You might have heard that good golfers have a pre-shot routine they go through every time they hit a shot. It's a good idea for you, too, because it ensures that you tip the odds of making a good shot in your favor as much as possible.
There are six things you should do before you hit a golf ball. These apply to any shot, from drive to putt. Do them in this order.
1. Calm your mind.
2. Take your grip.
3. Visualize the shot.
4. Align yourself to the shot.
5. Set up for the shot
6. Hit the shot.
Let's go over each of these steps. Before you get ready to hit a shot, you should get your mind on it, and off whatever you were thinking about as you walked up to the ball. This calmness will also lead to the confidence that you can successfully hit the shot you select.
Taking your grip is made a separate step because your grip has to be consistent. Slight variations in the grip causes more bad shots that any swing flaw does.
Visualizing the shot means looking at the course in front of you and having the choice of shots become clear to you. It does not mean seeing a shot in your mind's eye. What if the shot you see is the wrong shot, or one you really can't hit? When your mind it calm, all you'll see is the shot you can hit with confidence.
The ball can only go at best where you aim it. Everyone knows that, but aiming yourself takes careful attention because it is so easy to get it wrong. You hit a beautiful shot and wonder why it went twenty yards right. Well, that's where you were aimed!
Your setup, meaning stance, posture, and ball position, defines what kind of swing you can make. Your best swing can only come out of your best setup. Put Tiger Woods in a bad setup and even he wouldn't play good golf.
Hitting the shot is what the previous five steps were leading up to, but I'm recommending that you think of that as a sixth step, rather than a separate activity. If you do, your mind will stay calm at this most critical moment. Separating the swing from the lead-in could cause your mental preparation to disappear. That wouldn't be good.
Everyone expresses these steps in a different way. When you find a way that makes sense to you, stick to it, but don't be a slave to it. If something else feels more comfortable, feel free to change, even during a round, as long as you so through each of the six steps.