Preshot Routine; Let's Hear it!

[dH]

Currently I have no routine at all I don't even like practice swings. I just go up there lineup and pull the trigger.

Anyone have a basic one they'd like to share. I'm not down for a 3 swing, triple check blah. It has to be quick but I do realize that I probably should have one!

Interested to hear what you do.

Regards,
Rob

[dH]

I need this partly for consistency but also to save my sanity. I play so quick I might as well spend some time w/ a preshot routine instead of just waiting for the group in front of me taking 10 practie swings; changing clubs hitting it 5 yards into a pond. Taking out there ball retriever and combing the pond for balls!

[jvincent]

Currently I have no routine at all I don't even like practice swings. I just go up there lineup and pull the trigger.

I suspect you'll find a lot of pros would suggest that this isn't a bad pre-shot routine.

I have basically the same one. I might throw in one, maybe two slow-mo practice swings if it's a funny lie.

[Ginker]

You can ask those who have played with me I play very quickly.. So I guess my preshot routine is to determine the club I want to hit (which I will have decided long before I get to the ball) Then I pick a target and go.. The only advatage I can see to a short routine is that you don't have time to think about 1000 things.. I figure I have hit enough golf shots that I don't need a bunch of swing thoughts before I pull the triger..

[el tigre]

Actually, I think most pros have a pre-shot routine that usually includes at least one practice swing. You just don't see it very often because it is not exactly riveting television viewing, so they'll cut to show you somebody else instead.

Once I've chosen my club and shot (which is usually done as I'm walking up to the ball), I ALWAYS stand behind my ball and pick out a spot 6-12 inches in front of my ball and on the target line to use for alignment. I like to have one and perhaps two practice swings to get a feel for my tempo, then I step up to the ball and go through my set-up.

My setup is very deliberate and always the same. Place the club behind the ball with the face aligned 90* to the target line, then set up my feet around my club parallel to the target line and take my grip and stance. Take a breath in and waggle the club a few times to ease the tension in my arms, exhale and lighten my grip a little and then pull the trigger.

I use the same routine for full swings, pitches and chipping. Even my putting routine is substantially the same but without the waggles.

IMHO it doesn't really matter what your pre-shot routine is - as long as you have one. You need to be confident, relaxed and tension-free when you swing, so do whatever works to get you there.

[hacker1]

agree with above post a preshot routine is a must for soild and consistant ball striking- when I vary it the reslut is hit and miss on the quality of the shot
here is mine
stand behind ball select spot 8-12 inches in front of ball for target line
take 1 practice swing
align club face
take stance
look at target then ball
repeat this twice relax
then swing
same as for putting
if i do on these i usually score well as well ( mid-low 70's)
when am into beer and routine changes shots rerally chang as well a sscore
dave

[The Saint]

Standing with my ball in front of me I take one easy tempo practice swing.
Go stand behind my ball to get my line.
Walk to my ball. Place the club behind the ball - take one more look at my target and pull the trigger.

[zoic]

I like to just walk up and hit it, but I do find that if I take a quick practice swing just to be sure my feet and path look like the correct line then I will hit the fairway more consistently. Nothing is more frustrating than crushing a big drive in the wrong direction because of misalignment. I make a point not to hesitate over the ball once lined up for fear I might actually think about the swing, which is my doom.

[leftylucas]

I think more than anything a routine gets me properly set-up and eliminates some of the errors that can result from poor alignment. It also becomes such a habit that I dont even notice that I do it. I am very comfortable and in a tense situation it calms me down because I am not thinking of the problem (water, hazard etc...) of the shot I am trying to pull off. My brother told me one day that I am like a robot with it. It also forces me to pick a target off the tee or the deck and before I can do that I set out a idea of what I want to be after the drive. It is a very subjective thing, some love it and some dont.

[fundonny]

Does praying count?

[leftylucas]

Never tried praying becuase it might look a little funny if I am on my knees every third shot!!

[Dunny]

Practice swings are overated

[leftylucas]

I agree fundonny but I like using the practice swing to kinda groove one particular motion I have difficulty with and it seems to help. Your right though, often the practice swing goes to sh#t once we put that little white ball in the way of the club.

[fundonny]

Dunny, not Donny Lefty.

[leftylucas]

Oops, now I cant spell or golf!

[BC MIST]

Anything that one does AUTOMATICALLY is part of your shot and that which is done before automatic is part of the PRESHOT routine.

Putting your hands on the club, taking your stance and swinging is what a golfer should do automatically or subconsciously. It is part of the shot execution. What you do consciously is preshot, ie., distance determination, wind consideration, club selection, flight of ball, aiming point, etc.. Therefore, planning the shot is preshot. Executing the shot is not.

The target is where you want the ball to end but if you think target, while you are setting up or swinging, it becomes a stress inducer, and reduces the chance of a good shot.

If you have to think about how you are gripping the club, where to play the ball, where to place your feet, etc., how can one peform well, consistently? We all know that the game is 90% mental and the rest of it is in your head. How can one play well while thinking about moving a particular part of your body in a perticular way? This is what you do in practice while "fixing" your swing or working on mechanics. You should not be fixing it while you play.

www.clearkeygolf.com

[moochie]

Funny story about practice swings. Everyone tells me how nice my practice swing is. Decided my last round of last season to apply the practice swing to my game. Shot the best round ever. Didn't hit the ball as far but was far more consistant.

Still don't use one though...

[Wknd_Warrior]

I'm pretty much a walk up and hit it guy. I don't beleive much in full fledged practice swings. I could stand to swish the club a bit more than I do to get a feel for the arc before I hit.

I like to pick marks in the grass at times to verify my setup when I'm over the ball.

[larry]

Usually I take 1 or 2 Ernie Els like practise swings, step up to the ball, try to remember the 5 different tips they suggested in last months Golf Digest, swing as hard as I can, fall back onto my right foot, and slice it way right. Works like charm.

[DaGuy]

I take a practice swing next to the ball to get a feel for my lie and the club I have in my hand, if something doesn't feel right I take another swing. I approach the ball, take a couple of looks at my target, do a little shimmy and shake. Then pull the trigger. I use that off the tee and my approach shots. Putting and chipping is a different story, I have no clue what I am doing then. Just swing when I feel like I have the best idea of what I am supposed to be doing.

[Wknd_Warrior]

That's the opposite of me, I take legitimate practise swings when I'm pitching and chipping to try and nail the weight I'm after.

[Darin_CS]

A good preshot routine is to stand behind the ball about 5-10 feet and line up to your target, take 1 practice swing just to get a feel for the club your using at that time. Then approach your ball from behind, quickly line up and then fire away. Make sure your watching your target as you approach your ball.

Its not a long routine and there is alot of good to it. If you ever watch Tiger's routine(or most pros for that matter), that is pretty much what he does. The 1 or two practice swings he does, all he is doing is trying to get a feel for the shot he wants to play. Then does it.

One mistake people make is try to work on their swing during their practice swings right before a shot. This hurts your confidence, you should work on your swing right after a poor shot when the mistake is fresh in your mind. This is also quicker because your playing partners are no longer waiting for you after you shoot (unless the odd case your still away). You will also see that this is what Tiger (and alot of pros do)

I don't think preshot routines are overrated at all. I dont rememebr who said it but it doesnt matter. As the round progresses, the way you swing changes. You get tired, pumped up etc. You should always take a practice swing to get a feel for it. If your really nervous about a shot or are really pumped up for a good last hole, 1 or two practice swings can also calm you down (along with a couple deep breaths)

Hope some of that helps

Cheers

Darin Amos