Shane Lowry, known for his down-to-earth personality and impressive golf game, offers insights into his approach to the sport. From his warm-up routine to his mindset on the course, and even his preferred beverage, Lowry provides a glimpse into the life of a professional golfer. He emphasizes the importance of a balanced approach, combining practice with course time and valuing the mental side of the game.
Pre-Round Routine: A Gradual Buildup
Lowry's pre-round routine is designed to gradually prepare him for the competition. Unlike some players who spend hours on the driving range, Lowry prefers a more moderate approach.
Limited Range Time
Lowry admits he could never spend all day on a driving range. While he recognizes the dedication of players like Bryson DeChambeau, Lowry believes excessive range time leads to overthinking, which can negatively impact his game. He finds that spending too much time on the range can lead to over-analysis and negatively impact his performance. Lowry practices plenty because he loves golf but also treats it as his job.
A Short and Sweet Warm-Up
Lowry arrives at the course approximately an hour and a half before his round. He engages in a brief, 20-minute session with his physio. He meets his caddie on the range 45 minutes pre-tee time. And then it’s go time.
Skipping Odd Irons
Similar to Brooks Koepka, Lowry only practices with his even-numbered irons during warm-ups, starting with his 50-degree wedge, then progressing to his 8-iron, 6-iron, and 4-iron. He says, "Always evens. Never odds.”
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The Primacy of Setup
Lowry emphasizes that setup is everything. Lowry likes shaping shots in both directions, but his go-to shape is a small, left-to-right fade.
Alignment, Posture, and Ball Position
Lowry focuses on maintaining a consistent setup, including alignment, posture, and ball position. He believes that deviations in these areas can lead to poor performance. “Probably the main thing I work on with my coach is setup stuff. As long as my alignment, posture, ball position, all that stuff is pretty similar to what it is, I’m going to play well. And when I’m not playing well, that just gets off,” he says. He recounts a particularly bad weekend at Memorial, where he felt "a million miles away" until a session with his coach revealed issues with his setup. He was aiming too far left and positioning the ball too far back in his stance.
Advice for Amateurs
Lowry believes that amateurs should prioritize their setup. He observes many players focusing on complex swing adjustments while neglecting fundamental setup issues. "I play loads of pro-ams and you see guys coming out and their setup is so wrong, but they’re working on something with the club back here,” he says. He believes that correcting the setup provides a better chance of hitting a good shot.
On-Course Mindset and Expectations
Lowry shares his perspective on interacting with pro-am partners and maintaining a positive mindset on the course.
Managing Expectations in Pro-Ams
Lowry offers advice to his pro-am partners, emphasizing the importance of managing expectations. He acknowledges that amateurs may feel nervous playing alongside professionals and encourages them not to try to impress him. "I say to them, I’m like, I play golf with the best players in the world every day. You’re not going to impress me, so don’t try to,” he adds. He recognizes the intimidating nature of the environment.
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The Driving-Range Drive-By Chat
Lowry enjoys casual interactions with other players on the driving range, but prefers to avoid overly talkative individuals, especially those receiving coaching. “There’s some players, I won’t name any names, who can get quite talkative on the range … some people will talk to you through the whole warmup,” he says. He finds it distracting to overhear their lessons.
Visualizing Shots
Lowry emphasizes the importance of visualizing shots and trusting one's instincts on the course. He contrasts this with a negative mindset focused on swing mechanics. Lowry went on to explain the difference between a poor tournament mindset, where he’s trying to swing the club, versus a positive mindset in which he’s trying to hit the shots and play golf. Trust yourself and your instincts, in other words.
The Value of Friendship and Camaraderie
Lowry highlights the significance of genuine friendships with other professionals on tour.
Close Bonds with Fellow Players
Lowry values his close relationships with players like Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, and Tyrrell Hatton. He notes that their families have also become close, and they enjoy spending time together both on and off the course. “I’d say in the last five years we’ve only become quite close. Like, our wives have become really close. They’re close as sisters, and our kids are similar ages, they hang out a little bit,” he says. He recognizes the positive impact of playing alongside top-tier players like McIlroy, as it elevates his own game.
Mentorship from Senior Players
Lowry appreciates the guidance and support he receives from experienced players like Padraig Harrington, despite their age difference. On Harrington: “We’re not that close in age. But we get on very well - and two very different people, as well. But he’s great for me. I miss him out on Tour, actually. I like having him around, y’know, weeks of majors, the PGA, the Open.”
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The Perils of Overthinking
Lowry cautions against overthinking on the driving range, emphasizing the importance of translating practice to the course.
The Range as a "Dangerous Place"
Lowry believes that the driving range can be a "dangerous place" because it encourages excessive precision, which may not be applicable on the course. He says: “And that’s why the range can be dangerous place at times as well. Because let’s say I stand here with a 3-iron and I miss my target by like 10 yards on the range. That doesn’t look like a good shot. But on the golf course it’s a good shot, when you’re playing a tournament, y’know what I mean? You can almost try to get too precise when you’re on the range.”
Disconnect Between Practice and Performance
Lowry acknowledges the common experience of a disconnect between a good range session and actual performance on the course. “I’ve had some of the best warmups in my whole career and gone out and shot 75. And I’ve been the other way; I’ve hit the ball really badly, and it’s almost like the other way around. When things are not feeling that great, it kind of focuses you in more to go out and just try and shoot the best score you can. Whereas when you’re feeling great and hitting the ball well, I almost feel like you got like a little complacent or something.”
The Anticipation of Competition
Lowry reveals that his favorite aspect of professional golf is the anticipation leading up to tournaments.
Enjoying Practice Weeks
Lowry particularly enjoys the practice weeks before major tournaments like the Masters and the Open Championship. “The week before the Masters is like, my favorite week of the year,” he says. “Because I’m home in Florida, I always go up on the Monday-Tuesday before, spend two days there. I come back to my house in Florida. I just practice every day, in bed early every night, taking it easy, I love it. And then the week before the Open as well, I’m in Ireland and I go and I play golf around Ireland with my friends.” He cherishes the opportunity to prepare and spend time with friends and family.
Diet Coke over Guinness
Contrary to popular belief, Lowry's preferred beverage is Diet Coke, not Guinness.
Dispelling Stereotypes
Lowry addresses the misconception that he frequently indulges in Guinness. “I wouldn’t say it’s very accurate at all, but yeah, I’ll let people think what they think,” he says. “I do love having a good time with my friends when I get the chance, but you don’t get that much of a chance anymore. I’m married with two kids now and they take up more of my time. “But one of my favorite things to do is to sit there and have a Diet Coke. People think I love drinking so much, and don’t get me wrong, I like having a drink. But sitting back, having a Diet Coke, I’m a pretty happy man. Diet Coke in the evenings and a coffee in the mornings and I’m pretty happy.”