Golf School

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.

If you have questions about any of our golf tips, please feel free to call us toll free at 1-800-624-4653. Read all of Mel's tips in the Golf Tips Archive.

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