Ryan Flett and Clinton, where the term “Saskatchewan Confident” was coined. More on that later.

What specific Workshop content made this seminar so great? For starters, the passion and enthusiasm by the local experts were second to none. Following are some of the main highlights from each of the 4 presentations;

 

“How Proper Sleep Helps You Perform Better”

Amanda Hudye / Sleepwell Consulting

Amanda had a busy week leading up to the Workshop and she looked as fresh as can be. Obviously she practices what she preaches! Proper sleep habits was one of the main topics she discussed, with some great insight into getting proper rest before, during and after golf tournaments;

• • Screen Time – Limit the amount of time spent on your mobile device before bed. Our mobile devices have the highest frequency of light, and can delay sleep up to 45 minutes.
  • Black Out your sleep environment in the bedroom – Amanda mentioned how she travels with some black tape that she uses to tape over television lights and to tape blinds shut. She recommends utilizing “white noise” or “brown noise” to drown out surrounding hotel noise.
  • Hot Shower – Taking a hot shower 60 – 90 minutes before bed assists in a better sleep. Especially the night before a big match, or 2 rounds in match play.
  • Sleeping on your back is the best position to get a good night’s sleep.
  • 1:00 to 3:00 pm is when your body is the most tired. If you are playing a round in the early afternoon, be sure to prepare yourself by properly fueling your body.

Learn more about Sleepwell Consulting – https://www.sleepwellconsulting.ca/

 

How to get Your Body up to Par

Jana Danielson / Lead Pilates

Jana’s presentation was an interactive hour, where participants learned some pre-round exercises that will assist in performing better on the golf course. Jana explained how the body can get misaligned due to repetitive movements, whether it be in the office or on the playing field. Using a “Pinky Ball”, all Workshop participants learned how to use the ball in their pre-round warmup. It’s tough to put into words how informative the exercises were, but believe me, they are effective!

As the owner of Lead Pilates, Jana has worked to create unique studio devoted to providing students with the latest trends in health and fitness, by individuals for individuals.

Learn more about Lead Pilates – https://leadpilates.com/

 

Eating for Performance

Carrie Verishagen / Registered Dietitian

Carrie is a competitive golfer dedicated to continually improving. Having participated in the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, she is able to apply her expertise in a unique way. While other golfers may be running low on energy during the later stages of a tournament, Carrie is able to maintain her energy and gain a competitive advantage. Some of her presentation highlights included;

• • Consuming carbohydrates are the most important for better golf performance. Eating whole wheat pasta, for example, the night before competitive rounds.
  • Water is crucial to optimum golf performance. 
  • Studies have shown that golfers in a “dehydrated state” have a 14% decrease in hitting distance.
  • 3 Stages to optimum golf – “Pre-Fuel”, “Maintain Hydration & Energy” and “Recover”.
  • Chocolate Milk is one of the best (and tastiest!) post-round beverages.
  • Leading up to a round of golf, having a meal rich in carbohydrates 3-4 hours before your tee time, and then some fresh fruit or nuts 1-2 hours before your tee time is ideal.
  • During your round, consume fruits / nuts / protein every 4-6 holes, along with water.
  • As rewarding as they are, alcoholic beverages can impair your golf performance up to 72 hours after consumption.
  • Caffeine, in low doses (and without adding sugar), 1 hour before training can be effective in improving overall energy. 

 

How to Train Yourself to Quiet the Negative Little Voice

Dr. Ryan Flett / Personal Best Solutions

2 hours of listening to Dr. Flett provided in the afternoon of the Workshop provided every golfer with at least one takeaway that they can immediately apply to their golf improvement. Dr. Flett’s presentation was a textbook example of how a local expert can utilize local samples and stories to fully engage their audience. 

I personally walked away with numerous pieces of information from Dr. Flett that will 100% improve my overall golf game….some of these include; 

• • Who is more anxious, you or a PGA Tour player on day 4 of the Masters? About the same. The overall difference in performance is how we “interpret” the anxious feelings.
  • What is a good / smart goal?  One that “gets you fired up” and “creates a process for you to get better”.
  • As soon as you are distracted on the golf course, focus on your breathing. Proper breathing is paramount to better performance on the golf course.  
  • A bad round or bad practice session can be the best mental training.
  • “Optimal Confidence Level” in competition is 7 – 8 on a scale of 10.
  • The term “MAC”. Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment. Plenty of discussion on how expectations impact motivation, emotions, focus and confidence. Dr. Flett recommends reading up on “M.A.C.”.

Learn more about Dr. Flett – https://cravensportservices.ca/wellness/mental-performance/

 

Wrapping up the amazing day of learning, there was an open discussion on “Saskatchewan Confident”. What exactly is Saskatchewan Confident? Well, this was the first I’ve heard the expression, and Clinton Schmaltz and Dr. Flett both used it, so I truly believe it to be a real thing.

Saskatchewan golfers, young and old, that represent the province in a national Golf Canada event often look back on their performance and attribute their sub-par results to various distractions. One of these distractions can be paying too much attention to what your fellow playing competitors are doing during the round. Your only responsibility when playing alongside your playing competitors is to accurately keep their score. Complimenting their ball flight, applauding their every birdie, or sand save, is always good etiquette, but at the same time can distract you from your own optimal performance. 

 

“Saskatchewan Confident” ~ Having 10 / 10 confidence in your shotmaking, and also being the nicest playing competitor”. 

 

There’s more to be written about this, but we’ll save that for the experts like Dr. Flett. In a nutshell, competitive golfers need to put in the required practice reps leading up to competitive rounds. They also need to plan and prepare for any possible distractions that may arise during their competition rounds, like focusing too much on that respected playing competitor you’re paired with. 

In summary, proper sleep habits, stretching, nutrition and mental training all play a vital role in performing your best in competition, and in life in general. 

Huge thanks to Clinton Schmaltz for the invite to attend the High Performance Workshop and for organizing the entire day. Also a big congrats to the 4 experts who did an outstanding job with their respective presentations. If you would like further information on the Workshop presenters, please contact scott@saskgolfer.com.

All the best for the 2020 competitive golf season!

Scott Allan / SaskGolfer

 

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Clinton Schmaltz is the Director of Instruction at The Willows Golf Club. He has been a Class A PGA of Canada Professional for 21 years and in 2019 was awarded the PGA of Saskatchewan “Teacher of the Year”.