How to Develop an Effective Golf Pre Shot Routine
If you want to improve your scores and have more fun playing golf, a repeatable pre shot routine can help you get there. Performing the same ritual before each swing forces you to think about what you want to achieve, and golf is a thinking person’s game. It can also do wonders for calming nerves and limiting mental clutter, clearing your mind before executing the physical contortions required to strike a 1.5 inch ball with a 6 inch club face.
This is where the pre shot routine comes in, and while you can copy the approach of golfers whom you admire, the things you do before you swing should focus on making you more comfortable, aware, and confident about each golf shot. It will also help you reactivate the muscle memory and motor pathways that the golf swing requires. While it’s not something you can develop overnight, practice and repetition will lead to habits that result in better, more enjoyable golf.
Here are some of our favorite tips for developing a golf pre shot routine that works for your game, regardless of skill level.
A Golf Pre Shot Routine Starts On The Range
One of our favorite golf quotes comes from Bobby Jones, who called golf “a game that is played on a five-inch course - the distance between your ears.” Every golfer knows the initial simplicity of the sport – hit ball into hole – quickly fades away into a quagmire of obsessive minutiae. "How are you lined up?" "Keep your knees bent, and your back straight." "Head down, don't forget to follow through!" All these thoughts come at once to the golfer who is unprepared, and thinking about everything at once means thinking about nothing at all. The average golfer can take a surprising amount of strokes off each round by simply playing smarter, but it’s not easy to think smart when you’re out on the course. That’s why you should spend time on the range (or your very own DIY indoor putting green) practicing your routine so it becomes second nature when you play.
Instead of raking through a bag of practice balls, take a more deliberate approach and practice with purpose. Low handicap golfers start their routine even before they attempt a practice swing, often starting well behind the ball and visualizing the shot they want to hit. They’ll hold the club in the same hand as they approach the ball, set their grip, maybe waggle the club a few times before pausing at address.
Whatever elements you want to incorporate into your routine, make sure it isn’t so complicated that you can’t repeat it with a reasonable degree of consistency. So when you’re on the range, spend time working through the same routine before you hit each shot.
Your pre shot routine should be developed on the practice range so it is easy and automatic once you get on the course.
Common Elements of the Pre Shot Routine
A repeatable pre shot routine involves four elements, trigger, initiation, approach, and execution, and begins well before you hit the shot. Your trigger signals to yourself that it is time to begin your routine. That could be anything from putting on your glove to selecting your club to standing behind the ball. Whatever works for you, the point is that once this trigger occurs, you begin the process of centering yourself and visualizing the shot you want to hit.
After your routine is triggered, the next element is initiation. My pre shot routine starts when I’m standing behind the ball, feet close together and holding the club in my left hand. All I’m thinking about during this moment is visualizing the shot I want to hit along the line that will give me the best next shot. Then I begin the approach, which for me involves taking three steps towards my address point while I prepare my grip, my gaze shifting from my line to the club and back several times so that when I ground my club (provided I’m not in a bunker) a few inches behind the ball, I have a reasonable degree of confidence that the club head is oriented in the direction of the line I just visualized. The last part of my approach is establishing my stance and modifying the club head position to be in line with my desired shot.
An effective pre shot routine helps you determine a purposeful shot and provides more margin for error, helping you avoid trouble and score better.
Now I’m ready for the final element of my pre shot routine, the execution. As I’m properly lined up (or at least believe that I am), I don’t have to think about where the ball is going to go. I can now focus completely on executing the swing. Personally, I draw inspiration from Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons as my hands, arms, and shoulders lead my hips into the backswing, and then through to contact. When it goes according to plan, I am able to focus completely on making the best swing I can, rather than hoping the golf gods bless me with a good outcome.
That’s my routine, but it doesn’t have to be yours. The goal is to develop your own through strong practice habits, and make it an essential part of your golf course strategy to give yourself the best chance at playing to your peak potential.
Now we’ll look at three stages to consider as you create your ideal pre shot routine.
Three Stages of the Golf Routine
To provide some structure for creating your ideal pre shot routine, consider your own style and preferences. Are you a methodical player with a deliberate approach, or a rhythm player who relies on feel and doesn’t take much time over the ball? Whatever your style, you’ll want to establish a routine that highlights your strengths and minimizes your weaknesses. For each of these three stages, consider what you can do to prepare yourself for the shot you are about to play.
Stage one: Thinking
Most routines are divided into three stages, the first of which is "thinking." During this stage, you’ll want to consider elements like distance measurement, club selection, and basic course management principles like the best place to miss. It’s also a good time to consider matters of golf etiquette like where you are in the order of play or repairing any divots you’ve made on the green.
Stage one of your pre shot routine should involve thoughtful consideration about the shot you want to play, as well as your swing tendencies.
