How a golfer lines up their shot will definitely determine where the ball will go. How many times have you made a great shot, hitting the ball perfectly, only to realize that you've missed your target because you were not aiming in the right direction. Proper aim and alignment are things you can control and take unnecessary stokes off your score. Here I have outlined pre-shot aiming procedures that will help you eliminate missing your target.
Start out by standing a few feet behind the ball and pick out your intended target. This is the only angle that will yield an accurate line to the target. Now pick out a spot a few feet in front of the ball on your target line. Find something to use as a spot like a blade of grass, a leaf, a brown spot or anything that you will be able to refer back to. This approach is identical to what bowlers do. On a bowling alley there are spots on the lane. This allows the bowler to focus on when they are making their shot so they do not have to look up.
The next step is extremely important and that is first aim the club head squarely at your spot the align your body to your club head. Many weekend golfers fail to do this step in this order. To often they pick out their spot correctly but the move into position before aligning the club face. Golf is definitely a game of inches and this is an example for that saying. Once their body is in place they will start to gently wiggle the club head towards their spot. Now there is no assurance that the club face and body are perfectly aligned. Again, aim the club face first then align your body around the club.
Thirdly, imagine a set of railroad tracts where the ball and your spot is the outside tract and the inside track are your toes. Your shoulders, hips, knees and feet should all be parallel and aligned to the inside track. I find having a friend lay the clubs on the ground for me and then I step away to check myself works the best.
The final check for good aim and often overlooked is proper eye alignment, Your eyes also must be in alignment with your feet, hips, knees and shoulders. If you have a habit of tilting your head at an angle to look up, there is a very good chance that is where your shot will go. A good way to make a final check of your target line is to swivel your head so your nose is always pointing parallel to your imaginary railroad track lines.
Aiming your golf club is like aiming a rifle, if you do not do it accurately you will miss your target. I encourage you to implement and practice these fundamentals and you will definitely see positive results with your golf score.
