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  1. #1
    Hybrid jimmyc is on a distinguished road
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    Pre shot routines

    So I have never been a big advocate of practice swings. Mostly because I see people take too many and it really throws the pace of play off (not 1-2 but acting like a pro). So I had essentially trained myself to help pick up other players slow play by playing faster. My routine was, get distance - get line - swing.

    My game took on a case of the shanks last few rounds. So i had to try something. I took to taking practice swings until my tempo feels right. Shanks gone.

    Anyway curious as to other peoples pre shot routines and what I may be able to adopt to help me further.

  2. #2
    Golf Pig of the Year 09, 10, 11 Marcos is on a distinguished road Marcos's Avatar
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    Agree, routine is key to hitting good shots. I am the same as you and play really fast but i do lose tempo and my wife tells me to get back to swinging once and feel like i am Fred Couples when doing so. It works what can i say.

  3. #3
    Lob Wedge Billythe3rd is on a distinguished road
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    A couple years ago my brother pointed out that my feet were not aligned to my target and ever since I've been checking my aim by using the club to draw a line along the front of my feet to my target. It helps me make the small adjustments like wind, green roll and lie to get it just a little closer to the hole. Now that I've gotten a little better I don't really need to check it every time because I'm usually lined up straight but if I don't it sits in the back of my mind when I swing and I hit a bad shot.

    For me it's all about confidence. If I check my aim and take a practice swing to make sure my club is making contact with the ground where I want then I can just focus on taking a good swing without worrying about aim or contact. People will get annoyed at the speed for a while but once you lock down a routine that works for you, you can find ways to speed it up so it's not a problem.

  4. #4
    Sand Wedge retired is on a distinguished road
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    Since I started doing a routine 3 years ago my golf game has improved quite a bit, now need to take care of the smaller details

  5. #5
    Golf Pig of the Year 09, 10, 11 Marcos is on a distinguished road Marcos's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by retired View Post
    Since I started doing a routine 3 years ago my golf game has improved quite a bit, now need to take care of the smaller details
    Are you a member at Buckingham Retired?

  6. #6
    Posting Sensei justsomeguy is on a distinguished road
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    Quote Originally Posted by jimmyc View Post
    So I have never been a big advocate of practice swings. Mostly because I see people take too many and it really throws the pace of play off (not 1-2 but acting like a pro). So I had essentially trained myself to help pick up other players slow play by playing faster. My routine was, get distance - get line - swing.
    So the lesson is, don't play in reaction to other people's game - play your game.

    If your game is playing quick, then play quick. If you find that a good practice swing helps your game, then take a good practice swing. If your first practice swing sucks and you think you should take another one, then take another one.

    IMHO pace of play issues are 90% about what you are doing when you are NOT actually making a swing/stroke and 10% what you are doing when you are, so don't sweat the small stuff when it is your turn to play.
    Last edited by justsomeguy; 06-06-2016 at 08:43 PM.

  7. #7
    Forum Jedi golfisforfun is on a distinguished road
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    On my way to my ball I figure out yardage, wind, elevation etc etc as much as possible. I never take practice swings but I might lightly brush the grass the see the lie, thickness of rough and that kind of stuff but never a full or even half swing. I have always been a "feel" player and if I know things are slow I purposely wander around and delay getting to my ball or I get my club and yardage and go for a stroll so I am not standing at my ball waiting and THINKING about the shot... I think too many pre-shot routines involve too many swing thoughts!

  8. #8
    Hybrid jimmyc is on a distinguished road
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    totally agree. Sometimes I let it get to me if I am last to go. My own mental demon I need to lose. I am now looking at finding a routine that works but its not quite there. Was more looking for routines of others to see if there are any gems in there.

    My work in progress routine is to get behind ball. Pick my line and shot (full swing, half, punch etc). Step to the ball looking at the spot on ground I am using to keep my line. Take 1-2 practice swings to find the tempo or feel of the tempo I want. Look at target - look at ball - swing.

    Works way better than before my routine experiment but I think I am missing something. I am 7 years into this game, there are so many on here with decades of routines that I am hoping to poach.

  9. #9
    Postaholic downhillslider is on a distinguished road
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    My son took an 8 on 18 at Kanata on the 36th hole of the tournament.

    He 3 putted from 4 feet on 17 for a double and carried the mental baggage to the 18th tee. Big ugly slice in the rough, hacks it in to the greenside bunker left of the green, walks in and slaps it just out, 3 attempts at chipping within 12.76 seconds, 2putt 8, finishes 43 on the back, 40 front.

    He finished 5th, 3 strokes out of 4th and did not have a chance to win going in to the 2 round. He has 5 strokes of the lead going in to the final round

    My point is that had he taken some deep breathes when the wheels fell of and fall back to the comfort zone of his pre shot routine before each shot, he probably would have placed higher and I would not have had to deal with the fallout of his demise.

    Try to convince a 13 yr. old that he played awesome with 4 14 yr, olds ahead of him on the leader board.

  10. #10
    2 Iron luigicactus is on a distinguished road
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    I was never a big fan of pre shot routine and I tend to play really fast. My main issue is tempo and sometimes gripping to tight, I developed a pre-shot routine that allow me to breath, get a proper grip, good posture and proper positioning. Then hopefully I'm swinging in tempo. Now I haven't reach the stage of "zen master", but whenever I'm in that calm / focus state of mind I have my best streaks (for me 4 pars in a row is a good streak - then I find the sand lol).
    On a side note, I realised that pre-shot routine are also quite important when doing a fitting with the flightscope. Most of the "I will edit this one out" I get from Les lately are the result of me rushing to hit another ball skipping my pre-shot routine...

  11. #11
    Sand Wedge dq2003 is on a distinguished road
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    I don't mind a pre-shot routine if you can actually hit the ball and play a "good" game.
    The problem I have is with players taking 5-6 practice swings and only hitting the ball about 100 yards.
    Even if they took 10 practice swings, it wouldn't help.

    Personally, I just get to my ball, line up and hit.

    I shoot in the mid 80s to mid 90s.

    (Maybe I would play better if I did take practice swings .... )

  12. #12
    Golf Pig of the Year 09, 10, 11 Marcos is on a distinguished road Marcos's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dq2003 View Post
    I don't mind a pre-shot routine if you can actually hit the ball and play a "good" game.
    The problem I have is with players taking 5-6 practice swings and only hitting the ball about 100 yards.
    Even if they took 10 practice swings, it wouldn't help.

    Personally, I just get to my ball, line up and hit.

    I shoot in the mid 80s to mid 90s.

    (Maybe I would play better if I did take practice swings .... )
    Not really. Short game is the only way to get better at this game.

  13. #13
    Postmaster General big mac is on a distinguished road big mac's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marcos View Post
    Agree, routine is key to hitting good shots. I am the same as you and play really fast but i do lose tempo and my wife tells me to get back to swinging once and feel like i am Fred Couples when doing so. It works what can i say.
    Don't you just love it when your wife is teaching you how to play golf ?????
    Does the 2nd hole-n-one come easier ?

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