One of the most difficult aspects of golf is taking the game one has on the range to the course, or more importantly to a tournament. We highly encourage all our golfers to work with a PGA certified instructor. Many of them see great results from this instruction hitting the ball great during their lesson, but then they revert to poor shots when they head to the course to compete.
Many factors attribute to this such as nerves, inexperience or fear of failure. But, I am going to focus on the one aspect that I feel is most overlooked, but easily corrected with practice is alignment. Unfortunately, one of the biggest mistake golfers make is that they do not practice their alignment when creating a pre-shot routine.
Practicing taking correct alignment is taken for granted by most inexperienced players. It must be practiced. I love the vivid description Dr. David L. Cook uses in his book 7 Days in Utopia on how we were created to see with both our eyes, binocular vision, facing our target not with one eye looking over our shoulder towards a target.
We want to create a linear game, everything is directed at your target in a straight line with multiple points:
A linear pre-shot routine will aide in the player focusing on aligning the club face to the target and their body, which is approximately 3 feet away and parallel to the ball, to the left (for right-handed players) of the target.
How to align to a target: (Right-handed player/Left will be opposite)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nlUH1vyr43Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz1yr0cNsmg
https://free-online-golf-tips.com/fundamental-golf-tips/golf-set-up-tips/proper-alignment-in-golf/
Many factors attribute to this such as nerves, inexperience or fear of failure. But, I am going to focus on the one aspect that I feel is most overlooked, but easily corrected with practice is alignment. Unfortunately, one of the biggest mistake golfers make is that they do not practice their alignment when creating a pre-shot routine.
Practicing taking correct alignment is taken for granted by most inexperienced players. It must be practiced. I love the vivid description Dr. David L. Cook uses in his book 7 Days in Utopia on how we were created to see with both our eyes, binocular vision, facing our target not with one eye looking over our shoulder towards a target.
We want to create a linear game, everything is directed at your target in a straight line with multiple points:
- Target-preferred starting trajectory of the ball
- Golf ball
- Intermediate aiming point - an object on the ground within 3-4 feet of the ball - this will be used to align the club
- The player
A linear pre-shot routine will aide in the player focusing on aligning the club face to the target and their body, which is approximately 3 feet away and parallel to the ball, to the left (for right-handed players) of the target.
How to align to a target: (Right-handed player/Left will be opposite)
- From 6 feet directly behind the ball choose a 1. target and create a line using 2. yourself and the 3. ball as three points. (Think Box)
- Take practice swings and visualize the desired flight of the ball on a linear path with the ball (Trackman line/shot link visual) (Think Box)
- Find intermediate point 3-4 feet in front of ball on the desired line
- This point will be what the player will align the club face towards
- This is the key to the setup - most players use their side vision, looking over their shoulder, or align their body towards their target causing the club face to be aligned right of the target. (Think Box)
- Walk directly up to the ball (From Think Box to Play Box) - holding the club in right hand and stepping to the ball with right hand. With only the right hand (trail hand) align the club face to the target. (Play Box)
- This will create an open setup stance allowing the player to look at the target and with both eyes. Align the club face to the intermediate target.
- While keeping the club face aligned with the intermediate target, the player will set up parallel to the line of the club face. Once aligned, hit the shot, no thinking. (Play Box)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nlUH1vyr43Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz1yr0cNsmg
https://free-online-golf-tips.com/fundamental-golf-tips/golf-set-up-tips/proper-alignment-in-golf/