After my last blog post a number of people wanted more information about an 80-20 pre-shot routine. And one of the best way’s of teaching is by example. So here is a video of my 80-20 pre-shot routine. After you watch the video I have a couple of important things to mention…
Did you notice how simple that is? But there are some very subtle things I’m doing when setting up that will mean I’m more consistent than most other golfers. And those things all relate to the following three things:
- Grip
- Alignment
- Ball Position
Posture is not on that list because the posture you have at setup is more a result of the habits you’ve setup in the past. But I’m doing very specific things with my grip, alignment and ball position to help me hit the ball consistently. Can you guess what they are? Put your comments below and I’ll see how on to it you are. 
Tags: 80-20, pre-shot routine
April 29th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Wow Nick! You have one of the best swings I’ve seen. Looks soooo simple. You got me though. I don’t know what specific things you are doing as you’re setting up because it looks so darn simple. Whatever you’re doing I’m going to copy your setup. Cheers.
April 30th, 2009 at 1:18 am
Like Harry commented, you have a great swing. I have watched your setup over and over again and I can see you are checking your grip pretty closely. You are also pretty meticulous where you are positioning your ball.
–JJ
April 30th, 2009 at 1:30 am
Like the simple pre-shot routine. Fantastic swing too by the way.
April 30th, 2009 at 1:39 am
Smooth swing. Nice and simple routine.
April 30th, 2009 at 3:05 am
Lovely swing with very simple pre-shot routine. Needs a bit of thought about “getting through the ball” though..common fault of amateurs is reverse pivot, isn’t it?
April 30th, 2009 at 3:35 am
Beautiful looking swing,relaxed,smooth&effortless but lets get to the question.What i think i seen was right foot was the only part of your lowerbody to move,looked like a neutral grip @address with no regrip&just one waggle&pull the trigger.
April 30th, 2009 at 3:39 am
Nick. Nice smooth swing. Noticed that you rocked side to side to find your balancee position. Good balance is a requirement for a smooth swing, right?
April 30th, 2009 at 3:40 am
You are meticulous about the grip and ensure both hands are in the right position. Your alignment is so much easier if you check the line from behind the ball as you did before stepping up to the ball. Finally you are very definite about ball position and it is easier if you start with your feet together as you did having sorted your grip and alignment. I think I’ve been reading too many manuals!
April 30th, 2009 at 3:50 am
feet together at start, ball and right arm aligned with left foot, then move left foot back – makes consistency of set up easy,
April 30th, 2009 at 3:53 am
feet together at start, ball and right arm aligned with right foot, then move right foot back – makes consistency of set up easy, “V” in right hand grip also lined up with ball, club and shaft. I think I’ll try it!
April 30th, 2009 at 4:05 am
hi nick – it is a good looking swing.
the simple thing you do to help your pre- shot routine is
1 – i noticed the first thing you do is set the club down behind the ball – this sits the club head down flat and square to the ball
2 – then with the club head in position you then grip the club while its still in position behind the ball.
3 – you then stand with your feet together so that the ball is bang in the middle of your stance – so then all you have to do from there is move your right leg back to your normal stance – this gives you the perfect ball position in relation to your feet.
3- due to this perfect ball position it than gives you the correct right side set up with your weight slightly favouring behind the ball
4- then with a little waggle of the club with your wrists ( this helps to stop you gripping the club too tightly )and engrains the correct take back.
5 – then the most impressive thing was the easy swing without thrashing as the ball. also what you did well was to keep “quiet ” on the swing .i.e no swaying and dipping with very little leg movement..
if people could learn nothing else from this clip other than the smooth un forced swing that you do so well.
but the whole clip is a really simple easy to follow pre shot routine to help all us sunday hackers !!
April 30th, 2009 at 4:27 am
Very nice Nick,
Good stance – feet not too far apart
Square hips, shoulders down target line
Ball just inside instep of left foot
Straight, not stiff, arm
and then ;
You don’t try to ‘nuke’ it off the tee like a lot of amateur players.
It’s a smooth, rhythmic transition that looks and, presumably, feels effortless, as it should be, with little lateral movement.
Works for me but not at a consistency level that satisfies me.
