use of marker at T-off

[pipergsm]

Hi guys, here's a question regarding the T-off (use of driver).

in order to help yourself to get an optimal impact, are you allowed to place your marker at T-off (as a point of focus)?

Thanks for the answers!

[iacas]

Originally Posted by pipergsm

Hi guys, here's a question regarding the T-off (use of driver).

in order to help yourself to get an optimal impact, are you allowed to place your marker at T-off (as a point of focus)?

Thanks for the answers!

No. You cannot place any alignment aids or such and leave them there when making the stroke.

[glock35ipsc]

Originally Posted by iacas

No. You cannot place any alignment aids or such and leave them there when making the stroke.

How about this Erik.... one guy I play with on occasion, on every tee shot, will lay his club down along his toe line (from behind the ball, lays it down while lining it up from behind).  Then he will take his stance along the club, pick it up then play the shot.  Is that OK to do since he does not leave the "alignment aid" in place?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

How about this Erik.... one guy I play with on occasion, on every tee shot, will lay his club down along his toe line (from behind the ball, lays it down while lining it up from behind).  Then he will take his stance along the club, pick it up then play the shot.  Is that OK to do since he does not leave the "alignment aid" in place?

Yes.

INDICATING LINE OF PLAY OTHER THAN ON PUTTING GREEN

8-2a/1

Club Placed on Ground to Align Feet

Q. A player places a club on the ground parallel to the line of play to assist him in aligning his feet properly. Is this permissible?

A. Yes, provided the player removes the club before playing his stroke. Otherwise, a breach of Rule 8-2a would occur.

Related Decision:

· 14-3/10.3 Use of Rod During Round for Alignment or as Swing Aid

8-2a/2

Object Placed Beside or Behind Ball to Indicate Line of Play

Q. May a player place his pipe or a club beside his ball, or an object behind his ball, to indicate the line of play and leave the object there while playing a stroke?

A. No. Such action would be a breach of Rule 8-2a .

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by pipergsm

Hi guys, here's a question regarding the T-off (use of driver).

in order to help yourself to get an optimal impact, are you allowed to place your marker at T-off (as a point of focus)?

Thanks for the answers!

No you cannot place anything on the ground, then leave it there when you make your stroke.  You may tee the ball in line with a broken tee or some such object which is already lying around in the teeing ground as long as you don't move it or place it.  If you pick up a broken tee and toss it aside, you can't then decide to use it in its new location as a marker to help you aim your shot.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

No you cannot place anything on the ground, then leave it there when you make your stroke.

Sure you can. I can toss a towel on the ground. Or my headcover. :) I just can't do it for the purpose of lining anything up or aiding me in making a stroke.

Bazinga!

[John S]

I put a long alignment mark on the ball, line that up with something, like a divot or broken tee or whatever else happens to be there and then line up using the mark on the ball.

[SweDeuS]

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

How about this Erik.... one guy I play with on occasion, on every tee shot, will lay his club down along his toe line (from behind the ball, lays it down while lining it up from behind).  Then he will take his stance along the club, pick it up then play the shot.  Is that OK to do since he does not leave the "alignment aid" in place?

Originally Posted by iacas

Yes.

What I don't get is why you don't see this type of action on tour. Most tour players and golf instructors speak about how you shold always use alignement sticks and such during your range sessions. This to get better at aligning your shots to your intended target.

During tournament play: why don't pros use an alignment stick (for body alignment or pointing at the intended target), take their stance, and then have their caddie removing it before they make their stroke?

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by SweDeuS

What I don't get is why you don't see this type of action on tour. Most tour players and golf instructors speak about how you shold always use alignement sticks and such during your range sessions. This to get better at aligning your shots to your intended target.

During tournament play: why don't pros use an alignment stick (for body alignment or pointing at the intended target), take their stance, and then have their caddie removing it before they make their stroke?

Because they would get ridiculed.  It is bad enough that on the LPGA tour the caddies line up the players before their shots.

[SweDeuS]

Originally Posted by turtleback

Because they would get ridiculed.  It is bad enough that on the LPGA tour the caddies line up the players before their shots.

Would they? Then why are they not ridiculed for sitting on their knees or even lying down on the gruond, while reading putts?

