Pre - shot routine

[BrianM]

Just listening to Bob Rotella, golf is not a game of perfect.

A lot of things ring true for me, I absolutely beat myself up if I hit a bad shot and normally plays on my mind for the rest of the round, I’ve always been a thinker..

He says all the best players have a pre shot routine, it’s not something I’ve really thought about in great detail, but I think it’s something I should do to forget swing thoughts.

I’ve only played a handful of decent rounds in the last year due to swing thoughts and trying to ‘fix’ every bad shot.

What’s your pre shot routine and why, does it give you confidence before hitting the shot?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

If I remember him correctly doesn't he call the pre-shot routine something like your rod and staff and it's something you should be able to do the same (almost to the second) every time. Like you I am a thinker (and when I practice a tinkerer - too much so) but I do find I play better when I stick to my routine. I had 35 points on Sunday and was working on a certain swing thought and that was all I thought of. One practice swing to feel what I thinking about, stand behind the ball and pick my target and go in, set up and fire. The bad shots I hit I immediately thought "I didn't stick to the routine" so there seems to be some correlation

 

[backwoodsman]

Does "taking a club out of the bag" count?

 

[larmen]

I recently switched my routine. It was always about finding my positions on a slow back swing, now I concentrate on the impact position, having the shaft and face look good there as well as the body turned. For the driver I also have a couple of fast swing throughs before stepping into position. It improved my golf a lot.

I don't think there is a right or wrong routine, but this one sets me up for the shot and I feel confident.

 

[Crow]

I've never managed to stick to a pre-shot routine.

Try as I might I can't even incorporate a waggle of some sort, I've been trying to develop a Sam Snead hip shimmy but it's not happening.

 

[BrianM]

I've never managed to stick to a pre-shot routine.

Try as I might I can't even incorporate a waggle of some sort, I've been trying to develop a Sam Snead hip shimmy but it's not happening.

This is his point, most amateur golfers don’t have one or forget it / get out of the habit.

I’m not a great golfer but would like to get round in respectable fashion more often ??

 

[BrianM]

Swig beer ?, munch on bacon sarnie, look around aimlessly at the trees, whack the ball.

And repeat...

I really wish I could have a mindset like this, I look into things far too much ??

 

[Imurg]

Get yardage
Pick club
Line up
Swing....drop a provisional.......

 

[Eagle2]

Never (Consciously) had one but in an effort to become more consistent have been working on it.

The biggest thing for me at the moment is the feeling of a smooth shortened swing and it has helped massively... I am near enough in play every hole and you can guarantee when I am not I haven’t done the above correctly.

I am trying to groove in
1 - look for the line
2 - practice swing (making sure it’s short and smooth)
3 - line up behind (drawing a line from the spot and finding something a ft or so away to line up against)
4 - make sure I hit the ball like that practice swing

All done in about 10 or so seconds... weirdly shorter than before I had a routine as I feel prepared and don’t get that uncomfortable tense feeling stood over the shot.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I suspect I have one but not really done on purpose and it starts just after hitting the last ball.

Under my skin, I am releasing all the bad feelings of the last shot as it is pants, release the anger and annoyance. Let it go, let it go, let it go. curse loads, want to punch something, want to snap the club, let it go, let it go, let it go.

When walking I am looking around relaxing, cursing some more under my breath, looking at the next shot and deciding what to do before I get to the ball.

Then get yardage, take a look at the shot, picture it in the head, addressed the ball (probably a few wiggles of the bum or like, pass), talk to myself, think about the shot for a second or two and then swing as fast as I can and still hit the ball, and swing to the target and finish swing.

Then pray for a gooden or repeat all of cursing above and repeat.

The other way I have a pre shot routine, is all the above, but just switch off and relax and just swing the club. No target, no bothering about what shot I am going to hit, nothing, swing with a blank mind and don't care about the result. Surprising how well you can play, just swinging a club with free abandonment tbh and there is something carefree and liberating about playing a round like that and not caring if the ball sails off into the OOB field or trees

Best of luck.

