Golf differs from most other sports in that we never play exactly the same shot twice. That gives the game its unique intellectual character, and makes it a constantly exhilarating experience. There always are two things to be accomplished. The mind must decide what kind of shot is to be played, with what club, for what effect. Then the body must take over and perform the athletic movements required to produce the desired result.
Today let's look at a much discussed but little understood subject, the practice swing.
Most golfers take practice swings, but it's fair to say that few golfers are able to benefit from them and use them to make the actual stroke properly. One thing you'll notice is that many of them do not take a practice swing, and most take only one, before driving or hitting any full shot. But you may see the same player take six or eight practice strokes just before hitting a short shot around the green. What appears to be a lack of consistency in pre-shot routine, is not. The expert golfer, ready to hit a drive or another full effort shot, may take one practice stroke simply to loosen up the body and clear the mind, but his internal program is very clear about the shot to come.