If you've watched professional tour players , The Wheel of Success closely, you've probably noticed that one thing they share in common is having a pre-shot routine. And while individual pre-shot routines vary greatly from player , Which Birdie Has Your Husband Got His Eye on - On the GOLF COURSE to player, , Fitness Exercises for the Woman er the execution of a particular routine by each individual player , Weight Training For - In Your Own Home is remarkably consistent, tournament , Reluctant to Try Instruction? after tournament, , 3 Tips to Improve Your Swing year after year. If you viewed footage of Jack Nicklaus from the 1960s, for example, and made notes of which hand he held his club , Swing Series: Five Secrets to Perfecting your Game in, how far behind the ball , The Triad he started, how he approached the ball, , The Basics Of Learning what he set down and in what order, the way he "waggled" his club, , Weight Training For - In Your Own Home how many times he looked at his target, etc., then compared this with his routine in the 1980's, or any segment of his career, for that matter, you would see they are very similar, if not precisely the same. This consistency is what makes the pre-shot routine a crucial psychological tool. Because the goal in golf, , Equipment Tips - How To Choose Your Irons whether a 3-foot putt , What's Hot in Gifts and Accessories or a tee ball, , 3 Important Tips for Beginners is to create a consistent, repeatable swing, , The Top 10 Life Lessons from it is a great advantage to program your mind to signal your body to make this motion in a consistent manner. The reason every professional golfer , Balance Training for Reducing Postural Sway and Improving Fitness utilizes this powerful tool before every shot is they understand this fundamental truth: the pre-shot routine pre-sets your mind and body for success. Don't underestimate its importance, as non-professional players , Stay in the Moment too often do. So what exactly is a pre-shot routine? I define the pre-shot routine as a consistent, repeatable set of actions leading up to the golf , The Top 10 Life Lessons from motion itself. Your mind and body '? the most important, fundamental tools you play , Bridge Time: A Critical Part of Learning with '? recognize these powerful signals and translate them into solid performance. The mind-body connection is a universal and powerful thing, so learn to harness it to your advantage in your golf game. , Stance And Its Physical Requirements With that said, the most important thing when designing your pre-shot routine is to develop one that allows you to put your "golf machine" in motion the same way every time. You must then practice , PGA Tour Players go from Fighting Adversity to Decompressing this routine (keeping in mind that professional players , Taking A Lesson Isn't Always The Answer devote an enormous amount of time to rehearsing their pre-shot routines), making sure you have it down solid. While only you can formulate a pre-shot routine that works for you, here are some basic elements that, in my observations, make up a sound pre-shot routine: 1. Starting behind the ball , Gifts: Giving To The Beginner er and making a realistic rehearsal swing, , is called a Gentleman's Game for Good Reason then turning and facing the ball, , 3 Important Tips for Beginners getting the target clearly in your sights; 2. With your right hand on the club, , The Secret To Beating Tiger Woods At ... And, Its Correlation To Success In Business! walking to the ball , Information Overload? in a large semicircle, being careful not to go past the ultimate ball , Tiger Woods Swing position, placing the clubhead , Intimidated by down behind the ball, , Balance Training for Reducing Postural Sway and Improving Fitness and making sure the club , Fitness Exercises for the Woman er is facing the target; 3. Stepping in and placing the right foot parallel to the clubface, , Stance And Its Physical Requirements and placing your left hand on the club , Which Birdie Has Your Husband Got His Eye on - On the GOLF COURSE gently (note that steps two and three often happen together, and you may wish to use both hands together in step 3 to build your grip); 4. Positioning your left foot; 5. Looking at the target a couple of times while making a few casual "waggles" with the club, , Family Fun Destination:Alexandria, Minnesota making sure there is no tension in your arms , Taking A Lesson Isn't Always The Answer or anywhere else; 6. Choosing a "trigger" that helps you put the club , What are You Doing to Improve Your Swing? in motion (e.g., Gary Player's slight kick of the right knee, or Arnold Palmer's slight swivel of the hips, , Fitness Training Improves Your Swing With Core Training but you get the idea). Happy golfing, , How an Empty Box Improved My Swing and best of luck '? now get out there and practice! , 3 Tips to Improve Your Swing Tom Patri is a Golf , I - Therefore I Swear Magazine Top 100 Teacher and the author of "The Six-Spoke Approach , The Swing Plane to Golf" (2005, The Lyons Press; foreword by Fred Couples), available at http://www.globepequot.com or http://www.amazon.com In 2003, Tom was chosen as Southwest Florida's Teacher of the Year. Tom coaches players , Family Fun Destination:Alexandria, Minnesota of all levels (from beginners to PGA , Information Overload? and LPGA Tour professionals) at his golf , Swing Series: Five Secrets to Perfecting your Game academy, TP Golf , The Triad Schools, based in Naples, Florida. To subscribe to Tom's free golf , I - Therefore I Swear newsletter, visit his website at http://www.tompatri.com To contact TP Golf , The Top 10 Life Lessons from Schools, call (239) 455-9179.
|
