How Do I Speed Up My Preshot Routine?
by Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D.

Question From Golfer:
I have developed a problem where it now takes me a long time before I take my shot. I seem to stand over the ball for an extended period and its really starting to frustrate me. Is there anything I can do to speed this process up?

Dr. Cohn’s Answer:
The first thing you have to assess is to find out why you are spending so much time over the ball as this will lead us to the solution. For example, there are a couple reasons you take too much time to hit your shot. The most likely assessment would be you are going through a checklist of 10 things you need to do to make a good swing. You are focusing too much on the how to of the golf swing and thus binding yourself up before you initiate the swing. I see this all the time with amateur golfers who take many lessons and try to do everything the instructor says when they go play on the course.

My other assessment is that you are not comfortable over the ball, most likely because you lack the confidence to hit a good shot. See, when confidence is low you will take extra time to feel comfortable and the confidence never comes so you stand motionless over the ball waiting to feel ready to hit the shot. This is less likely than the first scenario so I will address your question as if you are being too “conscious” with your approach to shots.

First, the purpose of practice is to help you repeat a swing and to play consistently on the course. It is also to develop confidence in your ability to hit good shots. Once you hit the course, you have to put your practice aside and focus on simplifying your golf game. On course is the time to play target golf and see good shots in your mind, react to what you see and feel and let your athletic talent and practice come out to play.

Second, stop trying to be so perfect over the ball. I see golfers all the time that try to be so perfect with their set up, aim, alignment, and swing that they bind themselves up over the ball and are unable to pull the trigger because they are too busy trying to feel just right. Are you a checker and re-checker when you set up over the ball? The goal here should be to feel comfortable instead or perfect. When you have the feeling of comfort, it’s easier to pull the trigger and swing freely. Bob Murphy once told me that he likes to get over the ball and wiggle a couple times to get settled and then focus on hitting the ball to the target. Do not get trapped in the end of your routine trying to get perfect feelings over the ball!

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Third, probably the most important thing for you to do is to develop a simple routine that forces you to pull the trigger when your set up is complete. I am a big believer in having a good mental routine. It does not sound like you have a good mental routine you apply for each shot. If you did have a routine, you would pull the trigger at a certain time, every time after you complete your set up. The goal here is to simplify your thoughts during the routine, especially over the ball.

I break the routine down into two main stages. I teach my students to plan and prepare for each shot before they approach the ball. This is called the planning and programming stage of the routine when you pick a target, see the shot, and maybe feel the shot you want to hit. All the decision making is complete when you step up to address the ball, which should stop some extra thinking here. The other stage of the routine is called the procedural stage in which you aim, align, and set up to the ball using your normal alignment routine (hopefully you have this). After alignment, you now shift your focus to ONE swing thought or trigger. This can be a target, the ball flight, or a simple feeling you want in the swing such as tempo. So the point is that you have an activity over the ball to occupy your mind and trigger the swing.

This is the critical point in your routine. You must have one thought that will help to initiate your swing. Once you are engaged with that thought, it’s time to let it go and start the backswing effortlessly. For example, in putting when my head returns to the ball on my last look, I forward press and see the line in my mind. When my head returns to the ball and I finish the forward press, this is the signal that I must start the back swing. However, this is more of an instinct, as I have trained myself to do this automatically without much thought. You need to apply the same strategy to your routine so you can move from the target right to your backswing and skip the checklist or trying to be perfect!

Want to learn more about the mental game of golf and pre-shot routines? Check out Dr. Cohn's Golf Psychology programs.