Instruction
Own your game and execute better with a post-shot routine
We are all trying to get better at this silly game a variety of different ways. But one skill set that rarely gets the attention it deserves is our post-shot routine.
Perhaps you are unfamiliar with the term? I know it didn’t hit my radar until late in my golfing career. For golfers who are impatiently waiting for the answer to join the party, the post-shot routine is the end of the process of executing a golf shot, and has the primary purpose of asking yourself one very simple question:
“How could I have achieved a better result from my last shot?”
When utilized correctly, the post-shot routine can be one of the most efficient tools in helping you understand your game. It can also give you a more specific game plan to help you achieve a better result from your next shot.
Jim Furyk, golf’s newest member of the 59 club, and a golfer’s role model for a conscious post-shot routine.
Jim Furyk, the latest golfer to enter the 59 club at the 2013 BMW Championship, is an extremely proficient user of the post-shot routine and a wonderful role model for golfers to emulate. What can we learn from Furyk’s post shot routine? When he doesn’t achieve the outcome he desires, he almost ALWAYS executes a conscious, post-shot dynamic swing.
One of my favorite examples of his steadfast commitment to his post shot routine (although it’s a painful one) came on the final green of his single’s match in the 2012 Ryder Cup. Furyk had a relatively straight putt, from less than 8 feet, to tie the hole and halve his match with Sergio Garcia. But he missed the putt and lost the match. He then shook hands with Sergio and both teams that were watching the match conclude, and afterward he delayed the next match waiting in the 18th fairway because he had not had the opportunity to finalize his post-shot routine. He went back to the location of the missed putt, re-read the putt and then took multiple putting strokes, engraining the actual stroke that WOULD have made the putt.
Jim Furyk, studying the putt that cost him a Ryder Cup match against Sergio Garcia. This is one of the conscious choices Furyk makes during his post-shot routine.
Furyk KNOWS what takes place with his game when it breaks down, which is the first step to having and executing a conscious post-shot routine. Maybe the feel at impact and the subsequent ball flight told him. Perhaps he could feel that something was out of sequence with his golf swing. Or maybe it was a simple mistake of alignment or ball position. It also could have been a combination of the three. Regardless, Furyk is educated enough about his tendencies to evaluate what sequence broke down with his shot execution.
You too need to know the reason why your golf ball misbehaved. If you can’t answer why your golf ball threw a temper tantrum, you are only relying on your athleticism to help you execute a better shot the next time around. If you read one of my previous posts, you’ll know that it is my belief that you’re hindering your growth and ability to execute shots by solely relying on that skill set.
Instead of relying solely on your “Athlete,” I encourage you to put on your problem solving hat, and/or go seek out your local teaching professional to help you answer those questions and OWN your game. That understanding will help you be better prepared for the second step to an efficient, conscious, post-shot routine.
Let’s get back to our role model for the post-shot routine. Because Furyk knows what broke down in the execution of his golf shot, he consciously knows the correct “medicine” to apply to have made his last execution more efficient. This is the second step to having a conscious, efficient, post-shot routine. Furyk has a game plan to help him manage the tendencies that break down in his golf swing. One of those game plans is making the correct, dynamic golf swing sequence that would have helped him execute his last shot more efficiently.
I encourage you to watch Furyk the next time he’s on TV. He almost always takes dynamic practice swings after a poorly executed golf shot. When he takes those practice swings, he is applying minor adjustments to his technique to program a better swing for his next shot.
A contributing factor to Jim Furyk 59 at the 2013 BMW Championship was his steadfast commitment to a post-shot routine.
A maybe surprising observation that most of us have a subconscious post-shot routine. It might be an act of frustration, like screaming out your favorite four letter word. It could also be a resigned acceptance of what just transpired, perhaps with a sigh and shrug of the shoulders. It could also be a celebration… “I am invincible!” And it might even be a subconscious golf swing.
My challenge to you is to implement a post-shot routine similar to Jim Furyk’s. To maximize this routine, you need to have CONSCIOUS thought. Conscious thought will give you a deeper understanding of your golf swing. Understanding your golf swing will lead to complete ownership of your game. Complete ownership of your golf game will lead to better management of your game’s tendencies, and ultimately lead to lower scores.
Good luck!
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
RBC Heritage Tour Report: More minis, course-specific setups, Spider & GTS launches
Justin Rose WITB 2026 (April): Full WITB breakdown with new McLaren irons
Best fairway woods of 2026: The most versatile fairway woods + the most forgiving fairway woods
What’s the story behind Webb Simpson’s custom-stamped irons?
Cadillac Championship Tour Report: Spieth’s sizable changes, McLaren Golf launches, and more
The 24 players who can win the Masters
Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB: 2026 Masters
Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
J.J. Spaun’s winning WITB: 2026 Valero Texas Open
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2026 Cadillac Championship
Alex Fitzpatrick WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus...
Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
Driver: Ping G440 Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 60 TX 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft:...
WITB Time Machine: Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB, 2021 Truist Championship
Rory McIlroy’s victory at the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship 2021 (now the Truist Championship) marked a significant return to form,...
Collin Morikawa WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade SIM Tour (14 degrees) Shaft:...
