I'm starting to find out that a consistent setup routine is invaluable on the course. I know we all have different swing thoughts before hitting, but for me, they boil down to a few, and the rehearsal of exactly what I want to do (and it may take more than one rehearsal) is vital prior to the real swing. I take NOTHING for granted anymore before I hit....no "I've got this". My thoughts are as follows:
Line-up. As a right-hander, I tend to line up to the right of my target. Therefore, I act like I'm lining up a putt and I place my club down behind the ball to see the target line, then I "walk-around" and take my stance. For Drives and Par 3's, I use the line on the ball to line up my shot. Sometimes despite doing all the above my brain wants to revert to my old setup for which I find my stance drifting to the right with my feet. It's subtle, but enough to miss a green by 8-10 yards right. The old habits are quite amazing in terms of how they creep into my setup. I have to trust my new setup and it works if I do.
Rehearsal. After lining up, I rehearse a straight right arm backswing without tension (no arming it up), with my right "magic elbow" being in place. I won't actually hit a ball until I rehearse enough to feel comfortable. My last thought is Palmer's shoulder DOWN to the ball.
After that, there's not much more I can think about because whatever will happen will happen. We can't hit all good shots all the time, but ensuring my lineup is correct and my setup routine is consistent provides the best chance for success.
Excellent post, @GolfLivesMatter! A consistent routine and setup is integral to repetitively playing good golf. We just need to be sure to do all our pre-shot thinking before we step up to the "play box", as you convey.