Alignment

[Cityfanbrian]

For the past 3 years my handicap has levelled out at 18/19. Tonight while having a knock I teamed up with one of the lower handicap players from the club and while we playing he commented that my alignment was way out and I was aiming way to the right, from then on he lined me up on every shot for the last 6 holes and I shot 1 under gross which is unbelievable off my current 19 handicap.every shot felt like I was aiming very left, is there a good way for checking your alignment pre shot? Anyone have any tips?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Practice. Use a mirror at home and when you go to the range use alignment sticks, a club on the ground, v-easy or anything to make sure you're lined up properly. Hit some using the aid, then some without. Get use to making sure you're lined up properly as part of your pre-shot routine and find a way of stepping into the ball and making sure you are lined up. It's a common problem and easy to slip into bad habits which is why you need to be a little OCD with it in practice

 

[London mike 61]

Pick a spot in front of the ball and line yourself up to that as part of your pre shot routine.

 

[the_coach]

Mostly to do with our binocular vision & golf being a game we play from the side. But if folks don't have a particular problem with a slice, so therefore don't seek to aim counterintuitively (but wrongly) more left cause they're afraid of the right. Most RH golfers who play to a reasonable standard fairly grooved swing will nearly always by default favor being aimed slightly to the right.

As has been said sticks a good investment (also negates stepping on & bending your club shafts). Start a practice session with them down to get used to the parallel left alignment to target, but then always remove them so you hit a bunch of balls at the end of the session to see both if you can align without them & so you don't get over reliant on them.

Also as said, pick a spot 12", 18" in front of the ball, then you have three things to line up, ball, spot, target but do that from directly behind the ball, do it just from the side & it will likely skew the aim right a tad. Just keep the 3 in line as you walk from behind to the side.

Thing that will really tend to screw things up some though, is if after walking round to the side, you take your stance with the feet first off, again that will usually mean, if it's stance/feet in to aim from the get go & then after that you align the club & the shoulders, result then is again aim likely to be skewed right a tad.

Walk round to side then aim leading edge of the club first to the line of your three points, then grip, shoulders, lastly settle in the feet. My experience much easier to get good parallel left alignment so face is aimed to target properly in this order.

Some Tour Pro's that do place feet early on, you'll also see the last thing they do once they have made sure face angle is aimed correctly is then shuffle the feet left some so the foot line is square parallel left as they are aware they've stepped in feet aimed a little ways to the right.

 

[Smigger79]

Is it that you were lining your feet shoulders etc at the target rather than parallel (left of target for a right hander) to the ball target line? I've started playing more regularly after a few years break and my alignment is all over the place, I don't recall it being a problem before.

Good shooting by the way, must feel great to see that potential!

 

[bobmac]

If you want an extra check for your alignment, try this.

I have used the 12th at Augusta for this example.



Place a club/tour stick down where the ball would be and point it at the target
Then place another club/stick down where your toe line would be parallel with the first stick.
Now stand with your toes on the second club, take up your address position/posture then turn the head and look at the target.
Do not stand up, just swivel your head and look at the target.
What you will see in the corner of your eye will be your left shoulder (right for lefties).



Now memorise the gap between the shoulder and the target.
As long as that gap is the same, you will be aiming straight.

If you have set up too far left of the target you will see this view



If you have set up too far right of the target, you will see this view



HTH

 

[glynntaylor]

I too also have alignment issues...Bob....with your reply now in my mind...I shall take this on the course and give it a go!

Many Thanks

 

[AmandaJR]

Interesting as I'm still having issues with alignment particularly if I'm on the left side of the fairway/tee box and the target is to the right. I settle my club, then feet, then shoulders BUT have a bit of a pre-shot shoulder shuffle/twitch thing going on!

Will try to settle shoulders last and with the correct view of target versus shoulder as Bob highlights above :thup:

 

[guest100718]

I played with a chap the other day who was aimed so far right it was untrue.if his target was at 12 o clock his feet were pointing at somewhere between 2 and 3

 

[BoadieBroadus]

yes a very common problem i notice with higher handicappers i play with is that their alignment is haphazard.

got one who will regularly aim feet way to the left and shoulders way to the right... is able to save it with coordination just frequently enough that he doesn't think it is a problem

 

[Rumpokid]

Good luck with you alignment and improvement..Some good tips already mentioned..Also,alignment for putting should help hole more putts,providing stroke is sound.

 

[Cityfanbrian]

If you want an extra check for your alignment, try this.

I have used the 12th at Augusta for this example.



Place a club/tour stick down where the ball would be and point it at the target
Then place another club/stick down where your toe line would be parallel with the first stick.
Now stand with your toes on the second club, take up your address position/posture then turn the head and look at the target.
Do not stand up, just swivel your head and look at the target.
What you will see in the corner of your eye will be your left shoulder (right for lefties).



Now memorise the gap between the shoulder and the target.
As long as that gap is the same, you will be aiming straight.

If you have set up too far left of the target you will see this view



If you have set up too far right of the target, you will see this view



HTH

What a great way to explain how to check it, the sticks are ordered and many thanks for the replies.