We have all seen the famous shots of Tiger Woods stopping his swing on the down stroke and stepping back from the ball.  Something disturbed his concentration and he reloaded for another shot.  Also, I have seen players of all kinds step up to the ball, then something has changed and they take a step back.  Additionally, I have seen players step up to ball and say after their hit that they should have stepped back from their ball.

So when is the best time to step back from the ball?  And what should they do next?

I have not found any advice out on the net, so I am going to offer mine.  Generally, I step away from the ball for three reasons:

I have chosen the wrong club.  I was in between clubs and changed my mind.  Usually, I am not confident on my club selection and realize I better make a change.  This does not happen often, but course conditions, the wind or yardage are the contributing factors to wanting to make a change.

Something disturbs my pre-shot routine over the ball.  This could be anything from my foot being in a hole that forces me to loose focus, a loud noise, someone talking, I am hungry, or being attacked by mosquitoes!  Regardless, my pre-shot routine was altered and I needed to start again.

I lose my aiming line.  Sometimes while standing over the ball, what I have decided does not match what I see over the ball.  This causes some confusion so I must step back and re-evaluate my earlier decision.  Most of the time my initial choice was the correct one.  However, I  had to make sure.

Basically, these are the majority of times that will cause me to step away from the ball.  Regardless of the reason, it is vitally important that after stepping back from the ball, you go through your entire shot routine again.  By shortening your shot routine, you increase your chances of playing a poor shot.

These are the reasons for me stepping back from the ball; are there any others?