A lot of mid to high handicappers don’t think enough about their shot, and that’s a mistake. Or, they think about the wrong things, like aiming down the center of the fairway or directly at the pin instead of trying to play a smart shot that accounts for their natural swing shape and sets them up for their next one. Conversely, you don’t want to think so much that you become so paralyzed by analysis that you can’t visualize the shot you want to hit and focus on execution.
A good pre-shot routine includes a checklist of things you consider before each shot, like how wide the fairway is, where the hazards are, what the wind is doing, and how you've been hitting your clubs that particular day. If you're lucky enough to have one, look down at your golf GPS watch for an overhead view of the hole in order to plan around dog legs or other obstacles.
Be smart about your club distances, and pick one that suits how you actually play. Ask yourself if it’s better to be long or short, and choose accordingly. Envision the best (realistic) scenario for your shot, then work backwards to determine how to make it happen.
Once you know the best possible scenario, commit to the club. This is extremely important; if you lack confidence about club selection, that’s going to hinder your ability to execute the golf shot. In most cases, you’re better off hitting the wrong club confidently than hitting the right club hesitantly. Now it's time to move on to stage two, the practice swing.
Stage Two: Practice Swing
The last thing you do in stage one should be to reach into your bag and pull out the club you want. This starts the second stage of a good pre shot routine: the practice swing. Taking a good practice swing starts with good practice. Purposeful practice on the range helps here; go through your routine as if you’re playing for real, and practice your practice swing.
After thinking about your shot, you’re ready to take a few practice swings while visualizing the ideal outcome.
Use what you thought about in stage one to guide these practice swings. Should you be taking a full swing, or do you need to ease up to bounce it onto a green? Feel the club in your grip and notice how it seems to be moving on that particular day. A lot of golfers use swing trainers, others prefer to use mnemonics or some kind of memory system to remember to keep their elbow straight, knees bent and head up. Whatever works for you, just try to keep your swing thoughts to a minimum to avoid mental clutter.
Stage two of your pre shot routine should be where you really try to "feel out" the shot. This can either be done by visualizing the ideal ball path, feeling out where your swing needs to be, or envisioning the perfect shot shape. Understand how your body is reacting to your chosen club, and adjust your swing for any tightness, injuries, or weather related variables.
Stage two of your pre shot routine should also be the last place you swing a club without hitting a ball. It should also only involve the number of swings that is absolutely necessary to move into stage three.
Stage Three: Execution
By now, you’ve worked through your mental checklist, envisioned the outcome with a purposeful practice swing (or two), and are fully committed to the shot you are about to hit. It’s time to execute, and this creates stress and anxiety in golfers who are not prepared. If you have a comfortable pre shot routine, you should be in a state of mental preparedness. While you may still experience pressure, you can at least feel confident and focused that you’re about to give it your best possible effort.
Few golfers hit the perfect shot every time, but it doesn’t take perfect shots to play good golf. In fact, you really only need one good shot per hole to make a decent score. The pre shot routine is designed to increase your chances of hitting a good shot, and decrease the chances of hitting something truly dreadful. But know that bad shots happen to everyone, so take the pressure off yourself by recognizing that golf is a difficult game.
Executing the swing is easier when you’ve already thought about what type of shot you want to hit, and where you want to hit it.
When you execute the swing, you really shouldn’t be thinking about anything other than contact with the ball. Some golfers like to think about the takeaway and then put the rest of the swing on autopilot; others like to grip it and rip it. Whatever is best for you, try to repeat it on each shot you play. Repeatability and consistency is key to golf, and the pre shot routine helps to deliver more good outcomes than bad. So find your happy place, and then hit the dang ball.
A Note on Golf Shot Alignment
Many golfers struggle with how to properly line up their shots. All the thinking, feeling, and focusing won't mean a thing if you're pointed at the bushes. Proper alignment can be tricky and nuanced, so this video from Kerrod Gray Golf is a great place to start. For more immediate feedback, consider practicing with an impact mat that provides visible evidence of your swing path so you can see how your club face is moving through the ball. These tools are a great way to develop more swing consistency and work great in any backyard hitting setup like the one below.
Building Your Ideal Pre Shot Routine
Every golfer is unique, so consider the elements and stages presented above as guidelines, not rules. Adapt them to your style, find what feels right for you, and then work on making your pre shot routine so replicable that you could do it on autopilot. And we cannot stress this enough: apply your routine to your range sessions. Practice does not make perfect, but perfect practice does.
Consider investing in tools like the Arccos Golf Caddie in order to more fruitfully understand your game when you go to the driving range. Knowing where your shots are going will help you connect how a swing feels with how a ball flies. Getting a better idea of how you truly play will help in all stages of a pre shot routine, but especially useful in the thinking stage where the important decisions about distance, shot deficits, and club choice are made.
Once you’ve found a pre shot routine that works for you, you’ll be on your way to enjoying better golf and having more fun and less stress on the course while you play. Good luck and swing well!
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