-
Equipment2 weeks agoJustin Rose WITB 2026 (April): Full WITB breakdown with new McLaren irons
-
Equipment1 week agoWhat’s the story behind Webb Simpson’s custom-stamped irons?
-
Equipment2 weeks agoCadillac Championship Tour Report: Spieth’s sizable changes, McLaren Golf launches, and more
-
Whats in the Bag3 days ago
Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
-
Whats in the Bag1 week agoCameron Young’s winning WITB: 2026 Cadillac Championship
-
Whats in the Bag3 weeks agoNelly Korda WITB 2026 (April)
-
Equipment2 weeks agoJustin Rose on the switch to McLaren Golf, learnings from previous equipment moves
-
Tour Photo Galleries2 weeks agoPhotos from the 2026 Cadillac Championship
Anthony Maccioli
Nov 4, 2013 at 9:07 am
This is a great strategy. My college coach last year tried to stress this to me and I have began to try to implement this into my game; it is hard to do every time though, unfortunately. I feel like it won’t slow down play much at all honestly. It is quicker than people going and hitting a mulligan and then having to go search for their ball. It definitely allows someone to be able to let go of their bad shot and go onto the next one and be clear headed.
Tim Mitchell
Nov 3, 2013 at 3:42 pm
All…thank you for your comments! I understand your concerns about the Conscious Post Shot Routine slowing down play on the golf course. I would like to offer the following observation about my experience with learning patterns.
Any skill set that you learn, takes time to understand, practice and apply with proficiency. The more proficient you become at a skill set, the simpler, easier and less time consuming that skill set takes.
Think of how long it took us to learn how to drive an automobile with a stick shift transmission. Becoming proficient with the combination and sequencing of clutch, gas, stick shift and steering column was a frighteningly slow and painful process for every gear shift! I’m sure we all had some awkward, tricky moments for the first couple of weeks, but eventually we became comfortable, efficient and TIMELY with driving our car.
My suggestion…spend time developing this skill set on the range first. Slowly but surely, like all skill sets that we learn, the speed will come…so much so that it should not affect the pace of play on the golf course. In fact, if you are skilled enough at the Post Shot Routine, you could potentially fix yourself quicker and therefore hit less poor shots on the course.
Food for thought!
Randy
Nov 5, 2013 at 7:08 pm
You said yourself that Jim Furyk slowed down the group behind him while on the 18th green. He is as skilled as they come when it comes to the “Post Shot Routine”, and yet he is slowing groups down. I hear a lot of PGA tour pros say that they leave analysis of their golf swing on the driving range. This seems more like something that needs to be done on the range rather than extending a round by 30 minutes or more.
Tim Mitchell
Nov 7, 2013 at 3:30 pm
Yes Randy, he did. But I believe Jim used that opportunity to go through his post shot routine because he had company. The European Team was still celebrating the victory on the green as well. There’s definitely a time and place to use this skill set. If you’re out of position on the golf course, spending time catching up should be your first priority.
I would make one other comment…some players leave the analysis of their swings on the range, some don’t. It’s all about finding the right balance that works best for you. Thanks for the observation!
paul
Nov 2, 2013 at 9:17 pm
Lots of negative people visit this site. If 10000 people read this article, 50 are going to take it to heart and with 10s of thousands of courses across north America im sure the average round will increase by 0.007564 seconds.
MD's
Nov 2, 2013 at 5:41 pm
Obviously a time and a place for it, but very effective in identifying the correct feel. For those unable to consider its benefits, do so at the detriment of your development. Cheers for a good write up!
pablo
Nov 1, 2013 at 8:53 pm
This can be done on the fairway and green, in an abbreviated way, as i currently do (just the quick visualization and stroke, not the entire pre shot routine) without undue delay. But use common sense. Bottom line is you can’t hold up play.
Golfwrx
Nov 1, 2013 at 8:08 pm
JM is not a convincing example to convey your message. Whatever pre and post shot routine JF is using, it doesn’t prove to be working on PGA Tour. Then how will it work with amateurs at their local courses?
George
Nov 1, 2013 at 4:35 pm
Just start the article over with the caveat “IF THERE”S NO ONE BEHIND YOU.”
If someone at our club played with Furyk’s pre- and post- shot routine, he would receive a letter of warning for slow play.
If you’re doing that s–t on a muni on saturday morning, get ready to have half empty beer cans thrown at you.
naflack
Nov 1, 2013 at 1:22 pm
I can understand the sentiment here however…
Let’s leave this exercise to the pros who get paid to play this and find a five hour round to be part of the job. I’m a calm guy who respects other golfers but if I had to play behind some knob who goes all the pre and post rigmarole…I would have some choice words for him and I would also let the club house know what this clown was doing out there. We aren’t pros, the game isn’t our living, let’s be reasonable on the course. Play your shot at your pace without rushing but this ain’t the open championship. Again, I can appreciate the content and message of the article but I think applying this to the average handicap golfers round of golf won’t help the game. Save this for the pros and the club tournaments please.
Gary McCormick
Nov 1, 2013 at 1:07 pm
Great — now we’ll have slo-mo’s holding us up with their post-shot routines after they’ve plumb-bobbed, read the putt from the four points of the compass and still 3-jacked from inside 6 feet.