alignment

jerrywilkin · August 8, 2010

My eye site must be failing cause in the last few years I've been having trouble with getting aligned properly. When I set up to the ball,feeling like I'm aimed down the middle on the tee,I'm actually aimed in the trees on the right. When I get a playing partner to set me up straight; I swear that I'm aimed in the trees on the left. I open the face cause of how I feel,then the shot goes right unless I really suppinate my wrists. If I dont, then the shot goes straight left into the trees where I felt like I was aimed. Can anyone relate? & can anyone help?

**Zeph** · August 8, 2010

I had the same trouble, until I started using an intermediate target.

http://www.pgaprofessional.com/golf_...te_target.html

**VolunteerGolfer** · August 8, 2010

Intermediate target will help a ton. It can be anything, broken tee, divot, clump of grass, etc. The line "looks" like it changes when you move from behind your ball to your stance. That's where a intermediate target helps.

jerrywilkin · August 8, 2010

I've done the spot; about 3 ft. in front of the ball; thing for a year now. It helps,but for some reason, the people that I ask to get behind me on the tee,say I;m still aiming right. I recently tried to pick a spot about 20 yds. down the line,but that made it worse. yesterday I did find that it helped not only to pic a spot 3 ft. in front,but also a spot 3 ft. behind the ball to comfirm the line. It's just very disturbing to stand on the tee box; feeling that I'm aimed O.B. left! I've tried glasses, bout missed the ball! Contacts may be next. Or just hit thousands of balls,lined up properly even if it does feel stupid,until it does'nt?

**Zeph** · August 8, 2010

Trust your alignment, don't look up to see if it feels right. It will not feel right since you are used to aiming wrong.

I pick a target very close to the ball, the closer it is the easier I'm able to align properly. If I need a target behind the ball too, I'll just drop down my club there so the intermediate target, my ball and my club create a straight line. I'll align parallell to this.

You can practice it on the range. Pick a target, find an intermediate target, set up. Lay the club down by your heels to see where it aims. Remember to not aim through the center of the shaft, since it will aim farther left. An alignment stick works very well. You should get two of those and always lay down when you practice on the range.

**imtomtomim** · August 8, 2010

Feel is not real! What you feel like you're doing is not what you're actually doing. You've gotten comfortable with something which isn't right and you got to change it again. Natural part of athletics, habits change without you knowing. That's why it's great to have a teacher or just a friend who can watch you and get that outside view of what you're doing.

**TourSpoon** · August 8, 2010

I try to pick a target that about 2 feet away and set up to that. Remember that your feet should be left of the target like you are standing on train tracks.

**The Recreational Golfer** · August 8, 2010

Good ideas above, but let's get more specific.
Stand behind the ball and line up with your target. Find a spot on the ground a foot or less on that line in front of your ball.
Step up beside the ball and put your club on the ground behind the ball so the grooves on the face are at right angles to the spot-ball line.
Keeping the club right there on the ground, place your feet so you are standing at a right angle to the grooves. It sounds like it would be hard to get that angle right, but when you try it you'll find it's very easy.

**Mrd19abhs** · August 8, 2010

One thing I have found that helped with my alignment problems is to use the branding line on the ball to pick your spot(can only do off tee box tho) just as you do when you are putting.

**WUTiger** · August 9, 2010

Along with intermediate target, you can use alignment sticks when you practice, lined up parallel along the body alignment line and the swing-target line. You'll start seeing the sticks in your mind's eye when you line up properly.

**Fourputt** · August 9, 2010

I had the same trouble, until I started using an intermediate target.

This is the only way I've played for as long as I can remember. I pick a spot, then I don't take my eyes off from it until I've addressed the ball. The first thing I do when I approach the ball is to square up the clubface to the line I've chosen, then I set my feet while keeping the clubhead in position. I use the same general method for every shot from driver to putter.

**saevel25** · August 9, 2010

Most people will aim more right than they need to, the reason is that our eyes create an illusion with our senses that tell us we are aligned correctly.

I found this out when i used some wood dowels angled away from me in the ground about 5 feet infront of me pointing down my target line. That really help trains the eye.

I use an intermediate target, and also when i look at the target, i will rotate my shoulders around my body and keep my spine tilt to look, this lets me get the perspective of being in my set up and seeing the target. Sometimes i wont look at the target, but look just left of it as well. I do this in putting, were i wont look at the hole, but to an area that i want to hit the ball to, especially on long breaking putts, i will look out into the middle of the break.

**stricklerlee** · August 12, 2010

I had that trouble before. What helps me fix that is to look at your target on the green by standing 5 feet behind the ball and then walk up to the ball and get into your stance. Pay close attention to your left foot as you step up to the ball. That's how I do it. It works perfectly now for me.

**ks8829** · August 12, 2010

Find an alignment sequence that works by checking after you finished by dropping two clubs on the ground from your target. Once you find a sequence that works for you included it in your pre-shot routine.

I stand behind,
drop a club with the toe pointing at the target
I walk around and square my club perpendicular to the original club
set my feet together
spread my feet according to the club I have in my hand
my feet should be parallal with the target line
I do the same thing for my putting alignment

**stricklerlee** · August 12, 2010

^^^He explained it a lot better than I did. I usually do that whenever I have alignment trouble.

**mdbuschsr** · August 12, 2010

As my swing slowly matures, I have had to change my alignment repeatedly. As with most players, I started with a monster slice that still rears it's ugly head from time to time. With that slice I had to align left to attempt making the fairway. AS my ball flight straightened out my alignment has become more centered. In reality, my alignment changes slightly every time I go out. I try to make sure that I give myself time to hit a small bucket at the course range before my round. That way, I take take "todays" swing out on the course. It would be nice if my swing was so consistent that I could align the same every time but since that is not the case. When my swing really goes south, I'll drop a couple of parallel clubs to regain a starting point.

**bwdial** · August 12, 2010

I've had to work on my alignment, and I've found the intermediate target to be the best solution. I used to throw so many shots away by simply aiming poorly. This really became clear during a round a few years ago. I pured a 7 iron on a 150ish par 3 a few years ago, only to see it get wet. The shot was completely over water and the lake wrapped around the right side of the green. The ball went dead straight, just about ten yards right of the pin, so it caught the downslope and bounded into the water. I teed another one up, checked my alignment more carefully and stuck it inside a foot. There's no worse feeling than hitting two fantastic shots and making bogey. Later in the round, I pured a 3 iron straight into a tree to the right of the green. Same situation... I simply aimed it there.

**soloredd** · August 12, 2010

I also recommend, as mentioned earlier, about the alignment sticks. I've been using them for about 2 months now and it's made a major difference in my game. I constantly struggled with alignment and my playing partners too would tell me I was aiming too far right. I use the alignment sticks at the range for 2/3 of the time then the last 15 or so balls I take them away and use the intermediate target to see if I am, indeed, aligning correctly. I do always (on anything other than putts, short pitches or chips) aim a bit right of target because I've always had a R to L ball flight. This is confirmed at the range - if I aim directly at the target ball ends up well left of desired landing spot.

When on the tee I always place my tee behind a divot or other spot that lines up with where I want to start the ball.

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