The professional golfers who compete on golf’s hallowed grounds are a rare breed—just .05 to .07 percent of all golfers. Most of them broke par before they could drive. Golf professionals are something else entirely. We play well, but not at the same level as professional golfers. What all professional golfers and golf professionals share is confidence. For some, the confidence is unassailable; for most, it is not easily shaken.

In my long journey to become a golf professional, one thing has become clear: Confidence is the result of meticulous training of the brain/body.

Professionals work on the clarity of their thinking as much as the mechanics of their swing. The place to initially develop strong thinking habits is on the range, and eventually in the pre-shot routine. According to Jack Nicklaus, every shot on the range must have a purpose. Golfers often get into a groove on the range, hitting rapid-fire flush shots, but that’s not how the GAME is played; there is almost always time between shots. Warming up on the range so your body can swing freely on the course is essential, but you must have intention behind it to develop confidence when you play. It is also essential to establish and practice your pre-shot routine on the range.

Professional golfers work at a specific pre-shot routine, and never deviate from it. The pre-shot routine is not only standing behind the ball in order to pick a target, it is considering all the relevant factors such as distance, wind, lie of the ball, temperature, and the player’s condition. What state are they in? Are they still thinking about the last shot, if so, put the last shot away and prepare for this shot. Whether the last shot was great or horrible, it’s gone. The brain produces chemicals called neurotransmitters in response to every shot that profoundly affect the body’s future performance capabilities. Without a pre-shot routine, these chemicals build up unchecked during the round and can cause problems as the round progresses by draining or jacking up energy. Either extreme will adversely affect performance.

Recently I watched a world-class player hit a shot. I could tell by his reaction that he was dissatisfied with it. When the camera came back to him as he was preparing to hit his next shot, there was no trace of his previous reaction. He had used his pre-shot routine to transform his body back to his ideal performance state. Using the brain to help the body return to a high performance level that engenders confidence is one way to think like a pro.