Whether it’s the first swing of the day or a tap in for double bogey on the 18th, every shot counts the same – one stroke. One swing. One shot on the way to a final score. Each one counts the same. So, each swing should begin the same way with the same pre-swing routine. What is your pre-shot routine?
Take a few moments and describe it in your journal. How does it start? What are the specific steps? How long does it last? Is each swing begun the same? Why? Why not?
If you don’t have a pre-shot, consider this: every golf pro on tour has a pre-shot routine that they work on. They spend hours working on their preshot routine just as they spend time on getting up and down out of the sand or drawing/fading the ball off the tee. They design it. They practice it. They time it. It’s the bedrock for every golf swing. Every situation. Every round. No exceptions.
So, what are the elements of a good pre-shot routine? Here are several to consider as you determine yours.
- See it. Two things to see: situation and shot. Always start the same way – with a clear assessment of the situation. Simply describe what you see. Where’s the fairway? Is the landing area up hill or down? How wide is the fairway? Any wind? How much? Is the ball below or above your feet? Describe the situation with just the facts. While trees may indeed be running down both sides of the fairway and bunkers may be in front or water behind, focus on the landing area for your golf shot. Second, see the shot. Jack Niculas said he saw a movie of each shot play out in his mind before he took his swing. As you see your shot, call your shot out loud or at least under your breath. The final key for See It is for your brain to tell your body what you intend for it to do. You might say something like, “I’m swinging my 9-iron with an 80% effort to land my ball on the back half of the green and spin back toward the center.” Rememer to say what you plan to do. The pros can add specifics that we amatuers cannot. Don’t say things like, “… and into the hole.” While that is your hope, there are too many variables to actually expect that each swing will result in the ball going in the hole. Keep to what you can actually do and expect. See your shot?
- Feel it. After hitting a poor shot, golfers often complain that they didn’t feel right standing over the ball. Their mind and body weren’t in synch. The mind said, “I can see the shot.” But, the body countered, “That’s great, but I don’t feel the swing.” To take a good golf swing that consistently results in making a good golf shot, the two must work in harmony. This is why golf pros use an efficient, well-designed routine before each swing. The routine often includes setting the club behind the ball, taking one’s stance, and waggling the club. These carefully executed steps help the body feel what the mind has decided and to get on board with the swing. Ever wonder how a 120 pound person can hit a golf ball almost 300 yards? It’s because each muscle is working together. Not one muscle is resisting the swing. Feel your swing?
- Trust it. Finally, pull the trigger. LET your body take the swing that your mind called a few seconds ago. No resistance. No forcing the club this way or that. No doubts. Just fluidly swinging the golf club. If any doubts arise as you begin to take your shot, start over. From the top. Every time. Trust the results?
See it. Feel it. Trust it. Three keys to beginning a good golf swing. By the way, these are three keys to lots of activities like making a good presentation or writing a blog. You and I can’t control the results only the effort. Nothing more, nothing less. See the shot. Feel the swing. Trust the results.
Make sense?
[Editor’s Note: For more on See it. Feel it. Trust it. Check out Golf’s Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia by David L. Cook, to be released as a feature movie staring Robert Duvall, Lucas Black, and Melissa Leo on August 12, 2011.]
