Accuracy Drills

[Dent]

I was wondering if anyone has any drills for the range for accuracy. When i get to the course I cannot hit one single GIR. I am always left or right. Sometimes i align my club to my feet to see if im aiming right and it seems like I am but then after that I couldnt hit the green.

Just wondering if anyone has any good drills to help me fix my feet alignment.

[Fourputt]

I was wondering if anyone has any drills for the range for accuracy. When i get to the course I cannot hit one single GIR. I am always left or right. Sometimes i align my club to my feet to see if im aiming right and it seems like I am but then after that I couldnt hit the green.

First, your feet tell you nothing about where you are aimed. I seen a couple of theories, but I can't attest to the truth of them. I've heard that a club laid a cross your thighs will show where you are aimed, and I've heard that it's your shoulders that control the direction more. I tend to go with the shoulder theory more, but I've never tested any of them, so that's a guess.

[iacas]

First, your feet tell you nothing about where you are aimed. I seen a couple of theories, but I can't attest to the truth of them. I've heard that a club laid a cross your thighs will show where you are aimed, and I've heard that it's your shoulders that control the direction more. I tend to go with the shoulder theory more, but I've never tested any of them, so that's a guess.

In addition to the above, it may not be alignment at all. If you miss to the right because you slice and to the left because you pull, then it's more about eliminating the over-the-top move you probably have than changing your alignment.

[Dent]

In addition to the above, it may not be alignment at all. If you miss to the right because you slice and to the left because you pull, then it's more about eliminating the over-the-top move you probably have than changing your alignment.

I can definatly tell its not slicing or pulling, im sure its pure aiming. My ball is going perfectly straight, just off the greens. It could be that im still doing the inside out motion but i am almost positive i have a straight swing. Also, I totally did not know that feet had nothing to do with aiming, i always thought it did...

[iacas]

I can definatly tell its not slicing or pulling, im sure its pure aiming. My ball is going perfectly straight, just off the greens. It could be that im still doing the inside out motion but i am almost positive i have a straight swing.

Then do this: pick a spot a few feet in front of the ball on your target line. Line the clubface up with that.

It's highly unlikely you consistently mis-align yourself both left AND right. One way or the other only I could see, but both directions? That's odd. At least 1/3 of your shots should be in between (or, more likely, a lot of your shots since you'd probably mis-align yourself on a bell curve type variation).

[jb1982]

I have some allignment issues from time to time too. My big problem was that I would set my feet first and then line up the club to fit my stance. Apparently that didn't work for me since I always had a two way miss going. (good shots missing from poor allignment) Our course pro told me last year to start by standing behind the ball and lining the club face to my target and THEN taking my stance to the club. It seemed cumbersome at first but now it's just part of my preshot routine. More importantly, now I'm confident that when I hit a good shot it will end up where I wanted it to.

This is probably common knowledge but it took me 10 years to figure out!!

[mybloodinvt]

Then do this: pick a spot a few feet in front of the ball on your target line. Line the clubface up with that.

your feet and your shoulders should also be square to this line, ideally. but you should also spend alot of time of the range to figure out what your ball does from a square stance, ie; from a square stance does your ball go right or left. if the ball goes right, you may need to open your stance (slightly). if the ball goes left, you may want to try closing your stance, only slightly, keeping in mind your shoulders should still be square to your target line. i play a push/fade so i play with a slightly open stance. tom lehman plays a hook out of an slightly open stance. davis love plays a fade from a slightly closed stance. early on in the learning process it's about tinkering on the range. but as erik said in the previous post, your clubface should be aimed down the target line, no matter what. good luck and don't give up. this is, more or less, the way i did it many years ago. btw, you are free to disregard any or all of this post.

[bayareamtnbiker]

With your handicap you should maybe be giving the advice but here is a drill that might help.

Try an aim club or “aim board”. Put a 2”x4” an inch away from your ball, aimed at the target, so it is as if you are hitting full swings up against and down along a wall. Square your toes and shoulders to it at the right standoff. The wrong standoff or lean angle can create off plane and off line swings as your eye tries to bring the club head through the ball. If your swing is not on line/in plane, you’ll probably brush the board before or after the ball. Once you are swinging on line and in plane, see if your ball isn’t going where the aiming board is pointed. Don’t forget to mentally swing “along” the body not around, and also down the aim line “through” the ball, not at the ball. Have someone stand behind you and watch your path - they see things you can’t. By the way, it is much better to learn to aim and hit straight then to try and compensate for a variation IMHO.