I STILL try to give it everything every now and again with disastrous results and that’s one of the things that makes the game so infuriatingly fascinating !! Usually turns a 76 into an 81 and a need for a lager or two
April 30th, 2009 at 4:34 am
As you approach the ball you first square the club head, but leave it a little open. You then fix your grip and then you set your feet by making sure the ball is forward in your stance. It all looks effrotless.
April 30th, 2009 at 4:48 am
It looks like you’re using another ball for alignment.
April 30th, 2009 at 4:52 am
grip – i notice that you have placed your right hand on the club (bottom hand for right handers) first, alignment – you line up the ball to target line (assume this is ensure you set up parallel to this line), ball position – you set your right foot first (again for right handers) this is set in line with the ball (ensuring that the ball position is set just inside the heel of your left foot). Nice simple swing …
April 30th, 2009 at 4:52 am
It looks like you’re using another ball for alignment to the target.
Also, you don’t hover over the ball very long which helps in keeping tension at a minimum.
April 30th, 2009 at 4:52 am
Here’s my take:
You set your target line using the ball front of you as a visual reference, you grip the club with your right hand first and set it square to your target line, you then set your right foot perpendicular to the target line, set your left foot next to it, then step your right foot back parallel to the target line until your feet are approximately at shoulder width. You slide your left hand into position
under the right and waggle to release tension and start the swing – a very nice one indeed!
April 30th, 2009 at 5:07 am
Hello Nick
Looking at your swing reminds me of mine a very long time ago!! I guess you are always using the set up routine for all shots, Visualisation before approaching the ball, same number of steps to address position and perfect swing plane.
Good luck and thanks for your help so far
Mikethaisun
April 30th, 2009 at 5:09 am
1. You are looking to see where you want to hit the ball
2. You are getting your grip right
3. You are aligning your feet, shoulders, hips.
April 30th, 2009 at 5:28 am
i noticed you viewed your direction from behind the ball before you stepped in to position your feet together in your stance.you placed your right hand hold on the club never changing the position of it and then brought the left hand on the club to match up with the right hand one.you then tilted the right shoulder and kept your head and weight behind the ball
April 30th, 2009 at 5:45 am
Picking out a target.
Aquiring your grip.
Addressing the ball the same way each time.
Maintaning a consistant tempo.
April 30th, 2009 at 5:50 am
I DIDN’T SEE HOW YOU SET THE CLUB IN YOUR RIGHT HAND. IS THAT INPORTANT
AT THE FIRST OR DO YOU SET IT UP WHEN YOUR SETTING UP IN FRONT OF THE
BALL. HOW DO YOU SET THE CLUB ON THE GROUND TO AIM IT TOWARD THE TARGET
THAT IS WHAT I MISSED IT THE SET UP.AND HOW DO YOU PRATIST THIS SET UP AND SWING I SEEM TO START OUT OK BUT END UP WITH THE SAME OLD SWING.
THANK YOU DALE
April 30th, 2009 at 6:05 am
noticeable that you set up club held in right hand only aligned along path of expected trajectory, with right foot in line with ball & then left next to it. the left hand is then added to complete the grip & the right foot then moves leaving ball at inside of left heel. allows consistency of ball positioning & keeps the left-hand consistent ?
April 30th, 2009 at 6:29 am
Nice tempo, aligning the clubface first sets the whole thing up,good balance
April 30th, 2009 at 6:56 am
I agree w/ the my co-golfers too – what a nice, slow and accurate swing you did. Of course, we dont know what you are doing w/ your grip,alignment and ball positioning making your swing so simple and effective.Great!!!
April 30th, 2009 at 7:14 am
The one thing I did notice was the way you align your feet at a dress.
back foot aligned with the ball front foot just ahead and you only move the rear foot when you go into your stance.
April 30th, 2009 at 7:17 am
What I see mostly is alignment and ball position. First you seem to be finding your target. Then you approach the ball aligning the club face with the target. Center yourself to the ball, since it is your driver you step away with your trailing foot to keep the ball off your left heel. A waggle to keep loose and swing away.
Very comfortable all the time.
April 30th, 2009 at 7:35 am
Well what I noticed was first you were using another ball to help alignment and aiming also you positon the feet a little ahead of the ball when first setting up and then stepping back with the back foot.
