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Golf

2011-10-25 11:04:38

Ask the pro - series

A: That is a very good question. Quite often, going back to fundamentals is one of the best ways to do a lot of things. Learning how to swing a golf club and how to play golf well, can be among the most challenging things anyone can learn. There are many golf swing tips that you can follow but it is important to follow simple approaches that you can apply to help you play better, and to improve your golf swing. Often, the simplest golf swing is also the most effective at hitting the ball farther and straighter. Last month, we talked about the stance. This month, we will talk about something that is often neglected by amateurs…the alignment. Alignment, or aim, is an often overlooked fundamental of golf. Proper alignment can go a long way in improving the scores and accuracy of an intermediate golfer’s game. The intermediate golfer has focused mostly on the basic fundamentals of grip, stance and swing along with chipping, pitching, putting and sand play. At this level, the golfer usually shoots scores from 85 to 105, but has trouble lowering his or her scores from that range. Assuming the golfer has good swing mechanics, improper alignment, or aim, can actually throw off the golfer’s swing, which can be detected in the flight of the golf ball. Practicing proper alignment will have a positive impact on consistency, accuracy and scoring. This tutorial will first show you how to evaluate ball flight and then instruct you on alignment. An intermediate golfer rarely checks his or her alignment, yet advanced golfers check their alignment at every practice session. This fundamental is simple just overlooked. Most swing path problems occur because the golfer simply aims portly and the golfer has to adjust for poor aim by swinging an outside-in swing path. To get proper alignment, or aim, start by positioning yourself about 10 feet directly behind the ball, keeping the ball between yourself and the target. Put your grip on the club at this point. Pick a spot on the ground about three feet in front of the ball that is on line to the target, and use that spot as a reference for addressing the ball and aiming your clubface. Keeping focus on your spot, walk up to the ball. With your feet together, get into your posture standing parallel to your target line, which is drawn from the ball to the spot three feet in front of the ball, toward the target. Address the ball, keeping your body square to the target line and positioning your feet appropriately for the club you are going to use. The line of the tips of your toes, knees, hips and shoulder should be parallel to your target line. Position the club behind the golf ball with the clubface pointed squarely towards the target spot in front of the golf ball. With strong swing fundamentals and proper alignment, the flight of the golf ball should go straight towards the target on every shot. Here is a practice drill you can use… Go to the range and place a club on the ground between yourself and your ball, to use as a reference. For a right-handed golfer, aim the shaft about five yards to the left of the target, and for a left-handed golfer, aim the club about five yards to the right of the target. Align your toes parallel to the club on the ground and practice about 20 shots, then remove the club and test yourself. Another way to test your alignment is to lay your club down on the ground against the tips of your toes after you hit a shot. Lay another club on the ground next to your ball, parallel to the other club. Now, step back and see where the club next to the ball is aimed in relation to your target. If the club is lined up straight to the target, then you’re perfect. If it is not aimed down the target line, then keep practicing your alignment. I will be back with more next month.