After many hours if breaking old habits, you’ll be able to align and aim at a target with confidence, and build it right into your setup. All that matters now is how far you hit it. Simple!!!
Good luck.

[Dent]

yea im usually the one giving advice to friends, but yes ty all for this. I think part of it also was that i always thought it was the feet that was the aiming helper.

@iacas: picking a spot infront of me is what i used to do alot. It kinda wore off me but now im gonna start back into this routine.

I will try all these next time at the course.

[InTheTwenties]

I was wondering if anyone has any drills for the range for accuracy. When i get to the course I cannot hit one single GIR. I am always left or right. Sometimes i align my club to my feet to see if im aiming right and it seems like I am but then after that I couldnt hit the green.

A couple of things, in my opinion. First, is the lie of the ball on the range mat versus the lie of the ball on the natural grass. The mat gives you a great ball lie. The grass at a course give you a not so perfect lie. It may not be your swing, it may be that your swing is tuned to play a range mat lie. How to fix? Well, go to a football field or some other municipal soccer type field and hit balls there, to tune your swing to natural ball lies. In my opinion. if a golf course where to be created using only range mat material, aka: artificial turf, then most of us would be scratch players. Along those lines, Dave Peltz and other teachers advocate giving your self bad lies on purpose. Good luck. . .

[Matt P]

I lwould like to try the board drill...and am trying to visualise it, the board would be pointing down the target line about an inch outside of the ball i.e. if your looking down your target line the board would be to the right of the ball (right handed swing)?

Thanks

[Fourputt]

A couple of things, in my opinion. First, is the lie of the ball on the range mat versus the lie of the ball on the natural grass. The mat gives you a great ball lie. The grass at a course give you a not so perfect lie. It may not be your swing, it may be that your swing is tuned to play a range mat lie.

Or..... find a quality range where you can hit on grass. I don't even know the location of a practice range without grass any more. The range on my home course only uses mats in the winter, or when it's too wet, otherwise it's always grass. I NEVER practice my irons anywhere but on a grass range. The only club I'll hit from mats is my driver, because the mats don't really matter when the ball is on a tee.

[Dent]

yea our range is constantly grass also, so ill practise there.

[bayareamtnbiker]

I lwould like to try the board drill...and am trying to visualise it, the board would be pointing down the target line about an inch outside of the ball i.e. if your looking down your target line the board would be to the right of the ball (right handed swing)?

That's right. To feel it, set a ball an inch from a wall, face the wall, imagine hitting the ball straight along the wall. A cardboard box works also, a box and a whiffle ball in your back yard can help detect in-out or out-in swings.

[scv76]

Originally Posted by Matt P

I lwould like to try the board drill...and am trying to visualise it, the board would be pointing down the target line about an inch outside of the ball i.e. if your looking down your target line the board would be to the right of the ball (right handed swing)?

Thanks

A 2x4 is hard on the club and hands if and when you hit it....instead, I use a piece of pvc plastic pipe; the club will just kind of slide down the pipe if and when you miss-swing

[Gerald]

Quote:

I was wondering if anyone has any drills for the range for accuracy. When i get to the course I cannot hit one single GIR. I am always left or right. Sometimes i align my club to my feet to see if im aiming right and it seems like I am but then after that I couldnt hit the green.

Just wondering if anyone has any good drills to help me fix my feet alignment.

The toes say nothing, maybe you flare your left foot out, and it may look you are aiming left of the target while actually the line of you heels will show your are aiming right of the target.

Further aiming for a green with a straight shot might be the hardest shot in golf.

I prefer coming in to a green with a fade (personal) and aim to the left of the pin (so between the fringe and the pin) if I fade it a bit to less, it might still end up on the green, if it fades perfect it is close to the pin and if it fades a bit to much it will mostly end up between the pin and the right fringe.

If you prefer coming in with a draw aim for the right side of the green .....

So coming in with an angle makes GIR a lot easier !