I have the good fortune (or misfortune depending on how you look at it) of living on a golf course.  From my back patio I am almost directly across from the red tee box, the forwardmost tee, so I can’t help but observe a ton of golfers teeing off each day.  Now, a lot of ‘golfers of a certain age’ play the course where I live which means that both men and ladies hit from that tee. The one noticeable thing to me lately has been watching as the golfers approach the tee, tee up the ball and then take a couple of practice swings.

I find it really interesting watching the practice swing.   Some have a nice smooth swing, good rhythm and an effortless appearance.  Some, due to age or physical ability, go about halfway in the back swing and the follow through.  Some, well I just can’t figure out what they’re  doing. Others don’t take a practice swing at all.  They just step up to the ball and let rip. 

The biggest common denominator among almost all of them is that they seem to hit their drives with a swing that resembles nothing what their practice swing looked like!  I mean, what happened?  That smooth practice swing with the nice high follow through?  That turned into a scene resembling a lumberjack trying to remove a tree stump.  The half swinger?  Now he’s decided to take a step backwards after his quarter swing.  The ones that were doing who knows what in their practice swing?  Well actually they’re my favorites.  I always seem to find a ball or two in my yard at least once a week and I do believe that they constitute a high percentage of the donors.  The best ones?  The ones who were older or physically limited seem to be the most consistent.

So, this has really been a wake up call for me personally by making me aware of my own setup and swing process.  I now attempt to make my practice swings very focused as opposed to just using them to loosen up before the ‘real swing’.  I also take the time to check my stance and alignment with every shot.  Has it helped?  I believe that it has.  I noticed that the consistency in the distance, trajectory and aim of my shots (except for that flippin’ 5 iron!) has improved.

Now what about you?  Do you have a consistent pre-shot routine?  Do you focus on your practice swing?   And more importantly, do you bring it to the actual shot (or will you start to)?

Join in and let us know your routine!

Stay safe and Play well,

Roseann