Alignment

[ScienceBoy]

Aparrently in my lesson today we found out when I lined up using lines on the mat I felt as if I was aimed to the right of where I actually pointed.

We did some stuff but now I have to practice, I'm struggling to apply my lesson advice as he had no drills for me.

I'm supposed to just practice on my alignment but I though someone here might be able to add something else.

To be honest just practice did start to work but I still feel there could be more.

Am I looking to over complicate this?

 

[the_coach]

align the leading edge of the club at 90º so square to the ball target line, then align shoulders, hips, feet parallel left of the ball/target line, think railroad tracks. so body alignments are aimed square but left of target.

best ways always pick the line from directly behind the ball, define the smallest target at the end destination of the ball, pick something out a foot or so in front of the ball, so you have 3 points to 'see' the target line.
then step to the side & into the shot with those 3 points & aim line being kept in your vision.

place the leading edge at 90º to that line whilst bent in your spine posture, & right foot in to 90º matching the leading edge.
then keeping those two 90º's club/right foot, widen to stance needed. checking foot line, knees, hips, shoulders are all parallel left of the target line.

often times there's a tendency to align feet & shoulders directly at the target if this happens then face if square to this wrong alignment will be pointing right of the target.
so if the ball then hit pretty straight you miss target right. subconsciously with this kinda alignment folks sense they're aimed right but don't realign correctly so then they swing over the top & pull or slice the ball.

[video=youtube;XLMYaGuLAQg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLMYaGuLAQg[/video]

 

[the_coach]

[video=youtube;eu1AUXRZalk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu1AUXRZalk[/video]

 

[the_coach]

[video=youtube;bXRjQACJa8o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXRjQACJa8o[/video]

 

[Foliage Finder]

As a beginner to the game, I can't speak from experience, but alignment was one issue that me and my pro have been working on. My problem was that I was aiming right without being consciously aware of it, the way I read your post is that you're the opposite?

For me, again, there was no drill but things seem to be improving with practice and a little (albeit very basic) training aid. As I've not yet got myself an alignment stick/something straight, I just set up two parallel club shafts, one for the target line with the ball and one for where my feet should be. Took away the shaft on the ball line so as not to decimate it, but left the one in front of my toes, and hit a few mid-power shots. The added motivation not to step on my club did perk the attention slightly, and after a while it felt more natural to be aiming correctly.

It's not perfect due to the taper on a club shaft, but it did the job well enough! Now I pick a target slightly left of the actual target, shuffle the stance whilst looking at it, and it tends to work.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Great stuff coach, I hit cracking shots that drift left or stay right of target. Mostly right but neither by much.

I really feel I'm swinging my best and when I line up right its beautiful.

I'm going to watch those kids over and over until my eyes bleed!

 

[ScienceBoy]

Worked a treat, only really made one change. I ensured my feet were parallel, not pointing at target and BOOM caught all but one shot perfectly clean.

My worst miss was pin high greenside, had a lot of long birdie putts, pity my pace was terrible! Had 4 3 putts and still shot only 5 over for 18 holes round the par 3.

Even had this tap in birdie on a 124 yarder...

My previous closest to a hole in one is linked here, I beat it by about 3 inches!

The change meant I was swinging along target line rather than slightly across it, which would result in straight shots way right of target or strong draws. Now I hit draws to target or miss only slightly right.

Hopefully it transitions up past my 7 iron and into my longer clubs. I had started to do it in the lesson but found it hard to carry over to the next range session, I feel that is no longer the case!

 

[woody69]

Interesting how Rose use a plumb to align. When he closes his left eye does that mean he is right eye dominant, so lines up his spot with that, rather than having both eyes open (as I do) when picking the spot a few feet in front of the ball to align to?

 

[Region3]

I'm far from disputing the importance of correct alignment, but do a tiny bit of trigonometry and you'll be surprised at how little difference it makes to your face and path angles if you line your feet/body up to the target instead of parallel to it.

On a 150yd shot, if your foot line is directly at the target you are 0.4° closed, and your left foot is 1/4" too close to the ball.

 

[garyinderry]

Some people usually people just starting out have no idea where they are aligning to. Even if you ask them to aim right and they think they are they are usually nowhere near it.

Pros work a lot on alignment. We hear that all the time. But is is aways straight down the target line like ams try to do. Take tiger for example. He is lined up way out to left field these days on every shot.
Kuchar has his feet one way and shoulders pointing another.

You need to marry your alignment to your swing. Many people align straight down the middle then come over the top on every swing and lose the ball right. My da plays a strong draw/hook every shot yet still tries to hit it down the middle and loses it left.