{"id":15555583,"date":"2025-01-04T18:09:29","date_gmt":"2025-01-04T23:09:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/golf.com\/?post_type=article&p=15555583"},"modified":"2025-01-05T09:12:38","modified_gmt":"2025-01-05T14:12:38","slug":"collin-morikawa-unusual-pre-shot-routine-sentry","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/golf.com\/instruction\/approach-shots\/collin-morikawa-unusual-pre-shot-routine-sentry\/","title":{"rendered":"Here’s why this Sentry contender is trying an unusual pre-shot routine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Collin Morikawa<\/a> knocking down flag sticks with his irons is nothing new, but he’s got a new trigger for helping him do it this week at the Sentry<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Morikawa didn’t win in 2024, but he ended up finishing second at the Tour Championship<\/a> and matched his career-high with eight top-10s. And he did it all with his worst ball-striking year on Tour, finishing 44th in strokes gained: approach after having never finished outside the top four in the stat his first four years on the PGA Tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So during the offseason, Morikawa used eight weeks off to tinker with his game<\/a> a little and he wound up with a new preshot routine.<\/p>\n\n\n

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“If you watch a lot of my shots today, I was kind of doing this little preset thing before a lot of my iron shots,” Morikawa said Thursday after opening with a seven-under 66. “Just kind of allowing the body to get to where it needs to be in the shot. But, yeah, it’s been working, which has been nice. It wasn’t a two-day thing and then throw it in the trash.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Collin Morikawa said he did a lot of off-season experimenting. One change was this Sam Snead-esque addition to his pre-shot routine.

Before beginning his swing, Morikawa now opens his lead hip and drives his right knee to mimic his impact position. pic.twitter.com\/dRfCF5ypaY<\/a><\/p>— Sean Martin (@PGATOURSMartin) January 4, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote>