How Good Is Your Pre-Shot Routine?

Developing a good pre shot routine is one of the fundamentals of a good game of golf.

A good pre shot routine enables us to go into a concentration zone on demand, during our rounds and practice. Watch any of the top players in the world and they have the same approach to EVERY shot, which optimizes their chances of success. A good pre shot routine enables us to switch from being relaxed and in the present moment, and enjoying where we are and what we doing, into a highly focused state which connects us with the shot required.

The Power of A Good Pre Shot Routine

Most negative interferences in the execution of a shot happen before we start the back swing. Distractions such as: where you don’t want to hit it, what the shot means for your score, what to do with your swing or what you look like to the other players etc., create tension in the body which results in a bad swing. The routine takes us away from these negative thoughts and reminds us what we need to focus on to give use the best chance of a good execution. Our routine will lead to an increased sense of comfort and confidence for each shot, by knowing that we are visualizing, feeling, setting up correctly and positively committing to the shot. The result will be better swings and better putts.

A good pre shot routine (a post shot routine), should become the measure of success for every shot. My players use what I call a “Mental Game Scorecard” to measure this, which you can download at the bottom of many articles on my website site.

European Tour Instructor Denis Pugh, gives us some great advice on building a good good pre shot routine for putting in the video below: