Far too often the average golfer will struggle to ensure their golf swing alignment is correct and actually find themselves with an open body. They will have slouched their body and found themselves turned towards the target. These tips and drills will ensure you don’t misalign and give yourself the best chance of getting a shot on target.
The truth of the matter is that golfers naturally open their body and it happens unconsciously when they set up their alignment to the target. If you imagine gripping the club, where the right hand is lower down than our left one, you will notice that your right shoulder tilts down slightly and a touch forward. Likewise with your right hip, this will be forward a fraction. Admittedly these movements are slight but you are in fact opening your body to the golf ball.
To appreciate a golfer’s open body more clearly you can drop your right hand further down the golf club. By having the right hand a foot below your left hand by about a foot you can exaggerate what happens to the body and the way in which it naturally opens. Just by doing this you can see how easy it is to incorrectly align your body squarely to the direction line.
As a result of opening our body it causes the following three conditions to happen:
* Your aim is to the left
* You set up in a position to hit from outside to inside before you have started the backswing
* Your shoulder turn and backswing are restricted
Golf Alignment Drill
The next time you address the golf ball ask a friend to hold a club against the front of your shoulders. They will then be able to see exactly where you are aiming. The vast number of golfers will point to the left of the target. This simple drill will pinpoint the degree to which you are incorrectly aiming at the target.
Fortunately golfers can improve this position and aim at the target by making a conscious effort to alter their alignment. In doing so this has to become a habit and to begin with they will have the feeling that they are looking at the target over their left shoulder.
Golf Alignment Checkpoints
In correcting your alignment to need to consider these check points:
The hips need to positioned so that they are parallel to the direction line. As the player looks down at his grip the club shaft should be to the left of the fly of his trousers by two inches
If the hips aren’t repositioned and remain open, the club and the fly will be in the same line – or in worst cases the fly a little more to the left.
Be mindful to not stick your rear out and ensure it is under your trunk and if anything pushed a touch forward.
If a golfer has an open foot stance it can be difficult to square the shoulders and hips. We look for a square position but in actual fact it is easiest if the stance is closed. As an aside this is why a golfer can hook a shot far easier from a closed stance, as opposed to an open one. As the body is square to the ball or facing slightly to the right the club comes farther from the inside.
Once a golfer has squared their hips and shoulders they will begin to take straight divots, if not inside to out ones.
So finally, remember these checkpoints and drills to ensure you don’t have an incorrect alignment. Golf is hard enough as it is without handicapping yourself before you have even started your back swing.
[…] yourself, are you aligned to the ball properly? Take time out to read these golf alignment tips and drills. One quick recommendation is to align yourself with the club in your left hand as this helps ensure […]
Hi Andy,
Thanks for your regular emails, the golf alinement drill showed me everything was wrong with my set up. I never practice only my putting which saves me a lot of shots.
I now spend 15-20 minutes on the practice area working on my set up it now shows me all my old faults. I play off 16 hoping to get down a bit lower this year by avoiding the trees on the left of our course.
Thanks again
Peter
Hi Andy,
Another great tip. My alignment is very often suspect but tried this out at the weekend and it felt really good. Viewing the grip end of the club in relation to my Zip not only squared my hips but more importantly my shoulders also, even with my putter.
Thanks again Andy.
Well…funny thing…the instruction worked for proper golf stance setup tips. For the last two years my LONG drive has disappeared. From a max of 369, averaging around 320 to a pathetic 230 – 240. I thought it was equipment driven as I had recently changed the driver shaft. (Only good thing that came from this was making me hit my irons farther and straigher)….Boy was I wrong. I played 9 holes last night and used the information outlined in the tips…I averaged 262, with a long of 294; and get this…even though I drove a couple to the left (did not tuck left elbow), every one was dead straight…something I NEVER do. I cannot wait to get back to tonight to continue the assault and get back the distance I once had….and work on keeping them dead straight.
Thanks….you guys ROCK.
Very useful comments, as always.
Thank you
For a novice, it is too hard to understand with all the jargons, etc. You should also attach some photo or better illustration. Thanks