The pre-shot routine: what I use in tournaments, adapted for amateurs

In tournaments, the pressure never goes away. What often makes the difference between a good day and a bad one is the ability to play every shot the same way. That is the job of the routine. Here is the simple version I teach my students.

Why a routine changes everything

Without a routine, every shot is different: sometimes you think too much, sometimes not enough. After a bad shot, you rush. A routine gives your brain a familiar sequence. It doesn't guarantee a good shot, but it greatly increases your chances of hitting one.

Step 1: decide behind the ball

Every decision is made behind the ball: the club, the target, the shot shape. Pick a small, precise target, like a tree or part of the green, rather than “the fairway”. Once you've stepped up to the ball, you don't change your mind.

Step 2: a practice swing that feels like the shot

The practice swing is there to feel the rhythm of the shot you are about to play, not to work on technique. For a short pitch, make a short pitch. For a drive, a full, smooth swing. One rehearsal is enough.

Step 3: align and play without waiting

Set the clubhead behind the ball facing the target, set your feet, one look at the target, then play. The longer you stay still over the ball, the more doubts creep in. The time between setting up and swinging should be short and always the same.

And after the shot?

The routine carries on after impact. Good shot or bad, take a few seconds to accept it, then move on as you walk to the ball. On tour, that is often what separates a one-off double bogey from a run that wrecks the scorecard.

How to set it up

Use your routine on every ball at the driving range for two weeks, not just on the course. It has to become automatic before it can help under pressure. We work on it systematically in our camps in Marrakech and in Coaching.