How to Improve Your Aim & Alignment in a Few Easy Steps
Take a stroll down the range at a pro tour event and notice how good the players look at setup: Spine tilted forward from the hips, knees slightly flexed, body square to the target line. They didn’t get this way by accident. They’ve worked at it, honed it and baked it into their pre-shot routine.
At the top level, the players are all great ball-strikers. What allows the cream to rise to the top is accuracy. For the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda, each tops on their respective tours, the ball consistently travels on its intended line, shot after shot.
Recreational golfers can’t hope to achieve the same level of precision as the pros, but there are ways to set yourself up for straighter shots. Golf is, after all, a target sport.
Proper Alignment is the Holy Grail for Accomplished Players
Golf is enjoyable when your natural shot shape fits into the field of play on a golf course. How you aim is crucial. Many is the amateur who has a decent swing but who can’t aim correctly. Incorrect alignment can alter your swing, manipulate your setup–and make golf seem like a chore.
How are four simple ways to properly align your body and aim the clubface for better results:
1. Pick a distant target
Stand behind your ball, on the target line, and determine where you want your shot to end. As you’re doing this, assess where the trouble is, determine the widest area where you want to hit your ball, and pick out a spot in the middle of that area.
2. Pick a near target
Keep your eyes on the distant target as you approach the ball, but trace your eyes back from the distant target as you settle over the ball. Try to find a blemish or a piece of grass just in front of the ball. That’s called an intermediate target. This technique was popularized by the great Jack Nicklaus.
3. Align to near target
The reason to select an intermediate target is because it’s easier for your eyes to match the clubface to something that is just in front of it. Align your clubface to the spot just in front of the ball. Then assume your setup and align your body perpendicular to the clubface. You can check your distant target, but align to the near target.
4. Swing to distant target
One of the challenges in playing golf is staying reactive. Your setup is a relatively static position. As you settle into your setup and prepare to swing, visualize your distant target and react to it.
SIDEBAR: Alignment Sticks
Even the pros need to self-correct every now and then. Many of them choose to check their aim with the assistance of an alignment stick. A versatile golf training aid, alignment sticks can help to correct any mistakes in a player’s posture and improve alignment to the target. They’re also inexpensive and easy to carry in your golf bag.
Visual Feedback = Better Alignment & Straighter Shots
Alignment sticks are easy to use. Simply place a stick on the ground alongside the intended target line. This is your visual reference point. Next, simply place your feet and shoulders parallel to the alignment stick, with the clubface aimed to the target.
It doesn’t get much easier than that. And the good news is, the more you use this visual aid, the more ‘second nature’ it becomes. Your shots will become straighter because you’re properly aligned to the target.
Practice is key when it comes to using visual feedback from alignment sticks to confirm that your aim is correct. In the same way that you practice your swing at the driving range, it’s just as important to practice your alignment. Be patient. It takes time to get it right.
But it’s worth it.
Not only will you see your overall game improve dramatically due to the accuracy of your shots, you’ll gain more confidence on the course. And according to Nicklaus, golf’s greatest champion, “Confidence is the most important single factor in this game.”
