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What's Your Pre-Shot Routine?


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Nice. Sadly, the days of empty practice greens are long gone for me, unless I were to head out in the pouring rain.

it was night... away from the other better lit green by the 24 hour range

Volvo Intorqueo

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it was night... away from the other better lit green by the 24 hour range

 

I'll have to see if the greens clear out in the evenings around here. I'll need to stock up on bug spray if they do, mosquitos can get nasty around here in the summer evenings.

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Yeah, I suspect I'll be opting for indoor lasering more than outdoor. When I go to the practice green, I prefer to do stuff I can't do indoors, like chip and pitch.

I can't really do those things outdoors either...

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I think that's more of a personal problem, though... :ph34r:

I will not take that bait and pontificate about my wedge issues yet again.

 

High road taken!

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My routine is very short, for full shots I stand behind the ball and take a half swing then set up and look at the target once and hit. On chips/pitches I will take two small swings to get a feel for the grass and then look at my landing area once and hit. Putting I will face the target line and make a stroke while looking at the hole, step in and then hit. Anything more than that and most of my friends know that it is either a bad lie, or I will hit a bad shot since my mind is working too much.

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My routine is very short, for full shots I stand behind the ball and take a half swing then set up and look at the target once and hit. On chips/pitches I will take two small swings to get a feel for the grass and then look at my landing area once and hit. Putting I will face the target line and make a stroke while looking at the hole, step in and then hit. Anything more than that and most of my friends know that it is either a bad lie, or I will hit a bad shot since my mind is working too much.

 

I have that problem too. When I wait to long I psych myself out and think too much.

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I have that problem too. When I wait to long I psych myself out and think too much.

 

I've had students ask me how I can tell them to make sure and go through a routine when I don't take any time over my shots. I always tell them that I just want them to do the same thing before each shot, even if it is a very short routine, and that they probably missed me going through mine.

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My routine is very short, for full shots I stand behind the ball and take a half swing then set up and look at the target once and hit. On chips/pitches I will take two small swings to get a feel for the grass and then look at my landing area once and hit. Putting I will face the target line and make a stroke while looking at the hole, step in and then hit. Anything more than that and most of my friends know that it is either a bad lie, or I will hit a bad shot since my mind is working too much.

 

Do you use any particular method for aligning yourself to the target or do you just trust that you'll step in on the right line?

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Do you use any particular method for aligning yourself to the target or do you just trust that you'll step in on the right line?

 

That's what the one look at the target is for. I have noticed that picking out a target point allows me to just step in aligned to that line.

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I'll have to see if the greens clear out in the evenings around here. I'll need to stock up on bug spray if they do, mosquitos can get nasty around here in the summer evenings.

 

Have you ever played Chalet Hills Matt? A lot of stagnant water on that course and the mosquitos are like terradactyls.

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My routine is very short, for full shots I stand behind the ball and take a half swing then set up and look at the target once and hit. On chips/pitches I will take two small swings to get a feel for the grass and then look at my landing area once and hit. Putting I will face the target line and make a stroke while looking at the hole, step in and then hit. Anything more than that and most of my friends know that it is either a bad lie, or I will hit a bad shot since my mind is working too much.

I like this plan a lot. Not quite the "grip it and rip it", but closer to that than taking 10 practice swings.

This is what my younger brother is striving to to. Walk up, look, then swing. I'll pass this along to him

never thought that this short routine could actually take the mind out of the equation

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I like this plan a lot. Not quite the "grip it and rip it", but closer to that than taking 10 practice swings.

This is what my younger brother is striving to to. Walk up, look, then swing. I'll pass this along to him

never thought that this short routine could actually take the mind out of the equation

 

The half swing is more to remove any tension more than anything else, I find it far more effective for me than when I try and slow myself down and "act like a pro" over the ball, my ADD kicks in something fierce.

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The half swing is more to remove any tension more than anything else, I find it far more effective for me than when I try and slow myself down and "act like a pro" over the ball, my ADD kicks in something fierce.

I am just learning the power of slow and golf. Anything that gets the other BS out of my head is great. I am going to try my take on this tomorrow when I play with the bro.

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I am just learning the power of slow and golf. Anything that gets the other BS out of my head is great. I am going to try my take on this tomorrow when I play with the bro.

