Look, I know none of you are really sleeping well before early Saturday tee times with your family and friends. You all just lay there in bed, in the dark, and stare at not a thing, but at the space-less swing thoughts that float around in the nether world between the depth of your brain and the ceiling above you. Not just swing thoughts, no, but golf la-la land scenarios, like having no tees on the first tee box, or forgetting your golf shoes and you have to play in socks and sandals.

I’ve been there, and sometimes I still go there, but I’ve definitely been there. However, I believe I have found a solution to all of our troubles. I’m serious, this works.

Okay. Before I get into my procedure, there are some things to consider. This is likely one of the highlights of your week, and it could be a determining factor on how well your weekend will go. This puts pressure on yourself, and THAT’S OKAY. It’s okay to put some pressure on yourself to perform well. It’s a natural thing. What’s not okay is creating an unrealistic scenario in your head, which is also likely unachievable. People can only take so much pressure before they crumble, so we need to eliminate variables of non-golf related pressure before we even start. This things are a bit subjective, but let’s list a few:

1. Make sure all of your golf equipment is ready to go.
   • Put your golf shoes in your vehicle the night before
   • Make sure you know what you have in your golf bag, have it near the door/garage/vehicle so that you are not rushing in the morning.
   • Clean your clubs. There are a million reasons to do this, but if this genuinely doesn’t effect you, then why add another worry to the list.
   • Have an attire picked out and set aside.
2. If you have a partner/spouse, do something thoughtful for them the night before (even if they are joining you for golf!).
   • Give them a massage, or cook. Do the dishes. Watch a movie with them.
   • Be romantic. When you think about them on the golf course, and you will, this helps to leave a positive mark on that thought. You love them after all, but you need to express it thoughtfully.
3. Solve as many personal issues as you can. We all have them, some of us more than others. Clearly, this is easier said than done, and it’s not easy, but it is necessary. You don’t need to solve them all today, but you will feel like the path begins to open up for you when you solve one. We can simply start by getting to bed at a reasonable time!

You’ll notice that when you start to tackle many of these variables, you start to feel a bit exhausted, yet in a positive way. This is a key ingredient into my sleepytime serum.

Once we finally get to bed, you may still find your mind racing with swashing colors of excitement, anxiety, golf clubs, and green greens. We need to be organized here as well. Everyone in the realm knows the counting sheep method of falling asleep, and you could say this is the golf version, but there is a bit more to it.

One: People say “Clear your mind…” but that is a crock of shit, at least for myself. I cannot simply think about nothing, and I’m guessing many of you have the same issue. What we need to think about instead is displacement. Think of soap in a glass. Eventually, if you fill enough water into the glass and let it overflow, the soap will dissipate. We will displace all of our thoughts by deliberately creating a new environment: a golf course.

Two: Once you embrace this idea, you need to begin playing a round in your head. This is where the counting sheep similarities come into play. Imagine the first hole. It can be the course you play tomorrow, or another course, but whatever has the most detail. The more detail, the more displacement. Now imagine your first shot. What club am I using? How far will this go? What kind of shot shape will it be? Again, emphasis on detail with every shot you take.

Three: You wake up. Honestly, I can never get past a hole or two before I slip into the dreamy wasteland of whatever. Your already exhausted mind will begin to get overworked due to the forced repetitiveness, and fall asleep. We had already set this up for success when we marginalized many of the other worrisome thoughts that sneak into bed with us.

A good nights sleep does wonders for the mind and body, which you need both of to play quality golf. Maybe this method works for you, maybe you have your own (please share below!) or maybe it just doesn’t. Sleep can be tricky, I’m just happy to share what works for me.