Tommy Heberer- RGA Apprentice I

February Article

Pre-Shot Routine

Go home and watch a PGA or LPGA tournament, odds are you will see a lot of tremendous shots, good putting, and sounds short games. You will also see players play extremely well with a variety of different swings, just look at the difference between a Jim Furyk and Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan and Anthony Kim, or even Tiger Woods now and Tiger Woods ten years ago. Another difference that will crop up is type of games people have, for instance Dustin Johnson is a bomber, Corey Pavin relies on great fairway woods, Phil Mickelson takes risks, and Steve Stricker’s bread and butter is putting. There is one aspect of all their games, however, that is similar; they all have a pre-shot routine.

Most amateur players feel they don’t need a routine or have simply never bothered to come up with one. This a big mistake, because having a routine puts you in the right mind-set for each shot. It helps you forget the last shot, whether good or bad, and keeps you from thinking about future shots.

While all pre-shot routines differ in what actions you do, they should all have a few essentials. First you must take into account the conditions of your next shot. How far away from the flag are you, is it windy, whether the ground is hard or firm, and what your lie is like. After this you can decide what club and what type of shot of you wish to hit. Finally you can visualize the shot you want to hit and then execute.

Here is an example of one player’s pre-shot routine:

Stand behind the ball facing the flag
Check the lie of the ball and where the stance will be
Check yardage to flag
Toss grass, check flagstick and tree tops to determine wind
Decide club and shot type
Tighten glove
Take two practice swings behind the ball
Adjust ball cap
Visualize shot, and then approach the ball

Again, this is just one example what a pre-shot routine can be, not what it has to be. Come up with a routine you are comfortable with and can repeat before every shot.