Alignment in Golf

Most people use their FEET for alignment. Most coaches also instruct students to place a club on the ground – with the club lined up parallel to the target line. This is, in my opinion, highly error prone – since it isn’t feet, but SHOULDERS that dictate where the ball will fly. And aligning your FEET does not necessarily align your SHOULDERS. This post discusses a SIMPLE technique for ensuring correct SHOULDER alignment.

Open , Closed and Square Stances

There are three FOOT stances when addressing the ball.  OPEN, SQUARE and CLOSED – which are typically described by the left foot’s position. However, this is slightly misleading – as what is REALLY opening (or closing) with the left foot – is your left hip and left shoulder. In fact, all ALIGNMENT in golf – is shoulder based. The ball will go where your SHOULDERS finish (line up at the end of the swing) – not WHERE your feet or hips end up. It is as simple as that.

SHOULDERS dictate alignment

Shirt Button Technique (courtesy Jack Nicklaus)

One of Nicklaus’s golden tips talks about the alignment of shirt buttons relative to the Target line. If the shirt buttons are SQUARE – the shot will go straight  – if they are to the left (open), the ball will fade, if they are to the right (CLOSED ), the ball will draw. These SHIRT button positions are doing nothing except aligning your shoulders. Shoulders SQUARE  -ball goes straight, Shoulders OPEN – ball goes left, Shoulders CLOSED – ball goes right. However, I am 100% in favor of visualizing SHIRT BUTTONS over SHOULDERS. As you will discover, SHOULDERS are TRICKY to get right. Shirt buttons are a lot easier.

How NOT to ALIGN

I see several people using a golf club on the ground to line their feet up. This is the standard practice – and standard teaching instruction for golf alignment. However, you can line up your feet WITHOUT correctly lining up your HIPS or your SHOULDERS. Try it – it is EASY to ROTATE your hips even when your feet are square to the target line. The rotation may be minute – but it can (and does) happen. Same with the shoulders. I believe lining up with the FEET is the absolutely most error prone way to try lining up for a golf swing.

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