Pre-Shot routine

[Borf]

I believe this is one of the most important things while playing the game.
I now want to walk through my own, please feel free to share your own!


Once I have a club in hand, I will stand behind the ball pick my target.
Take 3 steps, set up, look at target, take practice swing.
Address the ball, get clubface in correct position for target, take one last look at target, let it go.

To summarize:
Stand behind ball, choose target.
Take practice swing as thought it was the real shot, then address the ball.
Look at target, swing.

[Sandy Sammy]

Relax the left arm completely at address.

Flick wrist back three times.

[Beantown Beancounter]

stand behind ball and take practice swing as I pick out target
step up to ball and take one more practice swing
address
swing away...

[firstcut]

Last week I had to be on a concall during my round. (Yes, I was one of those jackasses for 1/4 round ) I really just had to listen so I wasn't interrupting anyone. I forgot to bring my ear buds. My pre-shot warm up and hitting consisted of;

Listen to last thing said.
Drop phone.
Hit.
Pick up phone.

It was the best 4 holes I'd had in 12 months.

[Dub]

Borf....I like everything about your preshot routine....but you're standing on the wrong side of the ball.


Seriously...I like to:

1. tee my ball or stand beside it (approaches) and check the shot stance.
2. walk back several steps and examine my target
3. pick my line
4. practice swing while looking at my target
5. walk up to my ball and set squarely to my line
6. grip club in air holding the club at an angle upwards and then lower to behind ball
7. relax left shoulder
8. give it a slight forward press
9. sweep it back slow and low...one piece
10. keep head steady and pivot about my axis (this is a struggle for me as I tend to lean & sway)
11. follow through (another struggle for me...my best ball striking is when I follow through whith shaft coming to rest behind my neck)

Lately the main swing keys for me have been: forward press, one piece low takeaway and a full finish.

The preshot rountine works so well to get target focused and relaxed....confident....breathing....feeling the right shot.

[Borf]

Borf....I like everything about your preshot routine....but you're standing on the wrong side of the ball.

Thank you!

I think you have too many steps in yours, tighten it up! When I perform my preshot routine exceptionally well in a round, the swing just becomes another part of it, it feels the same as picking my target or taking my practice swing or etc.... the swing is just one more step in completing the routine. Does anyone else feel this way?

[FairwayMan]

I line up my clubhead to the target and then "step in" to my stance from there.

i know I got that from somewhere. Did Nicklaus do that ?

[Lefty39]

I look at the hole, take no practice swings and I hit the ball.

[headspeed]

I believe in muscle memory and letting the club do all the work. My role is to have the club make contact with the ball. With that said here is my Pre-Shot routine.

1. From behind the ball I will choose a target spot.
2. I choose a club on estimated distance.
3. I use a baseball grip (I never could control the ball with interlocked fingers).
4. I take one practice swing to get my muscles in memory for the weight of the club.
5. I hit the ball.

Try it it works well.

[Chief Broom]

I like any pre-shot routine that is fast. Anything over 20-30 seconds is too long. Now if you've got the time then I don't mind what someone does, but the crazy long pre-shot routine that has to be adhered to no matter what even if something distracts them so then they have to go back to the beginning and do it all over again just so that they can hit a lousy shot really chaps my arse. But that's me.

[Borf]

I like any pre-shot routine that is fast. Anything over 20-30 seconds is too long. Now if you've got the time then I don't mind what someone does, but the crazy long pre-shot routine that has to be adhered to no matter what even if something distracts them so then they have to go back to the beginning and do it all over again just so that they can hit a lousy shot really chaps my arse. But that's me.

Great comment "really chaps my arse" I laughed.

Hackers will be hackers I guess.

[dave s]

Mine is similar, but I don't have any problem with target and setup. For me, the pre-shot routine is more about balance and tempo. For me, those are the most important ingredients in hitting a solid shot.

I usually take 3 back-and-forth half-power swings to assure my balance and tempo are good. Line up, try to make same swing, but at about 80% power.

dave

[Jay-Bird]

1.look at ball
2.sigh
3.shake head in disgust
4.take drag on cigarette
5.look at target
6.say curse word
7.flick cigarette to ground
8.grip
9.swing

[Borf]

1.look at ball

hahahahah Classic!

[iacas]

I'll go from when I have the club pulled.

1) Look at ball, look at target, draw line back, pick a target.
2) If necessary (unusual shot, trying to feel a certain key move), take a few mini swings
3) Re-trace line or re-affirm target
4) Walk up to ball, club usually in right hand mostly
5) Set club behind ball online with target.
6) Take stance.
7) Waggle twice while looking at target.
8) Look at clubface to affirm alignment.
9) Waggle twice while looking at target and then ball.
10) Lower club behind ball and begin the takeaway.

Takes 18 seconds if I don't do #2, in which case it takes about 26.

[Elvisliveson]

I look at the hole, take no practice swings and I hit the ball.

Now, this is someone I'd like to play with.

[Big Jon]

1.look at ball

too funny

[twc]

I look at the target.
Address the ball.
Get my feet set.
Flick the wrists a few times.
Deep breath.
Let it fly.

Then spend 15 minutes looking for it.