After all this practice, where do we want to end up?
In learning, there's a model of stages:
1) Unconsciously incompetent
to
2) Consciously incompetent
to
3) Consciously competent
to
4) Unconsciously competent
As a top athlete who needs to call upon the right reflex within a split second, stage 4 is probably where you want to end up and what you train for. Trigger => fail-free, effective reflex.
Or for daily routines for which you decide not to spend limited brain energy on.
I've tormented myself quite a bit about this, knowing that too much thinking e.g. in matchplay has usually been counterproductive. That e.g. coaches tend to underperform there since they don't "just play".
Eventually, I've come to the conclusion that my personal goal and challenge is to end up and do well in #3. If there's a trade-off, I'd rather want to know, observe, and consciously influence what's going on. Be quick with that.
This reminds me a bit of the System 1 / System 2 model in Thinking, Fast and Slow, where System 1 is the automated part and System 2 the more deliberate. So maybe an evolutionary step can be to have a quick, consciously turned on part of System 2?
While I'll try to get there, I'm OK with maybe losing some more points and matches. And saving mental energy elsewhere.
To paraphrase Sadhguru, consciousness is an evolutionary gift that separates humans from other beings. So let's maybe view automation as a tool and option, and not something we can't opt out of once acquired.
I'd really hate having played the match of my life, and not remembering any of it :P