Simplify your pre-stroke routine with these 3 simple steps

Any golf professional will tell you that a consistent pre-shot routine is the key to good golf.

But for some players—especially beginners—it can be tricky to figure out how to best prepare yourself for each shot. Luckily, GOLF Teacher to Watch Dr. Alison Curdt has a simple plan to follow to ensure your pre-shot routine is easy to replicate for every shot.

“One of the ways your performance can be held back is not having a routine leading up to the shot,” Curdt said in a video posted to the recently launched YouTube channel LPGA Professionals.

A useful pre-stroke routine, Curdt said, involves a series of behaviors and actions that help prepare you for the stroke you’re about to make. Below are the 3 steps she recommends.

Dr. Alison Curdt’s 3-Step Pre-Injection Routine

1. Swing rehearsal

“The first step behind the golf ball is, let’s do a rehearsal,” Curdt said. “This could be to prepare your body for the swing, loosen up your muscles or feel a movement that you want to move.”

2. Choose a goal

“The second step is to make sure you choose a target,” Curdt said. “Stand behind the golf ball, be intentional about where you want the golf ball to start.”

3. Prepare the mind

“The third step is to prepare our minds for the shot,” Curdt said. “This is going to be a deep breath to prepare ourselves, to be calm, to be emotionally disengaged from the shot to hit our best.”

When you combine all the steps, the three steps flow together in a matter of seconds: practicing the swing, selecting the target, and taking a deep breath before approaching the ball.

Then walk into the shot and swing freely!

“You’re ready to perform,” Curdt said.

Click here for more tips from Curdt and other LPGA pros.

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-bird anyone on the masthead. She can out-bird anyone in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online content and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Issue, which debuted in February 2018. Her original interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November 2015 and has appeared in both the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.