Pros Pre Shot Routine - Who do you try to copy?

[theothertwo]

When I am having a good round, it's mostly because I'm aligning properly. To do this, I like the Greg Norman routine of finding the target, aiming the club face and then lining up your body.

[rcb1586]

I alternate between Patrick Cantlay and Keegan Bradley.

Not because it helps me, but it frustrates my opponents.

 

More serious answer.

I tend to hit the ball better when I get swing thoughts out of my head and just hit the ball.

So for me, it's less routine and more mental.

[Mych]

I pay a lot of attention to what Dechambeau does. I like the physics of the game, so I like considering angles, kinematic chains, sequences, what movements enable or restrict other movements.

 

From a PSR perspective, I grab bits and pieces from various people, mostly trying to figure out how to get square, balanced, and to start with a good tempo.

[Zitlow]

Lexi Thompson aims her right palm at the target and lines up the rest around that.

[Santiago Golf]

What do and teach

 

Make a decision on what your going to do

 

Look at your target and vizualation your shot

 

Make a practice swing at 30 to 50% with eyes closed feeling the motion

 

Look at target again

 

Walk in, waggle while looking at target, hit

 

Good shot...twirl

 

Bad shot...4 letter word...then make a slow motion practice swing like above and move on

 

[pusb365]

Regarding swing thoughts over the ball. I bet most pros have some thought or thoughts?

 

Surely they don't just have a completely blank mind?

 

Presumably they don't have 15 swing thoughts like us amateurs, but I bet they all have one or two swing thoughts/keys in their head.

 

What do you guys think?

[Hawkeye77]

Regarding swing thoughts over the ball. I bet most pros have some thought or thoughts?

 

Surely they don't just have a completely blank mind?

 

Presumably they don't have 15 swing thoughts like us amateurs, but I bet they all have one or two swing thoughts/keys in their head.

 

What do you guys think?

 

No, not blank.

 

DJ - "That's breaking 3 feet."

[Baitkiller]

Its probably a blend. Freddy maybe. Funny is my kids copy mine sorta. One 3/4 swing from well behind the ball just to find out how far away the ground is. Set my left hand and spot the target. Stare down the target or line as i walk up and line up. Put the right hand down. Maybe a waggle or press with one more peek then pull. I designed it for television viewing. Ill bet its impressive on tv. Shame that never happened.

Been dying to try the j day star gaze but im afraid of being swatted by my daughter.

[Hawkeye77]

What do and teach

 

Make a decision on what your going to do

 

Look at your target and vizualation your shot

 

Make a practice swing at 30 to 50% with eyes closed feeling the motion

 

Look at target again

 

Walk in, waggle while looking at target, hit

 

Good shot...twirl

 

Bad shot...4 letter word...then make a slow motion practice swing like above and move on

 

Wouldn't visualization, eyes open or closed, be an individual thing?

 

Is the only "rule" of PSRs, for those that use them, that they have a consistent PSR that works for them vs. a routine that every student will be taught?

 

I know if "I'm seeing a shot" that closing my eyes and disconnecting from the target, for example, wouldn't work real well, but may work well for others.

 

Anyway, it's something to me that seems a lot more individual than "method".

 

Are we injecting too much process into seeing a target and hitting the ball?

 

The subject of PSRs is interesting.

[theothertwo]

Remember Corey Pavin's old PSR in his hey day? More like Justin Rose's PSR, almost like a practice lesson.

[farmer]

When I am having a good round, it's mostly because I'm aligning properly. To do this, I like the Greg Norman routine of finding the target, aiming the club face and then lining up your body.

I do this. No practice swing, just get set up and go.

[Kuuuch]

Mine is pretty much identical to Jason Day’s 1) visualize shot 2) get over shot/lined up 3) small takeaway rehearsal 1 last look then pull trigger

[OakLawnGolfPro]

They got a thought or two for sure. But definitely wouldn’t want to copy someone else’s just to copy it. It’s supposed to get YOU ready to hit the shot.

