Alignment is among the easiest pre-swing fundamentals to get wrong. If you’re alignment is off, there’s no way you can hit your target without making adjustments during your swing. That can cause you to misfire. Tour professionals think alignment is so critical they constantly monitor it when playing.
If you want to break 80, strive for perfect parallel alignment. The key to achieving perfect parallel alignment is aiming the clubface directly at the target then matching your alignment to the clubface’s angle. Below is a pre-shot routine that will guarantee you’re perfectly aligned on every shot.
Below are 6 steps to achieving perfect parallel alignment:
1. Visualize the target and the shot
2. Pick out an intermediate target
3. Aim the clubface at the target
4. Position your body square to the clubface
5. Achieve a good spine angle
6. Make sure the left hand faces target
Start by standing behind the ball and looking down the line. Pick out your target and then visualize the type of shot you want to hit.
With a clear picture of your target in mind, pick out an intermediate target (like a divot) about a club length or so in front of the ball but in line with your target. A divot or leaf works fine for this. Aim your clubface over the intermediate target.
Now step into your stance. Align your feet, hips, and shoulders square to the intermediate target. Aligning yourself square to the intermediate target has a positive impact on your swing’s shape and quality.
Next, hold the club straight out in front of you. Then bend from the hips until the club touches the ground. This helps create a good spine angle and encourages your arms to hang down freely from your shoulders.
Finally, check to make sure that the back of your left hand faces the target. If it is, you’re in perfect parallel alignment.
To ingrain perfect parallel alignment, lay down two clubs to indicate perfect parallel alignment when hitting practice shots. This helps to align everything automatically and correctly to the target, saving you strokes.