Aim and Alignment

LESSON 3

AIM

AND

ALIGNMENT

What is Aim & Alignment

Why is Aim and Alignment so Important

Common Errors with Aim and Alignment

How to practice Aim and Alignment

Visual Perception and its effect on Aim and Alignment

WHAT IS AIM AND ALIGNMENT

AIM is the direction of the clubface; ideally the leading edge of the golf club will be aimed at (90 degrees to) your intended target at address.

The leading edge of the golf club is the bottom edge of the golf club

ALIGNMENT is the positioning of the body relative to the target.

WHY IS AIM AND ALIGNMENT SO IMPORTANT?

COMMON ERROR WITH AIM AND ALIGNMENT!

A common error that we see is someone setting the club down in somewhat correct aim.

Then placing the golf club across the shoulders so that the shoulders are pointing straight at the target, sound familiar?

YOU ARE ACTUALLY ALIGNING YOURSELF RIGHT OF TARGET

I am going to bring my target to just one yard out from my club head

If I now wanted to square my shoulders up to my target I would look like this.

As you can see by this graphic illustration the body does not actually aim at the target, the body is aligned parallel left of target.

We have put you on the train tracks for a moment from here you will see that the clubface is aimed directly at the target.

While the body is aligned parallel left to the target which is effectively the same distance to the left of the target that we are standing away from the ball.

SO HOW CAN WE PRACTICE AIM AND ALIGNMENT?

THE EASIEST WAY TO PRACTICE IS TO USE SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE EASY ACCESS TO, GET TWO GOLF CLUBS, TWO BROOM STICKS OR EVEN TWO STRAIGHT PIECES OF WOOD.

Place the clubs down on the ground so that the first club is pointing directly at your target. Place the second club down parallel to the first club on the left side of it the same distance away from it that you stand away from the ball.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ON VISUAL PERCEPTION!

If I was a nomadic tribesman or had to hunt for my food and I sighted a gun from here

I WOULD GO HUNGRY!

WHY? Because my visual perception from here is distorted!

I MUST SIGHT MY CLUB LOOKING STRAIGHT DOWN MY TARGET LINE TO GET A VERY ACCURATE SIGHT TO MY TARGET!

This is true for golfers as well. Please sight your aim club first from directly down the line of target, maybe even with your dominant eye to be more precise.

And if you see a bewildered skinny nomadic tribesman in your travels please pass on this message.

PLEASE GO BACK AND REVIEW THIS SECTION. IF YOU ARE GOING TO THE DRIVING RANGE PLEASE PUT THESE CLUBS DOWN TO HELP YOUR PRACTICE.TOUR PRO’S DO.

WORK ON THIS EVEN AT HOME ALIGN YOURSELF TO A SELECT TARGET IT MAY BE THE CORNER OF THE COFFEE TABLE OR THE BOOKSHELF GET USED TO THE FEEL OF YOUR SET UP WITH CLUBFACE AIMED BODY PARRALEL LEFT.

THANK YOUR FOR YOUR TIME TODAY

WORK ON THIS UNTIL YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE THEN MOVE ON TO LESSON 4