Alignment

Alignment is a skill that must be practiced. The best practice routine involves hitting full shots with a guide on the ground to help your visualization. The comments in this lesson are based on the straight shot. There are many reasons why the ball doesn't go straight when you hit it but we will assume that you plan to hit it straight when you are aligned to it. The best way to think about alignment is to imagine a set of railroad tracks heading toward the target. You are standing on one track with both feet and your ball is on the other track. As you can see this is a perfect pair of parallel lines. Two lines go to the target and many others are perpendicular to them. In order for you to stand on one of the tracks you need to be balanced. Try using that as a practice aid or swing thought. Now, for different clubs the tracks get narrower or wider depending on how far the ball is from you. The ties will be your indicator of the ball position for a given club. More to the left heel for a driver and gradually closer to the middle, between the heels, for a 9 iron. I suggest this as a visual aid because you can't do what I'm about to tell you on the course. When you go to the range put a club on the ground pointing to a target of your choice. Between your feet, put another one at 90 degrees to the first. Stand in the "T" with your 7 iron so that you can see both clubs. Place a ball near the top of the "T" so that could hit it. The base of the "T" should be near the middle of your stance. You could also use three clubs if you need to. Put another at your feet and make an "H". When balanced, on the rail of your tracks, you will have your feet, knees, hips, shoulders and elbows all parallel with the track. Your arms will hang comfortably under your shoulders. This is a basic alignment and other factors will always influence your alignment. My point is to give you a mental picture of something to think about when you need it.