Pre Shot Routine

[lowndes]

I have been reading and hearing a lot about pre shot routines and how it is one thing that is holding a lot of amateurs back in that they don't have a consistent one for every shot. So basically I've been analyzing what I do to see how I can improve in this area.

 

My current pre shot routine consists of getting my distance, figuring out what club to hit, standing behind the ball and spinning my club a few times envisioning the shot, then grip the club, walk to ball and get aligned and hit it.

 

Now I've been reading that everybody advises taking practice swings or a practice swing as part of the pre shot routine. I've been trying to incorporate this into my routine and am really struggling with it as it feels really unnatural.

 

So now to my question. How important do you think a practice swing is in a sound pre shot routine? Is this something worth battling through until it is natural?

 

Sometimes I feel that I struggle to slow down enough to really focus on the practice swing as I like to golf pretty fast.

 

Thanks

[buckeyefl]

Who is everybody? If you aren't taking a practice swing now then why change it? Your per shot should be yours and its power is in the repetition not the specifics of what you do.

[stagalog]

Have never incorporated a practice swing into my pre-shot routine. As long as whatever you're doing is consistent I think you're just fine.

[Hstead]

I have worked on "pre-shot" routines for years and after reading Pia Nilsons book I finally have one that works. Pia is Annika Sorenstams coach.

I think the biggest mistake I used to make was thinking that the pre-shot routine was some sort of sequenced movements, or a series of steps etc. before the shot that you do every time. I have changed my process now, and instead of using a "ritual of movements" I have made my pre-shot routine all about my mind and very little about body movements etc.

Pia recommends having an imaginary line between you and the ball. She calls the two areas the "think box" and "play box" on each side of the line, kind of like a batters box. In the think box, you analyze the lie, check the wind, elevation, club selection, shot shape etc, all of the analytical "right side of the brain" part, but once you cross the line, you have the exact same timing on pulling the trigger with complete confidence and complete relaxation focusing on the target.

So I have gone from this series and sequence of movements, to now understanding how to get my mind from picking the shot to focusing on the target with confidence. It has really helped me understand what a pre-shot really should be and how it can really help you play better. I highly recommend her book.

[golfdude300]

I think a practice swing can be very important especially if you're trying to escape some sort of trouble and pull off a difficult shot. Maybe you want to flight it low under or in between trees, intentionally hook or slice, or face with difficult lie around the green, etc. From the tee or the fairway a practice swing can certainly help to establish the feel of the club.

[h71y6]

I like the idea of a think box and play box. Very interesting.

Funny, i just broke 90 for the first time last weekend (Sunday) and it only took one range session (100 balls) with a pre-shot routine change on Friday.
I'm fully confident a few more weeks with this routine, i'll be in mid to low 80s.

I never thought that a proper pre-shot routine and mental process was so important. I'm always a tinkerer (i can change swings in a blink of an eye and i've never had ONE swing) and was obsessed with mechanics.

Last weekend, i finally broke down and admitted to myself that all my analytical powers and methodical thinking of the swing, coupled with my endless education of golf material and theories, hasn't really brought me the improvements i was after.

So i said screw this. I'm going to follow what most tour pros do.
1. Standing behind the ball, look at the line, practice swings then... walk around to the ball and SET and GO!
2. Tour pros already hit the ball by the time my backswing was finished. So now when i GO, i GO... FAST. Not jerky but not hesitant. Low and slow backswing is a killer for me.

That's it! All it took for me to break 90.

[Guia]

Up to you about a practice swing. Some need it to get the feel they want, some don't care. The important thing is that you do the same routine every time before the shot.

[dlam]

For my preshot routine the important thing is deciding wether to align my eyes to the ball first then target or target then the ball. Once I got that decided the rest is easy
I dont take practice strokes /swings all the time only on the ones I want to hook/slice. The practice strokes help me finalize my grip and tempo

[Yrrdead]

For me a routine doesn't matter until it does. By that I mean it probably isn't that important until the pressure is really on, this is when having a solid routine helps get your brain in the "execute groove". Everyone's preshot is going to be a bit different but I do believe it is important to be consistent. Personally I don't take that many, if any , practice swings except on some type of tricky low percentage wedge shot that I shouldn't be attempting in the first place.

[MonteScheinblum]

Don't listen to what "everybody" says.

The worst golf instruction usually starts with "everybody says."

Preshot routine is about not thinking and calming yourself. Over wise it's this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct3BADrb6Bo&sns=em

[Soloman1]

Most minitour guys years ago had this pre-shot routine on the first tee:

Put the coffee cup behind you.
Throw cigarette on the ground near coffee cup because they go together.
Make sure the Tour Balata 100 was in reasonable shape. Grumble the number so everyone knows.
Try to have right golf shoe on. Having them tied up is a bonus, but it's not a deal breaker. Hit it anyway.
Dig a glove out of the bag for the next shot.
Hit it as long as you could so you had time to put on other shoe and finish your breakfast of caffeine and nicotine.

That was about it, as far as I remember.

[dlam]

One important part of my routine is making sure that for shots that I like to look at the target first before the ball is to keep my dominant eye in front of the ball prior to address then I do some type maneuver to set up my dominant eye behind the ball. Currently it's been the two step

With the flat stick i find it easier to align with my eyes behind the ball and target first

[hankmoody]

^^^ lol Monte...

[lowndes]

[quote name='MonteScheinblum' timestamp='1392621591' post='8684815']
Don't listen to what "everybody" says.

The worst golf instruction usually starts with "everybody says."

Preshot routine is about not thinking and calming yourself. Over wise it's this...

[media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct3BADrb6Bo&sns=em[/media]
[/quote]

That was great! And thanks for all the replies. I shouldn't have said everybody in my first post I should have said the vast majority of what I read. Glad to see the advice given here. My preshot routine could definitely use some work but I'm going to chalk the practice swing up as something that just doesn't work with my routine.

Thanks again!