This gets the ball position forward so you hit up into the ball. you also set the club down first using your right hand and then position the left hand, but couldn’t see what you were doing with the grip.
I have to agree with the other people, you sure do have a wonderful swing. Like I said the only thing i couldn’t see what you did with the grip. I pickup from a video to place the club ahead of the ball so the club is on your left side and the left hand is hanging natural and then grip. This put the thumb at 1 o.clock and this seems to be the best position for the grip. I really like it because I have the same grip with every club this way. Again Thanks for your help, we really need it.
April 30th, 2009 at 7:45 am
Not sure if I picked up on the subtleties:
Grip: right hand first, then left hand. Feet together with ball in the middle, then move right foot back, adjust left foot, so ball is inside left heel. V’s look like they point more to chin than right shoulder (neutral grip, not strong). Because you grip the club with right hand first, I imagine this drops your right shoulder automatically, and you might slightly move your left hip toward the ball the clear the hips for a full turn and allow you to pivot.
Alignment: Can’t tell where you’re aiming, but I imagine ball line is right side of railroad track, and feet are aiming at left side of railroad track, with knees, hips and shoulders on same line with feet.
Ball: inside left heel. Didn’t notice a forward press, and club was on ground; it’s not hovering above the ground like Nicklaus used to do it. It did look like, but I’m not sure, if you start your backswing with the right knee bending toward target.
As others have stated, your swing is simple, efficient, no wasted motions. Beautiful.
April 30th, 2009 at 7:56 am
Your right hand grip does not change, you aim the club first with your right hand then place your left on the grip.
You aim your feet, looks slightly open on the video, ball positioned at your left heel while feet together, then you move right foot back, leaving left where it was.
April 30th, 2009 at 8:08 am
You walk to the ball along the target line. There is a second ball down line as a alignment aid during practice.
The grip appears to give you a view of at least two knuckles on the left hand. The right thumb pad overlaps the left thumb. Both thumbs lie just off the shaft center line.
I noticed you position your feet carefully. At start of setup both feet seem to be well open to the target line. The right foot appears to be pointed directly at the ball with the left foot next to it. When you move the right foot back to final setup this automaticaly postions the ball opposite the left heel. At this point both feet are flared a few degrees and a little more than shoulder width apart.
A very athletic position and swing. I only wish I could!!
April 30th, 2009 at 8:42 am
Congratulations Nick, great reliable swing.
I´ve notice: First, you visualize the shot from the back of the ball. Second, then you position the club aiming to the target with your feet together . Third, almost simultaneously, you grip the club <at this stage I stop the video and notice you are doing all of the above “reclining” on your right leg (according to the camera angle). Fourth, at address, I notice the ball is positioned more less in the middle of your feet and your hands are slightly forward and your long waggle sets the rythm of what´s coming next (I´ll try to aplly this to my own routin). Best of all is your smooth swing, back and forth (effortlessly). I once was tought to implement only the 80% of your swing speed capability in order to maintain the proper rythm.
April 30th, 2009 at 9:46 am
OK, I love a guessing game, and in this case, that’s what it is, so here’s my guess…
It looks to me like you are opening your stance, but also opening your clubface, so the two are offsetting. Rather weak grip, too, by today’s standards, but then a lot of great golfers had weak grips. Some, like Mr. Hogan, to fight a slice, and some others just because it worked for them.
Having said that, what you see on video, and what is actually happening, are usually two rather different phenomena. Can’t wait to hear the real answer to the riddle!
April 30th, 2009 at 10:01 am
Your lined up the shot to the target from behind the ball. Then you stepped up to the ball with the club in your right hand and lined up with your right foot to get the right distance from the ball. Then you stepped into your stance with your left foot and drew your right foot back after the left was positioned, thus placing the ball just inside your left toe. You positioned your left club on the grip, then loosened and replaced your right hand, noticably relaxing it on the grip.
You looked at the target, waggled once to get some motion into the position and then started your swing.
1. Direction
2. Position to ball
3. Release of tension
4. Got into motion before starting swing.
You made it look simple! Like Sammy Snead used to say … “Oily Smooth”.
April 30th, 2009 at 10:04 am
Thanks Nick,
Dying to get to golf course to
try out ball placement as an aid for
alignment!
