Golf Tips: Copy Scottie Scheffler's Pre-Shot Routine With These 5 Steps

Scottie Scheffler has been completely dominant this season heading into the Ryder Cup.

Sure, he's got six PGA TOUR wins this season and sits at World No. 1 — but what’s really been catching my eye his distance or putting prowess. It's something most recreational golfers completely ignore: Scheffler's robot-like consistency with his pre-shot routine.

This isn't some happy accident — it's the cornerstone of elite golf that weekend players somehow overlook completely.

Most weekend warriors think golf is all about the swing. Tour pros know better — golf lives between your ears. Same swing, same technique. What keeps guys like Scheffler steady was that unchanging routine, the one thing anchoring his mind when everything else felt like chaos.

A solid routine does four critical things: locks in your setup and alignment, calms pre-shot nerves, creates rhythm that flows into your swing, and gives you a reset button after disasters.

But here's the real magic — it gives your brain something constructive to focus on instead of obsessing over where that ball might end up. Try this four-step routine if you need help:

Plant yourself directly behind your ball, eyes locked on your target. This is command central for your entire shot. Picture exactly what you want to happen. Lock in your target line. Commit to that club choice. Make your practice swings right here and feel out the exact swing you need for this specific situation. Take your time. A minute, maybe two. Make as many rehearsal swings as you need until you feel confident. Once you've planned it and practiced it, you're done thinking — time to execute.

Walk to your ball from the side — never straight behind it. This keeps your target line fresh in your mind and creates the same approach angle every time. Count your steps. Most pros take three or four. Make it automatic. Once you start walking, no second-guessing allowed.

The clubface goes down first, aimed directly at your target. Everything else builds around that clubface. Same sequence, every time: clubface, feet, shoulders, tiny adjustments. Eight to ten seconds max.

Step into your final position, steal one last glance at your target, then let it rip. No hesitation. Create a simple trigger — maybe a forward press, a little waggle, or just a deep breath. Whatever signals "go time" for you.

Watch that ball fly and hold your follow-through until it lands. Completes the routine and helps with balance and tempo.

Consistency beats perfection every time. Start by timing how you currently approach shots. Most recreational golfers either rush their planning (taking under 30 seconds in total) or get stuck in analysis paralysis throughout the entire process. The sweet spot? Take your sweet time in the "think box" — up to two minutes for planning and rehearsing — but once you commit and start walking, you've got 15-20 seconds to execute.

Master this on the range first, where there's zero pressure. Hit balls focusing purely on nailing your routine, not where they go. Once it becomes second nature on the range, bring it to the course.

Your routine needs to feel like you. Scheffler's works for Scheffler. Yours might look totally different. What matters is doing it exactly the same way, every single time. That's what separates the players from the pretenders.

Your routine becomes your security blanket in pressure cookers. Trying to break 80 for the first time? Standing over that club championship putt? Having that familiar process to fall back on can make or break your round.

When you're watching Scheffler or any of the players competing in the Ryder Cup this week, don't just study their swing mechanics. Watch their routine. Notice how it never wavers, whether they're cruising or grinding. That's no accident — that's the secret ingredient separating champions from everyone else fighting for scraps.