I need alignment help

[Arathel-bwcc]

Today I hit 3 drives OB because I was aligned wrong, they were perfect shots. They had no cut, no awkward ball flight. They just went straight OB to the right. This tend to happen every once and a while.


What are some good alignment tips?

[Stacey_E]

One thing I always do on every shot is check my line from behind the ball. Using the shaft as an alignment tool, I draw a line from the ball to my intended target. Then I pick out a very, very small spot on that line about 3-6 feet in front of the ball. Use an old tee, dark spot in the grass, anything. Avoid using divots as alignment points though. They are just too wide and an inch or two of alignment at 3 feet can make for yards of misalignment at 150 yards.

Then when I step into my shot, I focus intently on that alignment point aiming the leading edge of my club face directly at that spot. I try to set up my body with the leading edge of my club instead of vice versa. Focus on that spot and try not to look down range until your body is completely aligned.

Good luck!

[Sandy Sammy]

I had an alignment problem early this year which wrecked havoc with my game for 3 months. Especially on par 3's.

The problem was my stance was open and my clubface open (pointing right) hence I produced a 'V' at address, this caused me play shots like bunker shots a little bit although obviously not with a lofted grip, effectively my swing was along my shoulders and my clubface would close at impact causing some shots to be correct and go straight.

However, sometimes I would swing as 'normal' and this would cause the shot to go right (straight off to the right). As effectively thats where my clubface pointed. I had to close the club face a little (make it straight to the target) and change my swing plane to make sure it stayed correct. Of course I then started hitting balls to the right as I easily managed to close the face on the club but it took months to correct my swing plane.

Killed my game for best part of 6 months.

Hence I think its not just a question of alignment, although obviously it might be as simple as that.

[Arathel-bwcc]

No, my swing coach has me correct in that aspect, I just think it's a simple problem of alignment.

[Borf]

There are two things to align:

1 Feet
2 Clubface


Aim your clubface at the target and your feet for your ball flight.

I will explain a right hander playing a draw, with the target being a tree on the right side of the fairway.

The feet need to be aligned pointing directly in line with the target (the tree) with the clubface pointed straight down the fairway.

From there take your swing and a draw will be produced.

For a Fade, aim feet left of fairway and point clubface down the fairway.

If you want to hit it straight - aim feet straight with clubface straight...pretty plain and simple

[jambalaya]

There is no better aiming tip than for you to stand directly behind the ball and drawing a line an imaginary line to where you want to hit the ball. If you are always approaching from the side without doing this you will misalign a lot. Square your stance up to that imaginary line.

[kfowler]

  jambalaya said:

There is no better aiming tip than for you to stand directly behind the ball and drawing a line an imaginary line to where you want to hit the ball. If you are always approaching from the side without doing this you will misalign a lot. Square your stance up to that imaginary line.

To add to this, pick a spot on that line directly in front of you. Say three to four feet out. Square your feet between this spot and the ball at address. For teeing off, is generally easier because you can tee the ball where you already have a mark in front of you.

[jambalaya]

  kfowler said:

To add to this, pick a spot on that line directly in front of you. Say three to four feet out. Square your feet between this spot and the ball at address. For teeing off, is generally easier because you can tee the ball where you already have a mark in front of you.

This is a good tip which for some reason I cannot get a good feel. I don't know why because it is so fundamentally sound. I can't trust that mark that I put directly in front of the ball at six feet or wherever. I have to see that long line going to my target. I have the same problem with putting and putting a line on my ball to line up the put. I can't trust that I ever get that line positioned properly so when I get over the ball it doesn't seem right. Maybe I should see a shrink about trust issues.

[Release]

  Arathel-bwcc said:

Today I hit 3 drives OB because I was aligned wrong, they were perfect shots. They had no cut, no awkward ball flight. They just went straight OB to the right. This tend to happen every once and a while.

Have you always hit this driver to the right or a mixture of straight and to the right? You might have blocked it to the right without finishing the follow through.

For driver and long clubs, I like to look at something directly beyond the target, something much taller, like a tall tree or even the mountain. Something bigger and more defined in the back of the target will give me better image to aim for. For the short clubs, I'll focus on smaller target.

[kc8kir]

Two alternative methods to alignment to try.

1) Heel line. After setting up to the ball, glance behind you to see if your heels are on a line parallel to the target. Heel line is more accurate than toe line (because you turn your toes outward at address).