[Rulesman]

Originally Posted by SweDeuS

What I don't get is why you don't see this type of action on tour. Most tour players and golf instructors speak about how you shold always use alignement sticks and such during your range sessions. This to get better at aligning your shots to your intended target.

During tournament play: why don't pros use an alignment stick (for body alignment or pointing at the intended target), take their stance, and then have their caddie removing it before they make their stroke?

They advise you to use them because

a) they get paid to do so and

b) as they are selling the idea to beginners and amateurs who don't know how to align thermselves, they would tar themselves with the same brush if they used them

[granitegolf]

I believe you don't see this a ton on the PGA because they all practice their alignment so much that they tend to get it right. There are still some PGA members who use their caddies to line them up(can't remember who at the moment).

Every time you practice this should be one of the core drills you are working on. Alignment- I find it odd how many people just bang balls at the range. Then you see someone one get a hold of one and hear them state "finally, got that one good" but if they only knew how far off line they struck it they might not think the same:)

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by SweDeuS

Quote:

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

How about this Erik.... one guy I play with on occasion, on every tee shot, will lay his club down along his toe line (from behind the ball, lays it down while lining it up from behind).  Then he will take his stance along the club, pick it up then play the shot.  Is that OK to do since he does not leave the "alignment aid" in place?

Quote:

Originally Posted by iacas

Yes.

What I don't get is why you don't see this type of action on tour. Most tour players and golf instructors speak about how you shold always use alignement sticks and such during your range sessions. This to get better at aligning your shots to your intended target.

During tournament play: why don't pros use an alignment stick (for body alignment or pointing at the intended target), take their stance, and then have their caddie removing it before they make their stroke?

Because it's a drill for practice.  Any halfway decent player doesn't need such things on the course because he has practiced using those drills.  Every player has some sort of a key that he uses to assure proper alignment.  I use what Jack and many other top players use, a spot on my line of play about 3 feet in front of the ball.  Visualizing an imaginary line from that spot to the ball makes it easy to get properly aligned.

Besides, using an alignment stick during play is a breach of Rule 14-3.

[Stretch]

On the tee box, I always look for a scuff mark (or divot) along the direction I want my ball to start and then tee up behind that and square the face to it. Failing that, I'll use a stick or patch of grass in front of the markers as an intermediate target, as Fourputt says. If I want to curve the shot particularly, I'll use the aim line on the ball too -- point it out to the right of the face alignment for a draw or left for a fade. Feel like it reminds my subconscious that my path needs to go that way.

[CanuckAaron]

Originally Posted by SweDeuS

What I don't get is why you don't see this type of action on tour. Most tour players and golf instructors speak about how you shold always use alignement sticks and such during your range sessions. This to get better at aligning your shots to your intended target.

During tournament play: why don't pros use an alignment stick (for body alignment or pointing at the intended target), take their stance, and then have their caddie removing it before they make their stroke?

I have seen a few caddies help line up their players but at their level they do not need alignment sticks. Kyle Stanley's caddie helped him line up every shot I saw on the coverage of last year's Farmer's, he even called him off the ball when he was off-line.

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Besides, using an alignment stick during play is a breach of Rule 14-3.

I find it interesting that you can use a club (Decision 8-2a/1) but you cannot use a rod (Decision 14-3/10.3).

[billchao]

I believe you don't see this a ton on the PGA because they all practice their alignment so much that they tend to get it right. There are still some PGA members who use their caddies to line them up(can't remember who at the moment). Every time you practice this should be one of the core drills you are working on. Alignment- I find it odd how many people just bang balls at the range. Then you see someone one get a hold of one and hear them state "finally, got that one good" but if they only knew how far off line they struck it they might not think the same:)

The range I usually go to has target greens that aren't in line with the mats. I hit to those, so I never hit square with the mat. Ive gotten pretty good by practicing like this, but I can still misalign myself if I get lax on the course. The trick for me is to focus on my target and the mechanics will usually sort itself out. I think as long as one is practicing with some alignment purpose in mind, as opposed to just beating balls with not much in mind, there will be improvement.

[luu5]

Originally Posted by turtleback

I find it interesting that you can use a club (Decision 8-2a/1) but you cannot use a rod (Decision 14-3/10.3).

Same thing as using two normal clubs to warm up compared to using a weighted club.