Alignment tips

[Taz]

Had an on course bunker lesson yesterday, all was good.
We had a bit of time left so he watched me hit some approach shots and my aim/ alignment was way out.
Probably not helped by practice on mat at ranges.
Next lesson he said we'll hit shots off the grass Infront of the bay.

Any one have any practice tips for use on range bays and more importantly something I can do on course to help.
Ta.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

At the range:

Always use 2 alignment sticks on the ground, 1 for feet and 1 for club. Set them up like railway tracks and have them parallel to each other, start every shot standing behind the ball and step into it aiming using the sticks for alignment. Maybe use that for half the bucket of balls to get used to it, then The other half bucket take them away and repeat the aiming drills imagining the sticks are still there like railway tracks. If you don’t have any sticks use 2 clubs on the ground.

On the course.

Use an Intermediate Target
• Stand behind the ball and draw an imaginary line from the target through your ball.
• Pick out a specific spot (a leaf, a different colored blade of grass, or an old divot) on that line about 2 to 3 feet in front of your ball.
• When you walk into your stance, aim the clubface directly at that intermediate spot first, then build your stance around it.

Aim the Clubface First, Then Your Feet
• Set the clubhead behind the ball so the leading edge is in line to your target line.
• Once the clubface is set, place your feet so they are parallel to the target line.
• Think of a Railway Track(just like the alignment stick drill): Your ball is on the right rail, and your feet are on the left rail. Your feet should be aiming Parallel to the target not at it.

These were taught to me when I was younger as I always had a tendency to aim myself (body)at the target instead of the club at the target and body parallel to that. It’s really easy to build into your Pre Shot routine without adding any time.

 

[Taz]

At the range:

Always use 2 alignment sticks on the ground, 1 for feet and 1 for club. Set them up like railway tracks and have them parallel to each other, start every shot standing behind the ball and step into it aiming using the sticks for alignment. Maybe use that for half the bucket of balls to get used to it, then The other half bucket take them away and repeat the aiming drills imagining the sticks are still there like railway tracks. If you don’t have any sticks use 2 clubs on the ground.

On the course.

Use an Intermediate Target
• Stand behind the ball and draw an imaginary line from the target through your ball.
• Pick out a specific spot (a leaf, a different colored blade of grass, or an old divot) on that line about 2 to 3 feet in front of your ball.
• When you walk into your stance, aim the clubface directly at that intermediate spot first, then build your stance around it.

Aim the Clubface First, Then Your Feet
• Set the clubhead behind the ball so the leading edge is in line to your target line.
• Once the clubface is set, place your feet so they are parallel to the target line.
• Think of a Railway Track(just like the alignment stick drill): Your ball is on the right rail, and your feet are on the left rail. Your feet should be aiming Parallel to the target not at it.

These were taught to me when I was younger as I always had a tendency to aim myself (body)at the target instead of the club at the target and body parallel to that. It’s really easy to build into your Pre Shot routine without adding any time.

Thanks