2) This is really oldschool but it works fantastic. At address place the club along your thighs to check alignment. The shaft should point parallel left of your target. If your thighs are parallel to the line, you are aligned in that stance. It's a really easy way to get set square. Now the only thing to worry about is shoulder alignment. I usually check thighs and shoulders.

Also make sure that once you take your stance and get square, that you don't fool with it. Many people get set square, then shuffle around to feel "comfortable". This just means they are reverting back to old address habits, and it destroys good alignment.

Hope this helps.

[golfdad]

sometimes simple things are very difficult to do well,,,

there are probably millions of ways to align, whatever works for you.

but, before you go down further any route you take, here is something you can check yourself, something you probably know anyway, but it is worth the exercise because of your concern.

do it anywhere, does not have to be golf course or range.

put a ball down. randomly find a target far away,,,a pole, a tree, a road sign, in-law's butt,,,whatever.

look straight at the target. align it anyway you like by studying it SLOWLY and draw a line mentally and visually,,,where you stand, the ball, the target in a straight line. keep a close eye on the intermediate target as you walk to the address position. until you are fully addressed, do not look at the target sideways. from the moment you get your intermediate target, the eyes cannot and should not leave it until you are fully addressed. then you can look up the target to verify.

walk over to address the ball. put down a club on the ground abutt your two toes. then get another club to form the parallel railroad, going through the ball.

now, check to see if the second club points directly at the target.

i rarely see even good players get that exactly, exactly right. why? i don't know, but everyone knows that for par 3s, it is the difference between a tap in or a 2 putt, or a 3 stroke from chip in and then 2 putts, or worse.

[Smallville]

Am I the only one who uses Dean Reinmuth's alignment method? Go to the golf channels website, look for instruction, then on Reinmuth. He has several videos on alignment, all of which contributed to my reducing my slice to a draw this year.

Heck here is the page: http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=32001&select;=&select4;=&select3;=6&search;=Keyword+Search&x;=34&y;=17

"Perfect Setup" parts 1 and 2 and "Alignment Misconceptions" are what you want to watch.

[golfdad]

in fact i have asked reinmuth on this issue,,,that to follow his system, but do not use the target as he suggested and use a closer intermediate target. ..

he said, there is no problem with that.

imo, not saying that his way is wrong, but people in general have more problems aligning to far away target than closer ones. for instance, it is almost impossible to line up a putt and miss to the right 5 feet for a 5 feet putt, but for a 150 ft shot, it is very easy to miss either side by 5 feet, therefore, doing it without an intermediate target does not make sense, unless you are super talented in that department.

[Smallville]

That does make sense. A variation of an excellent method that I haven't tried yet. I will next time out though. I seem to do pretty good at aligning to a far away target, but my wife still wants to aim right. This should really help her out more.

[Arathel-bwcc]

  Release said:

Have you always hit this driver to the right or a mixture of straight and to the right? You might have blocked it to the right without finishing the follow through.

I normally hit my driver straight with a slight draw. It was my 3 wood that I hit. I normally hit that straight or a draw.

[907golfer12]

One thing I would suggest that helps me, is get yourself down to Lowe's or Home Depot's and pick up the orange driveway sticks. They cost like a buck, and they can be used for many things to help you in your golf game, including alignment. But on the topic, you can lay one down to align your feet, and the other to help you with your clubface, and do this when ever you hit balls at the range, and your body will begin naturally align itself up better, through muscle memory.

[PEZGolf]

  Arathel-bwcc said:

Today I hit 3 drives OB because I was aligned wrong, they were perfect shots. They had no cut, no awkward ball flight. They just went straight OB to the right. This tend to happen every once and a while.

The best alignment tool is to use "railroad tracks" in the practice area. Put one club down showing the intended ball flight. Put the second club down parallel to the first. Step up to the second club. Line up your feet next to it, and then make sure your knees, hips, and shoulders are lined up with that club, and therefore parallel to the first. Then remove the first club and hit shots. If a shot goes straight off to the right, you may have your left shoulder (if you are right handed) pointed at the target rather than to the left of it. Have someone stand behind you and check it out.

On the course, stand behind the ball and visualize the "railroad tracks". Then, step up and line yourself up as if a club was on the ground, and make sure your feet, knees, hips and shoulders are in line with that imaginary club. Usually, this tool will set you up properly and the ball will fly on the intended line of flight.

[hjacknicklaus]

  Borf said:

There are two things to align:

alignment??? do all of the above then open shoulders 15 degrees...

just try it.....but keep this in mind.....last time i played i shot 65 not great......but i DID get the ball in the clowns mouth and WON a free game h