 

[BrianM]

I’ve got a round later and tomorrow morning, I’m really going to try and do this to hopefully work on the mental side.

Yardage, pick a club, practice swing, get a target, alignment then hit the ball, I like to play quite fast as I seem to play better...

 

[DeanoMK]

The pre-shot routine is not necessarily about waggles or anything.

For me this is mine:

Check the yardage.
Check the lie.
Decide on the type of shot I want and where I want to end up.
Pick the club.
Stand behind the ball picture the shot and the line I'm taking.
Choose a point about a foot or two in front of the ball that is on the line I'm on.
Address the ball lining up to the point I've picked.
Look at the target.
Swing.

Sounds long winded but this genuinely can be done within 30-45 seconds. Once I've addressed the ball I would say that I'm hitting easily within 10 seconds.

 

[Orikoru]

I have a pre-shot routine of sorts, but I never consciously created one. I just end up doing the same thing every time anyway. I get my yardage as I arrive at the ball (either GPS to the green/lay-up location or rangefinder for the flag if closer in). Pick a club based on that and the wind/elevation if necessary. I stand a couple of yards behind the ball to get my line of where I want to align/aim. Then I move towards the ball, take one practise swing alongside it, then address the ball and hit it. As I say, it's simple and not really a conscious thing, but I do all those things every time.

I wouldn't want to add anything to that for the sake of it and risk it taking long or having too much over-thought. Too much time and it will have a negative impact in my opinion.

 

[patricks148]

i don't have one, just can't bring myself to do anything but just walk to the ball and hit it. Martin has been trying to get me to take my time more and have one. but i don't seem to ba able to do it.

 

[timd77]

I’m trying to get a consistent one going, something like:

1. Assess the shot required (lie, distance, trouble etc)
2. Little steady practice swing
3. Pick spot ahead of ball for line
4. Line up club
5. Get stance sorted
6. Waggle the club
7. Think ‘let the club do the work’
8. Hit ball
9. Shout fore and realise I forgot to let the club do the work!

 

[BrianM]

I have a pre-shot routine of sorts, but I never consciously created one. I just end up doing the same thing every time anyway. I get my yardage as I arrive at the ball (either GPS to the green/lay-up location or rangefinder for the flag if closer in). Pick a club based on that and the wind/elevation if necessary. I stand a couple of yards behind the ball to get my line of where I want to align/aim. Then I move towards the ball, take one practise swing alongside it, then address the ball and hit it. As I say, it's simple and not really a conscious thing, but I do all those things every time.

I wouldn't want to add anything to that for the sake of it and risk it taking long or having too much over-thought. Too much time and it will have a negative impact in my opinion.

Agreed about having too much time being negative, i've always played my best when not thinking about it and just getting on with it.

 

[BrianM]

i don't have one, just can't bring myself to do anything but just walk to the ball and hit it. Martin has been trying to get me to take my time more and have one. but i don't seem to ba able to do it.

Its not done you too bad so far ??

 

[Deleted member 16999]

One thing I’ve noticed with Pro’s, Top Amatuers and virtually all scratch Golfers is that they won’t play a routine shot until they are ready.

Some will have an extensive routine, some a lot less, but none of them will play a shot (even with the putter) without taking a practise swing.

How many of us just walk up, Club down behind the ball and expect to hit the perfect shot.

I often start off trying to impliment a routine, but then slip in to walking up and just hitting the next shot, no issue when it works, but I know what I blame when it doesn’t.

 

[Orikoru]

I actually couldn't just walk straight up to my ball and hit it immediately, would cause me almost OCD-like anxiety. I have to have a little practise swing next to the ball or it just feels wrong.

 

[slowhand]

I need to get myself a proper pre-shot routine and commit to it. A lot of the time I feel like if I do something before playing the shot, then I'm contributing to slow play, so I end up rushing it and hitting a bad shot