Tour Pros Don't Run A Checklist After A Bad Shot - Here's What They Do

Alex Fortey from The Art of Simple Golf explains how to recover from bad shots using a three-step mental and physical reset. Instead of technical checklists, golfers are taught to 'clear the slate' through breathwork and use a 'ghost swing' to prioritize rhythm and tempo over mechanics.

• Stop running through a technical 20-point checklist after a bad shot; it increases tension.
• Use a physical signifier, like tapping the club or a deep exhale, to 'delete' the previous shot from your mind.
• Replace swing thoughts with abstract rhythm words like 'smooth' or 'finish' to stay out of your own way.
• Perform a 'ghost swing' rehearsal and make your only goal the replication of that specific feel during the real shot.

Go deeper

• Ghost Swing drill — Every coach who teaches it
• Wild swings — Causes, drills and coaches for this miss
• Pre shot routine — The lesson, across every coach
• The Art of Simple Golf — Every video, sorted by what it teaches