Alignment - What's Your Target?

[dchoye]

I find for the secondary target it can change from a spot on the ground to a straight line to my long distance target just by moving my head. If I turn my head so my eyes are "closed" i see a target line on the ground..   If I turn my face so my eyes are "open" alignment then I start seeing a dot/spot and the line disappears from the ground.

[Ernest Jones]

I find for the secondary target it can change from a spot on the ground to a straight line to my long distance target just by moving my head. If I turn my head so my eyes are "closed" i see a target line on the ground..   If I turn my face so my eyes are "open" alignment then I start seeing a dot/spot and the line disappears from the ground.

Once I've picked my spot I visualize a line from the spot through the center of the ball and align to that.

[dchoye]

line on the ground/spot on the ground works really well for me for those downhill putts/and shorter wedge shots where I need to be more spefic from 60-130 yards away, I remember to just turn my face for spot alignment and turn my shoulders for line alignment

[Club Rat]

I use two primary targets as part of my pre-shot routine.

After I hit my shot, I first want to see the ball at my intermediate target and then watch the flight to the long range target.

The intermediate targets will vary with distance and club selection.

It will be a lower target with longer shots which I will see almost immediately.

Higher shots, played with my scoring irons, I will pickup the ball flight usually as I finish my swing.

Unless I hit the darn thing in the forehead, then I just exhale, grab my bag and start walking and cussing..........

Club Rat

[Ernest Jones]

line on the ground/spot on the ground works really well for me for those downhill putts/and shorter wedge shots where I need to be more spefic from 60-130 yards away, I remember to just turn my face for spot alignment and turn my shoulders for line alignment

This would wreak havoc on my swing.

[Golfingdad]

 

[if gte mso 9]>

Hi all,

 

I have always struggled with using an intermediate target when it comes to aligning my stance because I tend to “lose” the line while actually setting my feet.[if gte mso 9]>

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Good point.  It's especially hard when you just can't find anything that is along your line.  I sometimes try and pick a discolored part of the grass, and then as I walk up to my ball, it turns out that it was moreso the lighting than actual discoloration so I lose track of it.

I guess it would be hard to go exclusively with an intermediate target because sometimes they are more "concrete" than others.  And, sometimes they just don't exist at all.

[dchoye]

I bumped this thread cause I lot has changed for me. I been using long range target for most of this year . I set up from the left side of the ball and looking at my target most of the time.

This works well for a draw .

However I been involuntary hitting a fade and notice a set up change where I stand behind the ball come from the right side of the  ball and draw a line from my long range target to the ball and then concentrate on a spot few inches in front of the ball and lining up to the spot and trusting it without looking up again.

This has worked really well for my driver.

Also for my putter/chipping method as well.

[Shindig]

I was thinking of this yesterday when I realized that I'm not sure I know if I'm lined up right.  At the range, I tend to first look at what "straight" from the stall is going to be, and using that to see if I'm hitting it straight or not.

At the course, I pick my line/long range target, then something a bit in front of the ball on that line, and try to align myself with that.  I look for a parallel line to put my feet on.

But it occurs to me:  I don't really know if I'm doing it correctly or if my misses are coming from lining up wrong.  Maybe I think I draw it but the reality is I set up for a draw?

For those of you who set up the club for that line first, has that been working?  Is changing how I set up to align myself something I should try playing around with to see if I'm doing it right?

I think I'll also start trying to pick different targets at the range to align myself to before I do this at the course.

[Golfingdad]

In the last couple of years I've relied a little more on targets immediately in front of my ball to align to and it's seemed to have served me somewhat well.

In practice, I usually just aim along with the square mats because when I'm slightly off of that line it doesn't feel right.

[saevel25]

At the range I tend to throw down an alignment stick to help practice my set up. On the course I grip the club first. Then settle the club head behind the ball aiming where I want the ball to start. Then I align my body to the club. If I don't do this diligently I can aim my body closed to my target. 

[Jackal1966]

I look at the pin. Then make an imaginary line to the ball.

Pick out a small marker on that line about 1 ft in front of the ball.

Then connect the dots with my swing.

[billchao]

I don't just use a far target anymore. I pick my target in the distance and then I trace a line to a target just in front of my ball. I set up to that closer target.

It's how I use AimPoint on the greens and I ended up adopting it on all my shots.

[DaveP043]

17 hours ago, Shindig said:

I was thinking of this yesterday when I realized that I'm not sure I know if I'm lined up right.  At the range, I tend to first look at what "straight" from the stall is going to be, and using that to see if I'm hitting it straight or not.