 

It's amazing to me how much the brain can process in a very quick glance. I have had plenty of shots that I don't know the exact yardage, but look at the flag while taking my little half swing and then step in and hit to the flag, most of the time I have very good results doing this, even if it may not be my "correct" club for that yardage.

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It's amazing to me how much the brain can process in a very quick glance. I have had plenty of shots that I don't know the exact yardage, but look at the flag while taking my little half swing and then step in and hit to the flag, most of the time I have very good results doing this, even if it may not be my "correct" club for that yardage.

As a beginner, I have had too many lessons, too many suggestions, and I am only now getting to the place where I can feel what a good swing feels like. Quiet brain may be the missing link. If I can focus on that tomorrow and beyond, this could be the start of actually playing reasonable golf...

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As a beginner, I have had too many lessons, too many suggestions, and I am only now getting to the place where I can feel what a good swing feels like. Quiet brain may be the missing link. If I can focus on that tomorrow and beyond, this could be the start of actually playing reasonable golf...

 

I always tell my students to think as little as possible over the ball, most of the time they tell me that they think about not thinking, but if they can get to that point they usually have pretty solid results. I know that I hit some awful shots when I start with even one swing thought in my head.

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I am doing much better about removing the "don't" thoughts. Don't slice, look up, keep weight on right foot, hit fat, hit thin, and so on. Grab, aim, and slowly let it rip has worked wonders so far...

Volvo Intorqueo

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I am doing much better about removing the "don't" thoughts. Don't slice, look up, keep weight on right foot, hit fat, hit thin, and so on. Grab, aim, and slowly let it rip has worked wonders so far...

 

Good idea, the subconscious mind doesn't do "don't." I've been getting over the ball, looking at the target and saying, "I know how to hit this shot" and then letting it go.

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Good idea, the subconscious mind doesn't do "don't." I've been getting over the ball, looking at the target and saying, "I know how to hit this shot" and then letting it go.

 

That's a great point, Harvey Penick wrote the same thing, that if you think "don't hit it into the water" the mind takes out don't and leaves "hit it into the water." Where do you think it will end up?

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That's a great point, Harvey Penick wrote the same thing, that if you think "don't hit it into the water" the mind takes out don't and leaves "hit it into the water." Where do you think it will end up?

 

I think I first got it from Bob Rotella's books, of which I am a huge fan, but I've definitely heard it in lots of places.

 

I really like you're idea of a short routine keeping thoughts to a minimum. I think a lot of people assume that a routine needs to be drawn out, but, as you said, short is great as long as it's always the same.

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I stand behind the ball on my target line, chose my target, pick a spot a few inches ahead of ball that's on that line, step up to just beside ball, right foot, then left, take two quick practice swings, slide up to ball while checking that I'm aligned with the spot and the ball, look at target, remind of swing cue, and swing.

 

 

Not as long as it sounds.

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I stand behind the ball on my target line, chose my target, pick a spot a few inches ahead of ball that's on that line, step up to just beside ball, right foot, then left, take two quick practice swings, slide up to ball while checking that I'm aligned with the spot and the ball, look at target, remind of swing cue, and swing.

 

 

Not as long as it sounds.

 

I hope so, it sounds very long.

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I don't believe that I have, and I'm not making any plans to now that you've given it that endorsement.

 

The funny thing is that it has a stellar reputation out here in the Northwest burbs as one of the best courses in the area. I have friends that like it alot. I'm just not that impressed.

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I stand behind the ball on my target line, chose my target, pick a spot a few inches ahead of ball that's on that line, step up to just beside ball, right foot, then left, take two quick practice swings, slide up to ball while checking that I'm aligned with the spot and the ball, look at target, remind of swing cue, and swing.

 

 

Not as long as it sounds.

 

Just add some Sergio style regripping and a long pause for visualization and you'd be Ben Crane..

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I stand behind the ball on my target line, chose my target, pick a spot a few inches ahead of ball that's on that line, step up to just beside ball, right foot, then left, take two quick practice swings, slide up to ball while checking that I'm aligned with the spot and the ball, look at target, remind of swing cue, and swing.

 

 

Not as long as it sounds.

 

That sounds almost exactly like what I do, plus one swing, and it doesn't need to take long at all.

 

One place I see a lot of people get "stuck" is after they set the club behind the ball and step in. Seems like they get there and are frozen with swing thoughts.

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