How Many Of These Boxes Do You Tick Before Hitting The Golf Ball? (Any Less Than 4 Could Be Costly)

Do you have a pre-shot routine that you consistently use on the golf course? To be honest, I would be surprised if more than half of you said yes - which is a real concern as those who don't are costing themselves precious shots.

A pre-shot routine in golf is just as important as finding the perfect golf grip or achieving a centred strike with driver, but so many overlook it.

Due to concerns around avoidable slow play issues or a lack of confidence leading to a desire to just 'get it over with', so many players rush or ignore their pre-shot routine, costing them shots throughout their round.

So, in a bid to help you create a consistent, effective and time-efficient pre-shot routine, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Ged Walters has used his extensive professional experience to share four key components that all golfers should implement into their game immediately...

Pre-Shot Routine In Golf: PGA Pro's Ultimate 4 Step Plan

What Is A Pre-Shot Routine?

GM instruction writer Barry Plummer says...

This is a question we get a lot, so I'd advise checking out our article on everything you need to know about a pre-shot routine.

Simply put, a pre-shot routine is a key but often overlooked part of the golf swing, occurring before you even set-up to take your golf swing.

The top players in the world have a consistent process that allows them to create the best possible opportunity for success with every shot, which is something many amateurs could learn from.

Below, Ged Walters outlines four key aspects of a pre-shot routine with the aim to help all amateur golfers to implement their own consistently into their game....

PGA Pro's Ultimate 4 Step Pre-Shot Routine

Tips by...

Tips by...

Ged Walters

Using different styles, teaching aids, technology and games to measure improvements, Ged Walters endeavours to make the learning process both educational and fun. He's worked with a number of top local, national and international coaches, including Adrian Fryer and Jeff Ritter, one of the most prominent golf instructors in America. Ged has helped a vast number of golfers to reach their full potential, from a variety of starting points, helping them to prosper in both the mechanical and psychological side of the game.

1. Decision Making

The first part of your pre-shot routine is where the decision making needs to happen.

As every golfer knows, good shots rarely happen if you aren’t 100 per cent focused. This is when you need to build up a picture in your mind of exactly what a good shot would look like: how it would fly, where it would land and how far it would roll.

As you look at the shot facing you, think about the weather conditions, how the ball is lying, the terrain of your landing zone and what the wind is doing. You should also check out Golf Monthly's guide to how to calculate distance in the wind.

Take in as much information as you can because when this phase finishes, I want you to have a vivid visualisation of what you are trying to do. This will help you hugely when it comes to the execution.

2. Know Your Yardages

If you want to improve your scores, it makes sense to do some homework, specifically by finding out exactly how far you hit the ball.

Your yardages are exactly that – yours. They have no relation to how far anyone else hits the ball and they will form the foundation of your strategy.

Rather than obsessing with how far amateur golfers hit their irons and comparing yourself, focus on your own game as that is where the progress lies.

When working out which club to hit into the green, always calculate the number to the back - this is one of the key ways that so many good golfers break 80 in golf.

This is because very few amateurs miss long but they often fall foul of the bunkers and trouble that lie short of the green.

Having the distance to the back of the green in your mind and picking a club that will get you as close to that spot as possible – without going past it – will allow you a little leeway on the strike as well.

3. Utilise A Practice Swing

Before you move into the shot itself, make a proper practice swing. Splitting your environment in two can help to make this more realistic - so try this great tip.

Imagine a wooden block on the ground that divides the ‘practice’ area (behind the ball) and the ‘performance’ area (over the ball). Try to replicate exactly what you are trying to do in the shot, but in your newly assigned 'practice area' away from the ball.

Your practice swing is your dress rehearsal – the last swing you make before it matters – so it makes sense for it to be as realistic as possible.

Too many players waste energy on meaningless practice swings. You should use yours to help set a more confident mindset by developing a genuine feeling for the shot and the swing you are trying to make.

4. Pick Your Target

Aligning yourself correctly is something we can all successfully do before every shot... but the target you pick has to be as small as possible. This means understanding how to aim in golf is crucially important to avoid wayward shots.

As soon as you start to get lazy or sloppy, small mistakes can quickly ingrain themselves into your routine. Trying to align your clubface to a target that is in the distance is incredibly difficult and can lead to mistakes.

Stand behind your ball and draw an imaginary line from your target back to your ball, then pick out a spot that is no more than six inches ahead of your ball along this imaginary line.

Try to see an imperfection or an object on the grass on that line. As you stand over the ball, this is your target to aim the clubface directly at.

Once you have this line, you are in a better position to build your stance. The confidence you’ll gain from aiming correctly is huge!

FAQS

In this section, Golf Monthly instruction writer Barry Plummer answers your questions regarding pre-shot routines, practice swings and the impact on slow play. Want to ask a different question? Drop it in the comments on this article below and Barry will do his best to provide a little clarity...