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When You Really Need To Bust One From The Tee

Many golfers fail to take appropriate care in ensuring they have correct alignment. It is something that afflicts both professionals and amateurs.

In the past I have had similar problems and I would have sworn blind that I was aiming at the target. Yet when I placed a club down across my toes I have been 10 - 15 yards right of the target. Most right handed golfers tend to aim too far to the right and left handers too far to the left.

To prevent this happening I would recommend:

1. Regularly check your self by placing a club down across your toes and then stand behind and look at where you are actually aiming.

2. During practice sessions ( this does not include warm-ups before a round),place a club on the ground pointing at a particular target in the distance. Then take your set up ensuring the club on the ground is about halfway between your toes and the ball. This means you still have to think about where you put your feet and not just go onto auto pilot.

The distance between your toes and the club on the ground should be the same distance. A secondary benefit of this practice drill is that you can check the path of your take away.

3. When on the course, develop a pre-shot routine that will get you set up in the right spot all of the time.

In my pre-shot routine I stand behind the ball about ten feet, and take a line through the ball to the target in the distance then pick out an object lying on the ground no more than two feet in front of the ball ( this is very important, the closer your object is to the ball, the more accurate you will be) and then move in and aim your club at the object.

Draw an imaginary line through the object and your ball and place your feet so that your toes are the same distance from the imaginary line. You are now set up in the correct position.

In my teaching I quite often say that golf is a game of straight lines. Once you have one straight line the rest is easy.