 

Mine is a little waggle where I feel how I want my release to be through the shot. Then I go.

[SirFuego]

Presumably they don't have 15 swing thoughts like us amateurs, but I bet they all have one or two swing thoughts/keys in their head.

Unfortunately I cannot remember where I read this, but there was an article regarding swing thoughts I read a few years ago. Generally speaking, the swing thoughts they think of are very high level and not technical at all. I remember terms used like "turn", "rotate", or "relax".

 

One pro said that there were 5 or 6 different swing thoughts he found over the years that worked well for him on certain days. When he would get to the range before his round, he would find out which of the swing thoughts worked best for him and would stick to it the rest of the day. He said that he would sometimes use a different swing thought each day throughout a tournament.

[Hawkeye77]

While watching the Hawks thumping of Iowa State last night I was also watching the final round of the '86 Masters on my laptop. The idea was to see what passed for PSR's. Norman, Price, Ballesteros, Nicklaus, Watson, etc. Also took a look into some old Hogan, Snead footage.

 

While there were exceptions, and whether you call it visualization, focusing before the shot, etc., they were all consistent in their own way and mostly focusing on the target either beside or behind the ball, stepping in and getting ready and hitting the darn ball.

 

Just me, but I think "routine" means do something consistently, instead of (for some) an invitation to come up with some extended series of whatever.

 

Some really good players on here have had some great posts on PSRs and the value of them, and some in this thread, but sometimes it seems the "discovery" of the mental game has led to overthinking something that you perceive and process as a whole instead of breaking some things up into parts that may better be used as practice range tools.

[Santiago Golf]

What do and teach

 

Make a decision on what your going to do

 

Look at your target and vizualation your shot

 

Make a practice swing at 30 to 50% with eyes closed feeling the motion

 

Look at target again

 

Walk in, waggle while looking at target, hit

 

Good shot...twirl

 

Bad shot...4 letter word...then make a slow motion practice swing like above and move on

 

Wouldn't visualization, eyes open or closed, be an individual thing?

 

Is the only "rule" of PSRs, for those that use them, that they have a consistent PSR that works for them vs. a routine that every student will be taught?

 

I know if "I'm seeing a shot" that closing my eyes and disconnecting from the target, for example, wouldn't work real well, but may work well for others.

 

Anyway, it's something to me that seems a lot more individual than "method".

 

Are we injecting too much process into seeing a target and hitting the ball?

 

The subject of PSRs is interesting.

 

This what i teach, doesnt mean all my golfers do this, they do their own variation, same as their swing. Though most if them need a base to create their psr and YES keep it consistent depending on the shot.

 

For me i have some slight variations

 

Driver, two practice feels

Irons, one practice feel

Wedges, three practice feels

Putters, none

[eagle1997]

alex noren, followed by ariya jutanugarn's smile, brings me to my happy place.

[Hawkeye77]

What do and teach

 

Make a decision on what your going to do

 

Look at your target and vizualation your shot

 

Make a practice swing at 30 to 50% with eyes closed feeling the motion

 

Look at target again

 

Walk in, waggle while looking at target, hit

 

Good shot...twirl

 

Bad shot...4 letter word...then make a slow motion practice swing like above and move on

 

Wouldn't visualization, eyes open or closed, be an individual thing?

 

Is the only "rule" of PSRs, for those that use them, that they have a consistent PSR that works for them vs. a routine that every student will be taught?

 

I know if "I'm seeing a shot" that closing my eyes and disconnecting from the target, for example, wouldn't work real well, but may work well for others.

 

Anyway, it's something to me that seems a lot more individual than "method".

 

Are we injecting too much process into seeing a target and hitting the ball?

 

The subject of PSRs is interesting.

 

This what i teach, doesnt mean all my golfers do this, they do their own variation, same as their swing. Though most if them need a base to create their psr and YES keep it consistent depending on the shot.

 

For me i have some slight variations

 

Driver, two practice feels

Irons, one practice feel

Wedges, three practice feels

Putters, none

 

Thanks for the additional info!