It was a very interesting week this week with many questions and comments swirling about.Thanks to Bubba’s stellar performance at the Masters, I too received congratulatory remarks for “another win for the lefties.” There were even high fives between “us lefties” with a “how about that! and not bad for a south paw” etc.  As one could imagine, I had a few requests on how to hook the ball like Bubba, how to hit it out of pine needles and other loose ground cover like Bubba and finally, what I thought was the most important thing to do on each swing. If I had to name one thing, what would it be? So, I thought about it for a minute and without vacillating much at all, my answer was simple and clear. It’s the one thing everyone should do on every shot before every swing no matter where there are on the course or what type of shot they have….are you ready? It’s the pre-shot routine!! I know, not very sexy but extremely important. It is so important in fact, that it inspired me to bring my Pre-Shot Routine golf tip to the main page. It deserves center stage, a full cast, an orchestra, top billing…the works. It is the most important thing to do before you even move the club. It creates the foundation with which you swing your club. Without good posture, good alignment, great balance and a sense of calm, your swing will surely suffer. So without further adieu…..Here, on center page……maestro if you please……Introducing!!!!

A Pre-Shot Routine will set the stage for success.

How do you become more present when there are distractions everywhere? How do you calm the nerves? The Pre-Shot Routine provides the foundation for success and better shot making every time. It helps calm the nerves and allows you time to get into good balance and posture before you pull the trigger. Here’s a simple routine that you can do before each and every shot.

Find Your Target – stand behind the ball and while looking at your target, create an imaginary line that runs from your target through the ball. Select a spot on the ground within two feet of the ball that is on your target line. This becomes your intermediate target.

Get Into Your Stance – Set up to the ball and get in a balanced athletic position. Aim your clubface at your intermediate target.

Reconnect to Target – Once you’re comfortable and in good posture, take a look at your target again to reconnect to it.

Breathe and Swing – Take a nice deep breath..inhale then exhale then swing.

This is just a framework for your routine…the key word here is YOUR…make it your own routine. If you want to waggle the club, then give it a waggle, whatever you do, do it the same way each time for consistency. Watch the pros on TV and you’ll see them all do it. They may have their own style, their own unique way about them, (Boo Weekley comes to mind) but they ALL do it. The Pre-Shot Routine is one of the most important components of a successful shot. So next time you go to the range…create your routine. It’s easy to do and you’ll look just like the pros on TV!