Hogan

Give yourself the best opportunity to strike the ball well. One of the most important mental and physical things you can do is start off with a good pre-shot routine. It's easy:
1. get a good grip on the club
2. set the club face behind the ball so it is properly aligned to your target
3. set your stance after (only after) you have aligned the club face
4. make a waggle movement behind the ball. This will send a message to the brain as to the back swing plane you want to have
5. take a deep breath and let it out slowly to relax your arms and upper body

If you watch really good golfers they use some sort of pre-shot routine and follow it for every single shot they make. This creates a swing strategy and develops consistancy. A good routine will provide you the best opportunity to strike the ball correctly.

300Yards

This is good advice..everyone should have some sort of routine. However, I don't think that everyone should go with what your saying to do. I feel it's important for everyone to develop a routine that works for them.

My routine is; first I visualize my target from behind. I get a case a of tunnel vision, if you will. I try to feel the shot. Then I take a practice swing or two beside the ball, towards my target, to get a feel for power for my shot. Then I address the ball, aligning my feet first, then letting the rest of my body align, until I align with the ball. I use divots as references as to where to aim. Then after I get comfortable, I take my swing, and hope my shot goes the way I envisioned. As long as I stick to my routine, it usually does.

cbwheeler

I agree. Different things work for different people. Some people play really quickly, so they have a quick routine. Some people play slower, so they have a slower routine. Whatever it may be, do it the same every time. This helps put your golf game on auto pilot.

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Foster4

one thing i disagree with is ..aligning your feet first? always club first then feet and body ...if you align body first then set the club then it could be way off and over compensate for the shot....your brain sees the club and then aligns your body to that ...your brain doesn't see your body and align the club to that...same with putting you either put the putter behind the ball with both hands or your right hand for righty's and leftys its your left hand...same with you always approach the ball from behind it ...putting and hitting. go watch the pros on tv all weekend and see if you see one pro begin his routine beside the ball ..it won't happen ...try to find one that sets his stace before his club ...You probably won't ...i do leave a lil uncertainty in that cuz you never know ..But i would say 99% put club then stance. Cuz your brain can see that and send signals to your body ..it can't send signals to the club. Then check to see if the putting one is true ...see how many walk from behind ...take practice strokes beside the ball then place the putter behind the ball with 2 hands or there back hand ...Just watch them then you come back here and see if i'm right. because the back hand is the one that does the work in the stroke the front hand is the steady hand that keeps it still for control.


o btw the reason you do club first also is cuz ...if you align your stance first ..then its not right and move it all over then ...your tense ..and you may have moved farther or closer to the ball and now the club is too close or too far away ...its really hard to repeat

300Yards

Guess my brain works differently..the doctors tell me I'm balanced brained..whatever the hell that means..
Nope, works for me perfectly. It acually helps relax me more that way..one thing I didn't say, is that I line up feet first, but after I'm lined up with the ball, I check my alignment, and adjust if needed. The reason I go feet first, is to make sure the rest of my body is in proper alignment. I tend to twist a little if I align club first. I always try to find a divot to line up with..that's part of what I'm doing when I scope the shot from behind. Once I find it, I walk up, set my feet parallel to it, and then set my club down so that it's lined up with it. I have swung so many times, that I could align with my eyes close..literally. I've gotten to where Par 3 shots are almost automatic as far as alignment goes..

and that is why it's SO important for everyone to find something that works for them.

Foster4

wheres your club while your aligning your body ? in the air ?

300Yards

Sorry, I left that out, didn't I? lol. No, I let it straight down after I align my feet, and then kinda adjust if needed. That's just the way I do it..

Surtees

I thought this was interesting and that I'd bring it back up to see what everyone else did. I'll write mine up later when I can be bothered typing more

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That sounds like something a "Super Hero" would say; "I Have The Power" lets put you in tights and a cape!

BogeyXL

Here's mine...

1. I scan the hole and see where will be the best spot to tee up relative to the tee box location and hole play.
2. I tee up the ball and align it on a target I picked out on the fairway (tree, yard marker, bunker, etc..)
3. I visually pick a spot around the front side of the ball as a 'connecting dot' between the target and the ball (normally no more than a yard away from the ball).
4. I check the alignment quickly one last time to make sure. Then I take a couple of practice swing behind the ball to loosen up.
5. I move below the ball and place the clubface behind it, properly aligning it to my set marker.
6. Quickly, I peek over to the target on the fairway, then look down the setting..
7. Set my stance according to the shot..
8. Lift and slightly rock the club (relaxes me), then set it back down
9. Take away and swing....

Seem like a lot, but it takes much less than a minute...works for me.