Richard!
April 30th, 2009 at 10:05 am
It appears that you checked you grip then the get into proper position by stepping up to the ball with both feet together. Left foot’s toe facing the ball then you step back with the right leg keeping square the shoulders, hips and feet with the ball. Beautiful swing I might add. I am assumeing that your on the practice tee for I did notice a ball infront of the ball you hit. Used for allinement?
Did try the setup and it was far better then what I have been doing. The ball just flys a long ways.
April 30th, 2009 at 11:42 am
You make look simple………and for me it’s not. Ok the three things, grip – yes the correct end of the club, alignment – club face facing the ball, Ball- on a tee. Is it any wonder why I don’t hit a consistant ball.
April 30th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Set grip from behind ball with right hand. Move to ball with feet together and ball centered. Alignment of body looks slightly left of target line. Place club down with right hand, then grip with left hand. Spread legs by moving right foot back, keeping ball and left foot in place. Then tilt body to right. After that, swing by rotating body with club around body then up keeping head still, then down thru ball and up and back, raising head up only after have contacted ball. Very smooth–nice.
April 30th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Hey guys, morning here in New Zealand and I’m just checking the replies. I must say that your answers are very, very good! What an intelligent bunch of golfers we have here.
April 30th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
HELLO,
MY IS LARRY MILLS , MIAMI FLORIDA.
THANKS FOR THE TEST.
MY ANSWER TO THE QUESTION IS THE EYE MOMENT.
LARRY
May 1st, 2009 at 1:37 am
The 80 – 20 rule. 16 second clip 12 second for the setup 4 seconds for the swing more like 75 – 25.
May 1st, 2009 at 2:13 am
Nick
I agree with Kev. Also, it appears that your club is slightly open at address.
Pat
May 1st, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Looks like you draw a lime from your ball to the one about 3feet aheadto the target. Then take about 80% of your power with a very easy swing
May 1st, 2009 at 7:26 pm
You draw a line from your ball to the one ahead of it, and set up to hit your tee shot over the ball ahead, with a very easy swing
May 2nd, 2009 at 4:05 am
Since visualisation is done before the ‘walk-in’, I think the single most important item in your routine, as seen, is the selection of a spot, on this occasion a ball, about a yard in front and in line with a target determined from behind.
Everything that takes place thereafter is determined by your right-angled and right-sided relationship to that target line.
The clubface is set square to the target with your right hand.
The right foot is placed at right angles to the target in line with the ball which ensures that when the left foot is brought along side the ball will always be in the same relative position.
Not that I particularly agree with this for all clubs…..for the recreational player.
The right hand being on the club squaring the face helps ensure the V’s stay in the same position on completion of the set-up.
I particularly like the overall pace of the preparation.
The single look. the waggle and the immediate movement in to the back-swing, done at this pace, is certainly worth working on.
May 2nd, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Nick,
Hate to say this but, I am sure you are losing power because of your hip slide. The body coil and the torque are lessened because of this. Try and restrict the hip slide and you will see great improvement in your distance!
Good luck!
Kall
May 3rd, 2009 at 10:32 am
Short and simple swing.
May 3rd, 2009 at 12:47 pm
1. behind to ball see the target.2. grip the handle with right hand
club head on th ground. swing.
May 4th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Good stuff as always Nick!
A simple no nonsense way to address the ball,very repeatable.
I also notice a slight loading/weight shift to the right hip/side
before starting your backswing.
Would like to see the same set up routine/video for an iron shot as well.
May 4th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
I’d also like to add,video taping your pre-shot routine can be a real eye opener.
I just did some chipping in the backyard with the camera rolling,
and didn’t realize how much fidgeting I was doing with the clubhead/hands before actually hitting the ball.
Which can cause WAY too many swing thoughts to creep into your mind.
Tried a simpler process similar to Nicks,the first thing I noticed was
my mind was much clearer and more focused,and results were more repeatable.
Thanks!
May 5th, 2009 at 3:28 am
The only thing I would suggest is really taking a look down the fairway to focus on the target and take one very loose swing behind the ball… aside from that this is a perfect way t approach a shot.
Thanks
May 13th, 2009 at 6:37 am
Has anyone picked up on the fact you don’t ground the club prior to the swing about to start