Amidst all the weather we have been having, a day that was Wednesday broke out with 55 degrees of pure heavenly warmth. My buddy and I did not hesitate, a round of golf at a challenging 18-hole course, 3066 yards (no par 5s). My buddy, who is the same one I spoke about in Last Round of 2010 struggled on the first tee, topping/shanking his tee shot shot on the par 3, 100 yards hole.
It seemed it would be another day where I would play great, he would play frustrated. However, today was different. At the 7th hole, a par 3, 140 yard flat green in front. I told him that he needed to develop a preshot routine. He is a very stubborn athlete, but for once, he listened, and asked "how"?
- Step back behind the ball
- Pick his landing target
- Pick a spot on the ground 2-3 inches in front of the ball that aligns to that target
- Set up, just to the side or behind - execute a practice swing
- Step up, picture the shot, EXECUTE the shot
There was no need for a swing mechanic lesson (like I'm the one to tell him), he performed the preshot routine the rest of the round - and produced one of his great scores in a long time, an 85 (par 60); including a chip in on the 18th for a par.
What a difference a preshot routine makes.
