Aiming ..... Between ball and target or beyond target ?

[Gerald]

I am much of a feel player, not such much into a scientific approach, yep ..... I have some of these pro sticks you can lie on the range to aim, to improve your set up, etc..... but I feel uncomfortable with being square footed, I like to play with a somewhat open stance .... aim with the clubface to the target, ect. (my heels sure are on the right track, as are my hips, shoulders etc.)

And my swing ...... well I have been working at in-square-out a lot and at the range ... super .... but at the course it is mostly in-square-in (very straight ball flight)....... just feels natural to me.

I hear so many times to aim at a spot about 3 - 5 ft. in front of the ball, but what I do is actually aiming at a tree behind (or at the horizon) my target and go for it....... I am usually right on track and my misses have probably more to do with swing issues than with aiming.

What is your method ?

[Zeph]

I'm not able to aim at an object 300 yards away and hit it accurately, so I always use the intermediate target. You don't have to align the feet perpendicular to the alignment. I always aim at something close to the ball, but I flare out both my feet. How you aim doesn't really matter as long as it works. It's a matter of habit and what you've learned yourself to do. If you found a good way to aim by using objects in the distance, it's really the same as I do, except I use a different object.

[boogielicious]

I use both.  I pick a distance target where I want my ball direction to be or to land, then pick a close point on that line.  I align my body to the close point, then focus on the distant target.  This is the technique Jack Nicklaus uses.

[saevel25]

Tom Watson suggested imagining goal posts out in the distance, and you want your ball to go through them. So on a wide fairway, he might have the goal post from rough to rough, or smaller.

[GaijinGolfer]

I aim at a spot a few feet ahead of the ball.  If you can start the ball on that line, unless you hit a big hook or slice you have a good chance of the ball going where you want.

I used to aim a little left of my target, but I find that aiming for a spot a few feet ahead of the ball works better because in my mind its a much more makable target.

[allin]

I start from the target and move back, the target a few feet in front of me is easier to be precise on.   I find that if I use the far away target I have difficulty keeping parallel to my target line.  For what its worth I line up with my shoulders a litle open also, on long shots my feet are a little closed, on short shots my feet are a little open.