Sequence of your pre-shot routine? Aim help!

[benhd1]

I watched Justin Rose on the Golf channel last night (dvr from 2am). I found his pre-shot routine to be odd. I'll list what he does and then what I do, please add your routine and make any comments on mine. Looking to improve aim. These are full swing shots.

Justin Rose:
1)plum bobs with club in right hand (wedges--back to driver)
2)pick spot 2-4 feet in front of ball for alignment (blade of glass, ball mark, leave)
3)aligns clubhead with ball and that spot
4)aligns feet with clubhead
5)takes his grip ( right hand never leaves club and he slides left hand in place above right hand..left thumb into right palm..as he's righty) this is the odd part, leaving his right hand on grip while gripping with the left.
6)may or may not take a pratice swing
7)checks target again and clears mind and swings away

What I do:
1) check target and find spot 2-3 feet in front of ball for alignment
2)get my left hand grip, then my right w/ left thumb in palm of right
3)take a few light swings
4)align my feet to the spot I picked out
5)align my clubhead to the spot, check target again
6)clear head and think swing easy
7)swing away

I feel with my short irons; 7 on down better aim would cut some strokes. Any advice on my current routine to help with this. Thanks.

[NM Golf]

I keep my right hand on the club the whole time as well. Its just how I have always done it.

The only thing I see that it different from what I have always been told is the fact you line your feet up first then the club head. I was always told you always line the club head up first then your feet. When I work the ball I line to club head up with my target then my feet up in the direction I want the ball to start. You always want your club head sqaure to the target but don't always want your feet parallel to the target. I would think lining your feet up first would make proper alignment, especially when trying to work the ball, very difficult.

Just my opinion.

[iacas]

1)plum bobs with club in right hand (wedges--back to driver)

He's not really plumb-bobbing (which would indicate he's trying to find the direction of a slope). He's simply using his club shaft as a straight line. He puts one end on his target, one end on his ball, and then uses the straight line to choose a spot that's precisely on his target line.

I do this too (I hold the club up and don't let it dangle in true "plumb bob" fashion) because if your aim is off by an inch three feet in front of your ball, you're going to miss the green. You asked for advice to help: there you go. Use the (relatively) straight edge of your club shaft to help choose your alignment point in front of the ball.

[VanillaEps]

What is plum bobbing?

[benhd1]

Thanks..will give the new aim tip a try with the club and align the club first then the feet...I'll post results on Monday

[BritBoy]

Mine is:

Pick a target a coupl eof feet in front of the ball
Align Club with target (right hand on club 99% of the time, left hand on if I need to keep the ball low, it makes me set up a little closed)
Take stance
Look at line of feet
Look at target
Swing

Then the obvious:
Swear
Mutter too self
Give my playing partner a superman laser glare as he says good shot (because I know it didnt do anything I wanted it too)
Walk to ball and start over

[supercow]

1) Pick target from behind
2) Align clubface with target
3) Grip club with left
4) Take stance and complete grip
5) Relax/Waggle
6) Swing

[sonicblue]

1) Hold club in right hand while deciding type of shot

2) Switch club to left hand while envisioning the swing (the switching hands is a brand-sidedness thing, as well as just a trigger to get me thinking off the "details" of shot selection into the "feel" of making the shot

3) I don't really do the "point in front" thing while I'm playing, only while practicing. I like to focus on my target line while I come up to address the ball.

4) I kind of walk-around-sideways up to the ball, looking at my target. I'll then look down at my club while I square my feet up.

5) Once my balance is set and I'm aligned, I'll take one more look at the target. Then go.