A number of members have written and say they seem to have good alignment on the wide open range, but ask why they have big problems getting aimed correctly on the course. There are a number of reasons, some of which have been mentioned in previous alignment articles. We'll look more closely at the main ones here.
The first issue to address regarding on the range practice is that you MUST have a target. Many golfers practice on the range without a target, and hit pretty good shots and think their swing is purring like a kitten. The key here is that without a target their swing is unencumbered. It is free because there is no target that bad alignment needs to make corrections and compensations for in the swing, when the brain senses the swing will hit the ball to the wrong place. Simply put, no target = no swing compensations and corrections. That is like no rules and regulations = freedom and no consequences.
The next issue on the range is you can have a target and have bad alignment and still hit pretty good shots to your target. Why? Because it is the same target, you are standing and hitting from the same place, and you can get the compensations and corrections grooved pretty well to hit good target-defined golf shots. I will promise you ONE important thing. If you have alignment problems on the range you will have even BIGGER ones on the course. Guaranteed.
Now, the big issue with bad alignment on the course is the fact that golf holes are not the wide open spaces like the range. Even if a range is a little small (but most are still much wider than the average golf hole), hitting from one side, even if it has trees or nets to the other side, makes it look and play as much bigger. On the range, all shots are relatively straight, with no curved boundaries or obstacles bordering or in your way. The range also doesn't have water hazards, sand traps, and trees that you have to avoid or pay the penalty of lost balls, pitch outs and high scores to write on your card. The range is free from these pressures and penalties. And, most importantly, the range has instant do'overs, as many as you need to hit to get it right.
The big problem is that all golf holes have a shape. Some are dead straight; some curve a little right to left and left to right, and some have sharp curves both ways. These curves cause the problem in that the eyes and brain have more calculations to deal with because of these shapes.
The next and bigger problem with these shapes is that many holes are bordered with trees on one or both sides. They sometimes create a feeling of being boxed in or playing in a tunnel. These holes will also have OB on them, fairway bunkers, lateral water hazards, and deep rough before getting into the trees. All of these hazards and obstacles seen by the eyes, raise the level of anxiety and pressure and tend to cause you to setup aiming away from the ones that bother you or don't fit you eye, which also gets you out of alignment to your target.
But most of all, these trees and obstacles will tend to be more destructive of your alignment based on which side of the fairway they are on. Last week I was giving Steve a playing lesson. Steve used sticks on the range. For the most part, even when I made him take away the aiming crutches to test his aim, he was basically OK. But on the course, the true problem with his alignment became obvious on the 2nd and 7th holes where he hit big blocks to the right. He hit good tee shots on holes #1, 3, 4, 5 and 8. The problem was the trees lining the fairway. It was worse when the trees were beside and real close to the left side of the tee. With the trees up close and tight behind him on the tee, and all the way down the fairway, Steve walked into the ball and setup aimed way right. And, it also tended to cause him to come out of his swing early, not only blocking or pushing it right, but added some slice for a really poor shot.
Trees in tight on the left and all the way down the fairway were no problem for Steve if there was plenty of room on the right. Holes 3 and 4 ran adjacent to each other with a lake between them. Both tees had trees up against the left side of the tee and down the left side of the hole, but generous room down the right side of the fairway, even with a lake out there big and blue as can be. With generous room to the right, trees up close on the left was no problem for lining up correctly.
Holes 1, 5 and 6 had trees or OB on the right. The 5th hole tee was up against the tree line on the right and behind the tee and he nailed a super drive down the center of the fairway. The tees on number 1 and 8 had lesser tree problems on the right side and had pretty wide open space down the left side, where he hit good drives on both holes down the left center.
So, it was obvious that Steve's alignment problem is trees and hazards down the left side on real tight holes.
Like Steve, we all have problem holes when we play, and they will tend to be more often the same shape and have the same pressure inducing circumstances and hazards. Your score card is an easy clue to recognizing your problem holes. Tracking your rounds will identify how often these holes jump up and bite you and the similarities they have, like being lined with trees in close, doglegs left or even just curved to the left, or have problems down the left side.
Once you have identified the look, shape and hazards that cause your alignment setup and swing problems you are a big step ahead to curing them. When you step up to the tee on one of these problem looking holes, you know you have to turn up your awareness and technical excellence to make sure you are aimed parallel left of your target. Once set up, you have to focus in close and tight on your target eliminating all the sights that cause the problem. Look at your target like looking down a bowling alley or a long and narrow corridor. Here's where the term 'tunnel vision' comes into play. All you see is the target and nothing else. Then, trust your alignment and swing and rip the ball right down the middle or onto the green.
Remember the Surgism for alignment. Don't play golf without it.
The Surge!