Developing an Effective Pre-Shot Routine Is a Must for a Golfer

Many golfers make the mistake of thinking that a pre-shot routine is only something that is needed for professional golfers, or other serious players. In fact, every golfer should develop a pre-shot routine because of the many ways that it can help improve consistency and performance. A good routine will help to get you in rhythm before every shot, can help to calm nerves, and can even help you pick out a better target. The great thing about a pre-shot routine is that once you spend the time to develop it originally, it should quickly become engrained and a natural part of your game.

Below are three tips to help you develop your own routine –

• It should be quick. You don’t want to be holding up players around you while working through an elaborate routine, so make sure it is quick. Not only is this good for pace of play, but it will make your routine more effective, too – if you go through a long process, you will likely be out of rhythm before you go to actually hit the shot. Include only two or three short steps in your routine before you step to the shot.
• Perform it right behind the ball. The best place to go through your pre-shot routine is standing just a few feet behind the ball looking toward the target. This perspective will allow you to visualize the shot while you are going through the process and getting ready to hit. As soon as the pre-shot routine is complete, you can walk into your stance and hit the ball within just a few seconds. The timing of this process will become natural the more often you do it, so try working on it at the driving range prior to using it on the course.
• It’s okay to copy. Not sure what to do as part of a pre-shot routine? That’s okay – there are plenty of good examples that you can copy to get started. Watch some golf on TV and take note of the way the pros get ready to hit a shot. You can copy the process of your favorite player, or take bits and pieces from various players until you have your own routine. Over time, the pre-shot routine that you build is likely to evolve until it is something that you are completely comfortable with.