Menu
I didn’t pick these players for any particular reason other than the TV coverage caught their entire set up routine, and I like to look at and time what they do before each shot. Routine is an especially important concept for young players to learn, but it can help anyone who is serious about the game by standardizing their movements prior to starting the swing. Having a routine helps in several ways, the most important of which is having a way to quickly go through a checklist (grip, alignment, distance from the ball, balance front to back and side to side, ball position, foot placement, etc.), making sure that you are not dooming yourself before the hard part starts. Another reason a routine is crucial in competition is that it occupies the mind at the very time the heartrate is the fastest. When you are concentrating on your set up, you are not thinking as much about the consequences of your shot. The only time you think about your swing is during the time after your eyes move back to the ball after your last look at the target and the time the club moves back, a total of about 2 seconds, which means you better have your swing thoughts consolidated into a usable two, preferably fitting into a “back and through” rhythm. When you watch these three players you can see that they do their improvising before they take that first step toward the ball, after which everything is choreographed precisely. I think it is crucial to the game that young players learn to speed up their routines, as slow play is one reason the game is losing favor.
Join the forum discussion on this post