Pre Shot Routine

One aspect of playing golf that gets neglected by most golfers is the importance of a consistent pre-shot routine. By preparing to play each shot in the same manner every time will allow you to perform at a higher level when playing under pressure. If you watch closely, you will notice that the top players in the world are very consistent in the way they prepare to play. They will go through the same mannerisms before each shot, whether it be from the tee or on the greens. A prime example of this was pointed out on the Golf Channel earlier this year when they discussed the world's #1 player, Tiger Woods.

First, a video was shown of Tiger Woods making his birdie putt on the 72nd Hole last year at Torrey Pines to tie Rocco Mediate. The elapsed time from beginning of routine until the putt was struck was 17 seconds. The routine consisted of stepping up beside the ball, two practice strokes, setting up to the putt, one look at the hole, widen the stance slightly, one more look at the hole, and knocked it in.

Next, they showed the video of Tiger's winning putt at the 2009 Arnold Palmer Invitational, shown below. The elapsed time was an identical 17 seconds, and the entire routine was exactly the same! If you can incorporate this concept into your game, I am certain that you will become more consistent under pressure.



Another great example is Angel Cabrera. Below in the video, he gets over the ball, widens his stance, takes one waggle and hits the shot. If you watch Angel play, he never deviates from this routine.