This is the most important part of learning the mental game of golf.

It is what we need to continually repeat and practice to become better players. It enables us to go into a concentration zone on demand, during our rounds and practice. Watch any of the top players in the world and they have the same approach to EVERY shot, which optimizes their chances of playing it as they intend. The shot routine enables us to switch from being relaxed and enjoying where we are and what we doing, into a highly focused state which connects us with the shot required. With practice, entering “the zone” can become an automated process. There are many drills and processes we can go through to improve the way we play the inner game, but the shot routine provides us with the structure and the triggers. This is what I teach my students through my coaching and the golf state of mind mental game audio session.

Most negative interferences in the execution of a shot happen before we start the back swing. The routine takes us away from any negative thoughts and reminds us to be in a positive state of mind. Our routine will lead to increased confidence for each shot, by knowing that we are subconsciously visualizing, setting up correctly and positively committing to the shot. The more we practice this routine, the more acute our powers of positive visualization will become and the closer we will get to executing the desired shot. But we need a post-shot routine also (and this is why I like to call it “The Shot Routine”). We need to get into the habit of being non-judgmental towards the outcome of the shot, whether good or bad, and thus move closer to removing the emotional ups and downs of golf which negatively affects our performance. The Pre-shot Routine: The aim of the pre-shot routine, is to get as prepared as you can be for executing the golf shot you intend to play. Reducing all possible variables before making the back swing will give us the confidence to perform better. There are many ways to play a golf shot, but the important thing is to visualize and commit to the one we have chosen. The more we can commit to a shot, whether it is the right one or not, will always result in a better execution. We can actually play the shot during our rehearsal, seeing the ball flying to its target and feeling the swing required to make that happen. This process does not require any skill at all, it’s simply committing to the routine and committing to the shot. There is no excuse for not doing this as well as the top players in the world. It trains the mind to keep you in the present moment and thinking about nothing else but the how you want to play the shot at hand. The more precise you can be with your routine, the more focused on it you will become and the less distracted you will be. If you include two practice swings and two glances at the target in your routine, then try to repeat this every time.

Here is my suggestion for a sound pre-shot routine for a long game shot:

1. Analyze and determine the correct shot to play. The most important thing here is to get a clear picture of the shot and determine the best club to execute it. See the shape of the shot in the air. You need to see it as vividly as possible. Pick a clearly visable spot on the horizon (or green) where you want the ball to start.

2. Now feel the shot with 2 practice swings. With each swing, see the ball flying to its target. This lets you feel what your body needs to do to execute your visualized shot. This exercise is also increasing your commitment to the shot, reducing doubt and negative images. We get to feel and look at what we want to happen. If you have no plan, it is easy to have doubt.

3. Now get aligned. Alignment is a fundamental of the game we must continually practice. Poor alignment will lead to poor shots no matter how positive your visualization. It can be helped greatly using the following technique. From directly behind the ball, close one eye and pick a spot (one that you can clearly see), 6 inches directly between the ball and your target-line (where you want the ball to start not finish).

4. You are now ready to execute the shot you have visualized and rehearsed. Start by setting the club down so the face is square to your spot. Now set your feet so you are square to the club-face and your spot. Your body will now be well aligned. Center yourself and feel balanced and connected to the ground. Feel athletic and ready for action.

5. Take two deep breaths and feel relaxed. You can now be very confident you are set up to the target correctly and you have committed to your shot. Take a glance at the target seeing your shot and then look at the ball. Do this twice. Try to have that picture of the target and the shot in your mind’s eye.

6. Now make your swing focusing on nothing else but making a good strike on the ball. Having the image of the shot and the feeling associated “pre-programed” will give you a much greater chance of hitting it.

So to summarize the pre-shot routine, the steps are:

Analyze

Visualize

Feel

Commit

Align

Center/balance

Execute

For more information on how you can learn mental techniques to improve your game every time to you play or practice, please visit www.golfstateofmind.com

If you think that you are a better golfer than your scores indicate, read this article to find tips for how to play smart golf and shoot better scores.

Have you ever hit the golf shot of a lifetime?  I know I have.  In fact, I have hit several golf shots of a lifetime.

I will tell you about this one particular shot that astonished me and all of my playing partners.  I had hit a long drive slightly askew with my new Taylor Made Driver.  I was using one of their new draw drivers, which I now love, but in the beginning I was tending to pull the driver.  So, in this instance, I ended up pulling the ball left into the trees.

Thus, I was left with a 215 yard shot to the hole but I could not hit the ball more than 5 feet in the air or it would hit the looming branches and I would be stuck in the trees.  I grabbed a 3 iron, placed the ball somewhat back in my stance, and hit the shot of a lifetime.  The ball travelled about 165 yards through the trees, stayed low the whole time, rolled out into the fairway, then onto the green near the hole, and left me with a 2 foot birdie putt, which I made.

When we were at the “19th hole” after the round, all of the talk was of this particular shot and the subsequent birdie.  Plus, this particular hole was a carryover of many in a skins game so it carried extra impact.

I will remember this shot always but this is unfortunate.  Why?

Since then, I have tried to repeat that same shot a minimum of ten times and failed every time, causing double and triple bogeys or worse.  This great golf shot caused future golf bad decisions.

If you want to be a par golfer, you have to play smarter golf to shoot better scores.  You should not try golf heroics.  Normally, when you are in the woods, the best idea is to punch out to the safest available location, and play for a bogey on the hole.  If you hit a great iron shot to the hole, perhaps you will even be able to salvage your par.

