I recently returned from another successful group of golf schools. I really enjoy the interaction I have with my students, and this trip had some really terrific people. But, the important thing about these schools is working on improvement.
Everyone who comes to a golf school has the goal of becoming a better golfer. That's why one of the first things we work on is alignment. Your setup determines the motion, so your alignment needs to be perfect. Unfortunately, I didn't have any golfer with perfect alignment. But, that is usually the case because it's a tricky thing to see when you're practicing by yourself.
One of the biggest things that can help you with consistent alignment is knowing where your toes are. Once you pick out your target, your toe line becomes a reference point to stay in alignment with your target line. A lot of golfers will step in to a shot with good alignment, but by the time they are done dancing around and waggling, they've fallen out of proper alignment.
I'm going to demonstrate how to walk in to a shot while keeping your intended alignment. The biggest thing you want to avoid is having happy feet. The more you move your feet, the less consistent your shots will be. Good luck and remember to check those toes!
Keep it vertical!
The Surge
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Comments
Looking Up
About the only point that I disagree with Surge on is the need to look up. Every time that I look up after taking my stance, I start to doubt my aiming line and start moving and adjusting. That prevents me being consistent.
I pick my aiming line from behind the ball the way Surge does and pick my intermediate point in front of the ball. At that point I pick the line between the IP and the ball. I then walk in and place my toes on a line parallel to my aiming line. I get into my Master Setup Position, ensuring my toes are still parallel to my aiming line. At no time after picking my aiming line (IP to ball) do I look up. Any looking toward the target makes me change my alignment.
I trust the line I picked. By keeping my head in the MSP and my toes on the parallel line, I can easily keep everything else in line. If I move my head from the MSP, I get the "Happy Feet" that Surge talks about. No happy feet for me unless I go out dancing.
Looking Up
Kevin, I picked that up too. We have ben told how the eyes deceive you when
looking from a tilted/side on position and given that Surge washes our brains
with alignment, thought hang-on, this has to be an oxymoron, LOL.
Looking up
Kevin and Neil,
I too am among those that am better off not looking up any more because of the 'happy feet' factor. Talk about eyes deceiving us, the last few months my right eye which was normally my 'dominant eye' has started to get foggy and worse than my left eye. I already went to get my eyes checked and a new pair of driving glasses which have a stronger lens for that right eye. It didn't seem to help at all and I will be going to a specialist soon. Mean while I am learning to line shots and putts up with my left eye. Weird but I seem to be adapting. So now it is even more important for me to get everything correct for alignment from behind before walking in as Kevin detailed. My procedure is identical. I still occasionally check my alignment with a club before swinging. My caddy and coach, wife and golf partner Cindy also checks my alignment for me. Because of my deceptive and messed up eyes it is now imperative that I pick a spot on my Intended line much closer to the ball, say within a foot on most shots and within a couple inches when putting. Once I get my club face square to that line and spot everything else steps into place square and parallel left of that line. Looking up at the target any more causes me to loose the line and spot even if I don't dance at all. looking up also lends to opening up that front left shoulder. I still would give myself a 9 of 10 grade on alignment and look forward to one day seeing if Surge agrees:) Having studied and practiced everything he teaches on alignment and the UA video carefully I know that most of my swing issues are probably not alignment related.
not looking up
i maybe mis-remembering this but i do seem to recall Don advocating precisely the opposite he advises in this video and for the very reasons stated by various people here . i thought he once said that once you have walked in and set up parallel left DONT look up because of the optical illusion effect that happens from looking down the line sideways on. i feel pretty confidant i am aligned correctly because its fairly easy to line up parallel left to a line from a point 2ft in front of the ball to the ball, BUT if Don says he has yet to see anyone correctly aligned than the chances are good that I am not either.
cheeers richard in the UK.
Alignment
I don't know if this will help anybody but the way I fight the alignment problem is to first place the club in a direct line with the ball and the target, about 2' behind the ball, toe and heal in line. While holding the club there I take my stance with toes parallel to the line made between the club face and ball. Instant parallel lines. Works for me.
