Lucy Locket
By Lucy Locket

Whilst many people think the 5-second rule refers to restaurant food, it can also refer to a mental trick for dealing with bad shots on the course. In this video, Justin Rose explains the 5-second rule and how he uses it on Tour.

It's Easy To React To A Good Shot

When you hit a good shot, it makes you feel good, you walk talk and think positively moving forward. However, hit a bad shot and it can be harder to react to. Often players get down or dwell on what happened in the past. The key to the 5-second rule is dealing effectively with those bad shots.

The 5-Second Rule

The idea behind Justin's 5-second rule is to use the five seconds after each shot importantly. If you hit a bad shot, use the next five seconds to react effectively to that shot and then move on. Tell yourself that you are still going to save par, or that it was just "one bad swing", and move on.