Build a Pre-Shot Routine You Can Trust When Everything’s on the Line

Last week at Q-School, A.J. Ewart shot four consecutive rounds in the 60s to earn his PGA TOUR card. At 26, with everything on the line, he could have started experimenting with new swing thoughts or trying hero shots he’d never practiced. Instead, he did something far more powerful: he trusted his process.

In my 15 years of teaching, I’ve watched golfers at every level make the same mistake when pressure arrives. They abandon what got them there. Their hands get shaky, their breathing quickens, and suddenly they’re reaching for something unfamiliar—a swing tip they heard last week, a swing thought that worked once, a shot they’ve never truly grooved. That’s when golf falls apart.

“Here’s the thing about consistency: it beats heroics every single time. When you’re standing over that putt to break 80, or when there’s money on the line in your weekend Nassau, that’s not the time to abandon your pre-shot routine.”

A solid pre-shot routine is like an anchor. It gives your nervous system something familiar to grip onto when pressure is high. It channels mental energy away from doubt and toward execution. The best part? You don’t need to be a tour player to benefit from one.

Why Routine Beats Heroics

Your brain works in two modes: conscious and automatic. When you’re relaxed on the practice range, you can think through your swing step by step. But on the course—especially when there’s pressure—your conscious mind gets flooded with fear, doubt, and “what-ifs.” That’s when you need automatic patterns to take over.

A pre-shot routine builds those automatic patterns. Every time you execute the same sequence before every shot, you’re training your brain to shift into “performance mode” rather than “thinking mode.” You’re saying: “I’ve done this a thousand times. I can do it now.”

Ewart’s consistency didn’t come from being perfect. It came from being predictable—to himself first, and then to the course.

Building Your Routine (It’s Simpler Than You Think)

Here’s what I tell my students: your pre-shot routine should take 30 to 45 seconds, and it should include three non-negotiable elements.

First: Visual assessment. Stand behind the ball and look at your target line. For a putt, this is your read. For a full swing, this is your alignment and any hazards. Spend about 10 seconds here. You’re gathering information, not overthinking.

Second: Physical setup. Step into your stance, take your grip, and align your body. This should be identical every single time—same number of practice swings, same breathing pattern, same foot positioning. I like golfers to take one deep breath in and one out before they address the ball. It settles your nervous system.

Third: Commit and execute. Once you’re settled, no more changes. No re-gripping. No last-second swing thoughts. You’re committed. You pull the trigger.

Try This: The Routine Drill

Start on the practice range with your short irons. Pick a specific target 100 yards away. Hit 10 shots, and before each one, execute your routine exactly the same way. Don’t skip steps even though there’s no pressure. You’re building muscle memory for your brain, not just your body.

Next, move to the practice green. Pick three putts from three feet away. Execute your full routine before each one—step behind the ball, assess your read, step in, take your breath, and commit. Make this feel like it matters, because when it actually does, you’ll already know what to do.

Finally, play 9 holes where you treat every shot like it’s for your club championship. Use your routine on every single shot, even the tap-in gimmes. This trains your nervous system: “This is what we do here. This is normal.”

The Pressure Test

Here’s where routine proves its value. Play a match or Nassau with a friend where there’s something on the line—even if it’s just five dollars. As the pressure rises, watch what happens. If you’ve built a real routine, you’ll notice something interesting: the pressure doesn’t disappear, but it becomes background noise. You have a script to follow, and that script takes up mental space that fear would otherwise occupy.

“Don’t suddenly try to hit shots you’ve never practiced. Build a routine you trust, then lean on it when your hands are shaking.”

The goal isn’t to make golf less emotional. The goal is to give your hands something to do while your emotions settle. When you step into your stance and follow the same sequence you’ve followed hundreds of times, your hands remember. Your body remembers. And that memory is far stronger than any conscious thought you could manufacture in that moment.

One More Thing

Your routine should feel natural to you, not robotic. Some of my students like to visualize the shot in detail. Others prefer to keep it simple and let muscle memory do the work. The specifics matter less than the consistency. Pick elements that calm you down and help you focus, then commit to them completely.

Ewart didn’t earn his TOUR card because he’s more talented than everyone else at Q-School. He earned it because when the pressure was highest, he had a process to trust. You have that same opportunity, whether you’re playing for a tour card or playing to break 90. Build it. Trust it. Lean on it when your hands are shaking. That’s when golf rewards you most.