If you don’t have a pre-shot routine for your short game, you’re wasting shots around the greens. 

If you’re like most golfers you probably have one for your full swings but how about with chipping or pitching? 

After detailing in this article how a speedy pre-shot routine can lower your score, it’s important to develop one for your short game too. 

Keep reading to learn how you can save more strokes with a solid short game. 

Short Game Pre-Shot Routine 

As a reminder, a pre-shot set of rituals can help you:

• Maximize focus
• Minimize nerves
• Perform better under pressure
• Help your mind stay in the present

And ultimately, hit better shots… especially in pressure-packed moments. You should have three types of routines; full shot, short game, and putting. 

Chipping and Pitching Rituals

Chipping and pitching requires a different routine as you’re closer to the green and don't need a big swing. Instead, you need to get your imagination involved as you oftentimes need to get creative. 

The first step to a short-game routine is to find your landing spot. 

In most cases, your landing zone is on the green (to avoid a nasty fringe bounce) and then release to the hole like a putt. But sometimes you might try to bump a chip into the fairway cut and then release on the green.

Once the landing zone is identified, I like to take my pre-shot swings next to the ball. Which is the exact opposite of my pre-shot routine with a full swing, which is behind the ball. 

I like adjusting this part of the short-game routine so you can take a few swings, move closer, and pull the trigger quickly. Remember, faster routines lead to lower scores!

Also, it’s best to take practice swings next to the ball too so you can understand the lie. Try to take practice swings in grass that is similar to the lie of your golf ball to better understand how the ball will react. 

Practice Swings

What about practice swings?

There are no set number of practice swings I’d recommend. Sometimes it’s one swing and you know the shot… Other times, it's two or three swings. 

Once you feel ready, step up, look at your landing spot one last time and pull the trigger. Don’t hesitate! 

Bunker Routine

Your chipping routine might change in the bunker as some players like to take practice swings behind the ball while others next to it. Ultimately, test out both in practice to see which one gives you the most confidence. 

Putting Pre-Shot Routine 

Finally, don’t forget about a pre-shot routine for putting as well. If you watch LIV or PGA Tour golf you’ll notice there are many styles of putting routines.

Tiger Woods is very different from Cameron Smith who is very different from Billy Horschel. Ultimately, you’ll need to test out different methods and see what works best for you.

A lot of golfers like to take 1-2 practice strokes next to the ball like chipping. Once a good stroke is made, move closer to the ball and hit the putt like Tiger.

While others (like myself) prefer a style like Cameron Smith. I like to take practice strokes behind the ball and look at the hole to feel the speed of the putt. 

Then I walk up to the putt (which is lined up to my apex with the Pro V1 arrow), take a final look at the hole, and then putt without another practice stroke.

Develop all three of these pre-shot routines to set yourself up for success. The more you practice them, the more they will help you perform when you need it most on the golf course.