Pre-shot tips you tell yourself

[fixyurdivot]

We all do it, whether routinely or periodically, to excise a swing demon.  Mine are as follows;

Driver - keep my hands low, swing flat, and clear my left hip

Irons - slow backswing and accelerate through the ball

Wedges - hit, then look

Putter - pick a line and commit to it

What are yours and do they help?

[tchat07]

I half speed my swing to the side just to feel what I want to do. Then step in and swing away. Dont really like to think to much because then I have a tendency to grip to hard and get pully.

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[bens197]

Great topic. I definitely have a different thought for each swing.

 

Driver - club finishes towards target line. This is my easiest swing; favorite club in my bag.

 

3wood - bottom of sole touches ground at and beyond contact (keeps me swinging through without abbreviation).

 

Irons - clubhead to the target

 

Wedges - use the bounce and accelerate through the ball.

 

Putter - this is going in the hole

 

 

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[Rtracymog]

With the driver and hybrid, I make sure to tell myself to open the club face.


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[HardcoreLooper]

Execute my preshot routine, commit to my decision, accept the result.

[TR1PTIK]

I really try no to have a swing thought out on the course unless I'm trying to shape the ball. However, when I'm working on the range during practice or before a round I try to focus primarily on tempo and path on the way back. I don't often have any particular swing thoughts for the downswing - by the time I get there, there's only so much I can control so what's most important to me is setup and everything leading to the downswing. 

[joen]

Good topic. 
I love the different responses. We are all wired so differently. 
I can’t play with swing thoughts. My best rounds come when I stop thinking and just let it flow. I have a pre shot routine that I follow like Rainman. I go through my routine and accept the result. As they say....the only thing I can control is my reaction and the next shot. 

[pulledabill]

My thoughts might change depending on how well my game is.  My most common thought is to commit to the damn shot. 

 

Putter I tell myself to check putter head alignment.

Chipping I tell myself to keep the weight and the left side. check shaft angle, and check ball position. 

Driver I ask myself why am I even bothering to  hit this damn club. 

[JDHolmes]

My swing thoughts are about eliminating those things which cause my shots to be bad. I write them on every page of my tournament holes sheets and in my scorecard when just playing.

Shoulder - Tempo - Turn at waist

Opening my shoulder too early causes big slices. Tempo speaks for itself. No tempo = look out!!. Turn at waist reminds me to turn, not sway.

Those get done, shot turns out fine..

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[juspoole]

Really interesting topic.

The simpler I tend to make my swing thoughts the better.   If I can just think - hammer the nail, I tend to really strike the ball well and have smaller dispersion on my shot.  That paired with very small targets and visualizing the shot I want to hit usually is the best recipe for me the strike the ball well.

With putting - still looking for the best method as I don't tend to hole that many putts.  

Edited March 24, 2020 by juspoole

[CarlH]

I only have one pre-shot thought....."don't screw this up"

 

kidding...

 

 

[Rickp]

Two thoughts;
Slow backswing
FAD (Fat A$$ Down)




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[fixyurdivot]

On 3/24/2020 at 4:48 AM, Rickp said:

Two thoughts;
Slow backswing
FAD (Fat A$$ Down)




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Man, I'm telling ya, the "slow backswing then accelerate through the ball" is really clicking for me.  I only recently started telling myself this after watching some YT videos about ball striking.  While at the range trying the tips out, I just began adding that reminder. I'm not only seeing more yardage, but dispersion has improved as well as reduced mishits.  Of course I've always struggled with excessive backswing speed and what that more often than not does to results.  I've also started to add a practice swing (or two) which I only did sporadically.  I think that is helping me slowdown too.

 

[Bob M]

I just worry about being the correct distance from the ball and lining up right. The only other thought I sometimes have is to stay back as I come through the ball. Otherwise I trust my swing

i found if I am just one or two inches too close to the ball I slice and 1 or 2 inches to far from the ball I hit a straight shot way to the right ( I’m a southpaw). So when I start to slice my first change Is to move farther from the ball at address- especially true for at the tee box.

i look for my line by finding something on the ground ( leaf, weed, divot, pine needle) behind the ball and lineup my feet with this line, then once I’m ready I don’t even look at the target, just the line between the ball and divot or other “mark” behind the ball. My aim and shot improved immediately with this preshot routine 

 

Edited March 29, 2020 by Bob M
Typo