Alignment
I am fairly picky about alignment and try to get it right* (for me at that time). I also never look at "the target" after I have addressed the ball. I never get "happy feet" but I can certainly leave my hips or shoulders open more than what I wanted if I look up.
* Where Surge and I differ the most is that I adjust my "target" all of the time depending on my ball flight and where my miss tendencies are at any particular time. It would be silliness for me to have the same miss all day long without making adjustments in alignment and ball flight (yet I see people with the same miss for not only entire rounds but longer).
If my tendencies at any particular time mean aiming more right I aim more right. If it means aiming more left I aim more left. If it means hitting draws I hit draws. If it means hitting fades I hit fades.
What I don't do is aim farther left when I'm hitting unwanted fades or farther right when hitting unwanted draws. Instead I would hit the opposite of what was causing the problem, and align for that opposite shot.
If I am hitting dead straight lasers a little left or right you can bet I'm adjusting my alignment and going with that puppy all day long.
The World Golf Hall of Fame is full of people that played with open and closed stances, and their "alignment" was absolutely correct for them.
The Big A
I seldom suffer with "happy feet" if I look up, but I fight a bad habit of subconsciously altering my swing if I take that one last look before I pull the trigger. I have a tendency to open my left shoulder if I look up and you can bet I'll come over the top.
I got into a habit of compensating by closing my stance which works by keeping my left shoulder in. It's a short term fix that will sooner or later lead to pulls. The key is just set up square and trust it and don't take that last look.
Snow is finally gone, so Mother Nature's sick sense of humor leads to rain and more rain. As soon as I finish building my ark and the swamp becomes a golf course again, I may get a chance to (rule #5)...lol.
Four months, no golf. Does anyone know where I can trade my snowshoes for waders with golf spikes? :0))
Oregon mudders
Lynn,
Ironically, as a year round desert rat who plays golf all year where pot holes and rust are as rare as snow days I wore golf galoshes for 3 years when living in a rain forest. Lived on the North coast up by Lincoln City just off the ocean. With 10-12 feet of rain a year you either adapted or never played golf. I often played in full rain gear and yes I came across waders with spikes. They were basically knee high galoshes with golf spines. I have many fond memories of having the golf course almost completely to my self. Craziest experience was playing with my brother when he came from Vegas to visit. When we teed off a storm was brewing. By the 2 hole a drizzle turned into a hard pounding hail storm that was so heavy that it covered the fairways completely white with ice stones. We hid under cover in the cart and I told him to be patient cause you never know. Sure enough the skies cleared. We played the next several holes through melting ice. Soon it was one of the prettiest, sunniest days ever. By the 18th hole you would have never guessed a storm ever happened. Be prepared but don't change your plans if you live on the north coast.
Mudders?
here's a similar pair you can buy;
https://thriftygolfsupply.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1095
Dry socks and feet with solid footing can be yours!
Golf on my friends, golf on.
And wear wool socks too. They
And wear wool socks too. They stay warm even when wet. I am a huge wool sock fan, wear them year round. All my biking socks are wool too.
Wooly
Hey Brady,
Hope you and Kim are well. Still over seas?
Wool rocks
Yup! Doing well. Yeah we'll be here a while.
Mudders
LOL, Robert, I knew I could count on you. Heading out to play my first round tomorrow if the weather forecast is right. After 3 days of rain I'm not expecting much rollout on my drives...like maybe NONE. ;0))
After 4 months of NO golf, I'm just looking forward shaking some rust off and concentrating on the basics. Foremost on that list is the Big A.
Oh, btw, since I don't have a pair of Oregon Mudders I did break out a pair of old golf shoes. ;0))
Alignment
I just purchased The Ultimate Alignment Video and something I never really thought about was in it. You showed that for a PW you measured and stand
17 1/2 inches from the center of the ball to your feet. Then you went on to say 22" for your 6 Iron, 27 1/4" for your 3 Wood and 33" for your driver. I know it's impossible for everyone to be exactly at these measurements but do these measurements change based on a persons height, arm length etc. or should we all strive for these measurements? Are these the same for DJ? I'm 6' 3" and I have long arms so I measured and found myself further away from the ball. I tried standing closer and my game went South...HELP!
Ron