Alignment ISSUES. Need help!

[Gregormendel]

I have a simple question that raises alot of heads when I present it.
Consider the scenario...

You are at the driving range practicing, and set a club next to the ball aimed DIRECTLY at your target. After you address the ball, Set a club along your feet parallel to the one next to the ball making "railroad tracks" if you will. So basically you just are setting two clubs down on the ground for alignment purposes.

If you step back and look at the club next to your ball, where is it aiming? I say directly at the target. Right? Now move over to the one where your feet were aiming. Where is that one pointing? Technically, It looks as if it is aiming about 10-15 yards left of your target, just exactly parallel to it. Still everything seems to be going normal. But then ask yourself, which one is the right one? Do I aim my feet at the target?? or do I want the alignment coming from the ball?

Now here is what gets my mind all screwed up.

I asked a friend which one he would use his alignment for... because being 10-15yards off is a big difference. And he casually gave me some common sense reasoning... He said, "If these two clubs are only two feet apart while here next to you, then they are exactly 2 feet away from the target as well.. considering they are exactly parallel."

So which one is it? If you are actually looking at these clubs alignment, the one by the ball is pointing at the target and the one that is next to your feet is pointing 10-15 yards left of your target. But using his common sense... then the club at your feet, which is exactly 2 feet left of the club aligning the ball, should ultimately be pointing 2 feet left of the target????

Which is the right choice when trying to work on your alignment at the driving range? I know trying to explain it is difficult but try it next time you go to the driving range and see if it doesnt make you go, "What the #$*&"

All of this makes a difference because if your feet are aiming 10-15yards left then so are your shoulders and your swingpath too.

[Gregormendel]

Either way, where do you want the alignment club on the ground. Do you want to put it right next to the ball? Or right next to your feet when you are working on your alignment?? Or does it matter? Lets hear some input.

[J_Bone]

I setup Parallel all the the way to the target. To me, aiming 10-15 yards left is off line.

[lamebums]

I'm not sure what to do. I aim left, and the ball goes right 50 yards or more. Only on the golf course. On the range, I send them down the pipe.

[golfgolfer]

Like J_Bone, i will aim directly parallel to the target path; ie 2 feet. That is, one club along the target path and one parallel to it all the way.

If you were to have one club aiming at the target and the other (that is your feet) aiming 15-20 yards left of target, you will end up with an open stance.

[iacas]

If you were to have one club aiming at the target and the other (that is your feet) aiming 15-20 yards left of target, you will end up with an open stance.

My stance is usually slightly open, so yeah, I am aiming left of the target. My natural swing produces a draw, so when I want to hit a draw I line up square (parallel, and two feet left or so) of the target. But normally I want to hit a fade, and having a slightly open stance encourages my hips to get through the ball better than being square.

A lot of pros are slightly open as well, both for the hip reason and because they don't want to hit a snap hook. Pros don't come over the top like amateurs, some of whom you'll see pointing their feet way RIGHT of target to try to compensate for their massive slice.

[Gregormendel]

What I am saying is...

That when you have the clubs parallel, and technically your feet are aiming 2 feet left of the target, when you stand back behind your feet alignment.. It looks like they are aimed 10 yards left of the target. Im not saying that MY club is pointing 10 yards left. I am saying that every club, if having a perfectly square stance with the clubface, looks like its aiming 10 yards left. Thats all.

What you perceive and reality is not always the same thing.

[iacas]

What I am saying is...

I don't see it that way at all. I see it as pointing two feet left, not 10 yards. Your perception is messed up.

[Gregormendel]

Wouldnt be the first time lol

[green6767]

Your friend has the right thinking. If the two clubs are EXACTLY parallel at address and about 2 feet apart, then those two imaginary lines will extend all the way to the target. The line from the ball with be right at the target, and the line from your feet will be 2 feet left of the target (right handed swing). Not sure where you're getting the 10 to 15 yards left thing. If your two clubs REALLY are parallel and 2 feet apart at address, then those lines are parallel and still 2 feet apart at the target. If I could hit 2 feet left of my target on every shot......I'd be making money from this sport.

Personally I aim my feet at the target. I have a problem with closing my stance on accident, so I have to consciously make an effort to open up more at address. Good luck!

[Gregormendel]

It makes perfect sense... I just must be very bad at making parallel lines!

[sonicblue]

Our eyes don't do this "convergence" naturally. Looking at the two clubs in front of you, you simply look up and then perceive a DIvergence. Your friend is right. To the question at hand, I line up my shot from behind, pick a spot on the ground somewhere, and then align my clubface to that. When I actually am looking out to the target after I'm aligned, I simply don't let the fact that it looks like my feet/shoulders/whatever are aligned way left influence what I know to be true, which is my initial alignment technique (from behind).