However, in trying to hit the shot of a lifetime, you risk completely damaging your round and shooting a much higher score that you should for your level of golf.

When you get into trouble on the golf course, do not try to hit the heroic shot.  You want to get the ball back in play and have a chance at salvaging a good score on the hole.

Golf is about rhythm and temperament.  If you get a high score on a hole because you tried to hit the heroic shot, you will throw of both your rhythm and your temperament and your golf score may be ruined.

So, the next time you find yourself stuck in the woods, punch the ball out to a safe spot and play for bogey.

If you have just read our initial article on one of the best strategies a golf player can use to predict how far each shot will travel during ideal conditions, you should already be making plans to take a practice session!
In case you missed part one of the strategy, a quick recap is simple: Back in the 1950s, professional golf player Deane Bemon was the first person to officially use a technique to learn how far each of his golf clubs would hit the ball. He simply practiced swinging every one of his clubs and measured exactly how far the ball traveled.
This technique is so simple, yet overlooked by the majority of golf players today. All you have to do in order to utilize the strategy is to take a day when the weather conditions are perfect, find a large empty field that can handle the distance of your longest drive, and hit a few shots from each club so that you can measure the distance of each ball.
Make Sure You Measure By Using The Average Distance
In part one of this article series, you were instructed to hit 7 to 10 balls with each club and measure the distance in yards. One of the first things you will realize is that you cannot hit the ball as far as you thought you could, before getting a solid understanding of each club’s capabilities. One mistake that amateur golfers make when breaking down their distances is using the longest distance measured when playing a real game.
Leave Room For Error When Playing A Real Game
A real golf game will not have the same ideal conditions in which you were accustomed to during your test measures. You’ll never be able to make contact with the ball perfectly square and hitting the club face’s sweet spot each and every time. The same goes for professional golfers. So the key to using this strategy is to use the average distance of each club during a golf game.
Once you have a crystal-clear idea of exactly how far each of your clubs will cause the ball to travel, your self-confidence and clarity on the golf course will improve tremendously. All of the guesswork is taken out of your shot and you are left with technique and full knowledge of your capabilities in terms of how far you can knowingly hit the ball with whatever club you choose.
Beginner golfer? No problem, here is a great tip how to choose a club:
Choosing Golf Club To Use
As you progress each shot down the fairway, the distance between your ball and the flagstick becomes shorter and shorter. This means that your goal is to hit the ball as far as possible from the tee shot. Then on all subsequent shots you will need to adjust your swing for accuracy and precision, not distance.
This requires that you utilize different clubs for different shots. The club faces are made from either metal or wood. Different materials on a golf club will have different effects on how far the ball will travel, and how high it will go.
Choosing An Iron or Wood
Generally speaking, the higher the number on the club, such as a 9-iron for example, the higher the ball will go into the air, but with much less distance than a lower-numbered club, such as a 3-iron.
If you are new to golf and are a little confused about these numbers and what clubs to use, don’t worry, in time you will have a specific feel for each and every one of your 14 clubs when playing on the golf course.

www.rdbgolftips.com Download this tip FREE on Ron’s site. Hit the longest driver shot or shorts flop, turn the head!!! Ron give us an example of rotating the head and following the eye linbe through the shot.

Do you have a clear understanding of exactly how each of your clubs will hit the ball during ideal conditions? In the past, golfers would just go by feel when choosing a club for each of their shots.
Then came professional golfer Deane Bemon. In the 1950s, he was considered the first person to decide which club he was going to use that was based entirely on how many yards there were to his target.
If Bemon was facing a shot that was 125 yards to the flagstick and if his pitching wedge was the club that would cause the ball to travel that exact distance, he would use that club! Choosing the right club for each shot boiled down to a science for Deane Bemon.
This particular golf strategy was initially frowned upon by most golfers. However, in just a very short period of time, the method of choosing the right golf club, by knowing exactly how it will cause the ball to travel, has become the standard for most players of today.
Another famous golf player, a professional known as Jack Nicklaus, learned this exact technique from Mr. Bemon and went on to become one of the greatest golf players of all-time.
Take Notes
By now you probably realize just how effective it is to know your clubs, so to speak. You need practice this same strategy as the professionals did in the past so that you can start hitting your ball as close to the intended target as possible.
If you do not have a clear idea of approximately how far you hit the ball with each of your clubs, you will repetitively hit shots that are either too far or too short, and your scorecard will prove it. Do yourself a favor and take the time to remove the guesswork of how far your golf clubs will hit the ball. Not only will your score improve, but your accuracy and concentration levels will increase.
Learn How Far You Can Hit The Ball With Each Club
Even though specific clubs are designed for long shots and other clubs were made for shorter ones, the distance that different players can hit the very same club will vary tremendously. This is why so many beginner golfers do not get the results they want from a club that is supposed to hit the ball in a certain way.
The best way to learn specifically what you can accomplish with each golf club is to find a large field that is big enough to handle the travel distance of your longest drive. Make sure that there are no windy conditions that day, and of course be positive that the field is empty for obvious safety reasons.
Now take out each club and hit 7 to 10 shots with every one. After each shot, measure the distance by pacing off how far each ball traveled. In order to measure correctly, you need to read the distance in yards. In order to do this, simply take out a yardstick and take one step forward to cover the entire length. All you have to do now is take the same strides and walk the distance of each swing to learn exactly how many yards each your clubs will hit the ball.

www.rdbgolftips.com Ron del Barrio shows you his passive golf swing.

Single shot Wii golf training high score