At the course, I pick my line/long range target, then something a bit in front of the ball on that line, and try to align myself with that.  I look for a parallel line to put my feet on.

But it occurs to me:  I don't really know if I'm doing it correctly or if my misses are coming from lining up wrong.  Maybe I think I draw it but the reality is I set up for a draw?

For those of you who set up the club for that line first, has that been working?  Is changing how I set up to align myself something I should try playing around with to see if I'm doing it right?

I think I'll also start trying to pick different targets at the range to align myself to before I do this at the course.

At the range, I do just what you mention in the last sentence.  We have a bunch of widely spaced target poles, and I vary my target based on the club I'm hitting.  It doesn't have to be a perfect distance, but I like it to be close.  This way I'm changing my target through my practice session.  I also use alignment sticks (or a club on the ground) to help reinforce my target line.

On the course, I've never used an intermediate or near-by target, I've always picked a very specific target near or beyond my intended landing spot.  By specific, I don't aim at the right half of a fairway, I aim at a specific tree trunk, or the right edge of a window on a house in the distance.  I grip the club, set it behind the ball aligned at my target, and set my feet and body in proper relationship to the clubhead.  My procedure sounds almost exactly the same as @saevel25.  I absolutely realize that I can't be as precise in aiming the clubhead as the target I've selected (the right edge of that window), but the precise target image seems to help me hit more shots on target.

[Wanzo]

I am a pick a target in front of the ball guy.  I'll pick start line in the distance, not necessarily my end target, then trace that back to the ball and pick a spot a few feet in front of the ball to line up to.  Most times I don't even look at the target or start line in the distance again, maybe I should, but I just feel that would add doubt so I just stick the process and pull the trigger.

[Golfingdad]

33 minutes ago, Wanzo said:

I am a pick a target in front of the ball guy.  I'll pick start line in the distance, not necessarily my end target, then trace that back to the ball and pick a spot a few feet in front of the ball to line up to.  Most times I don't even look at the target or start line in the distance again, maybe I should, but I just feel that would add doubt so I just stick the process and pull the trigger.

Yep, this is exactly what I do as well, and exactly why I do it.  I'm standing behind my ball when I pick the "long" target and the "short" target, so I don't see what good comes from looking again at the long target once I get next to my ball, since it's not going to look like it's on my line anyway.

The times I'll look back at the long target after addressing the ball, I think, are the times when I'm not taking a full swing, so I'm not really looking at it to gauge alignment, but rather distance.

[rehmwa]

Nothing's changed in a couple years.  I get my distance and shape in my head.  Then I pick my start line and find a bit of 'whatever' a foot or two or three in front of the ball.  Ignore the flag at that point.  Line up to the start line reference and then swing the shot I selected.  Getting my stance parallel to that line and the face of the club square to that line has helped me so much.

[NCGolfer]

For any shot I have I pick two targets.  The first is the long-range target and where I want the ball to go/land.  I try and make that as small as I can and that's the one I visualize when I'm thinking over the ball.  To align myself to that target I draw a straight line back to the ball and pick a spot a couple feet in front of the ball.  I know if I am lined up at that spot I will be aligned to my intended target.

For putting it is similar...the AimPoint guys are more fluent in the lingo but I visualize the path I want the ball to travel on and pick a spot a foot in front of the ball I need to roll it over to get the ball on that path.  After I'm lined up I visualize that path before I stroke the putt.

[Golfingdad]

54 minutes ago, NCGolfer said:

For any shot I have I pick two targets.  The first is the long-range target and where I want the ball to go/land.  I try and make that as small as I can and that's the one I visualize when I'm thinking over the ball.  To align myself to that target I draw a straight line back to the ball and pick a spot a couple feet in front of the ball.  I know if I am lined up at that spot I will be aligned to my intended target.

For putting it is similar...the AimPoint guys are more fluent in the lingo but I visualize the path I want the ball to travel on and pick a spot a foot in front of the ball I need to roll it over to get the ball on that path.  After I'm lined up I visualize that path before I stroke the putt.

Ha.  Since you bring up putting, I just realize that I am not consistent.  I definitely don't pick an intermediate target for my putts.  Now I'm thinking that is probably because it would usually be pretty difficult to find one if the green is in decent shape.  Also, when I get far enough away that I can't easily see my actual target then the precision of my alignment is a lot less important anyway. :)

Maybe next time I practice putting (probably sometime in 2019 :P) I'll give this a try.