Golf Tips » September 1997: Pre-shot Routine – How Important Is It?

The next time you watch golf on TV notice what the players do before they play each shot. Each one of them will go through their "pre-shot routine" which will be exactly the same each time.

So many golfers come to school each week saying that they would like to be more consistent, and I tell them that this is one way to ensure that. Each pro has his or her own pre-shot routine and I will describe mine in order to give you something to build on.

I think the two elements that should be included in the routine are visualization and alignment.

Picture #1

As you can see in picture #1 I take my practice swing first next to the ball,

Picture #2.

then in picture #2 I stand behind the ball and visualize the flight of the shot I am about to hit. Once that is done I pick a spot about 2 feet in front of my ball but on line with my target, walk around and align the clubface to the spot as in picture #3.

Picture #3.

I then go into my address position and hit my shot.

Pre-shot routine will not only help your consistency but with visualization will improve your overall game. The key point to remember is – do the same thing each time – don’t vary your routine at any time.