“It’s all in the swing” is a common phrase in the golf world. And while the statement holds a lot of truth, there are a few other elements that can make or break the game of any golfer. Before anyone gets a chance to throw their swing, they need to work on their aim.
Getting the proper aim will help the swing and follow through. Check out how to perfect your alignment on the golf course.
Loosen Up
You’re way too tense; there’s too much tension in your shoulders. A golfer’s body naturally rests in an aligned position. When you force your muscles into awkward positions, you throw your alignment out of place. But you probably don’t notice your muscles tense up.
As a general rule of thumb, check your stance before you put your body in motion. Stand up straight and take a deep breath. As you relax, imagine all the tension leaving your body. Take at least three deep breaths until you feel your muscles fall back into place.
Watch the Lean
It’s important to recognize that your body favors one side over the other. Recognize and acknowledge your biases. Most right-handed players tend to aim too far to the right, and left-handed players do the opposite.
Once you understand your biases, you can account for them, fix them and learn how to address the ball on your swing. Aim the face of the club first with the leading edge. Then, aim the club at the target and take the shot.
Document Your Practice
Seeing where you have a problem always helps with improvement. Even when you readjust yourself and loosen up, you still don’t have a sharp eye on your alignment or swing. So start recording some of your practice sessions.
Ask a buddy to pull out their phone and get a couple of shots of your game. Or, while practicing with your stowable golf mat at home, set up a video camera and record your aim, alignment, and swing. Change your strategy and position each time to see what mode works best. Then, practice and perfect it.
Check Your Checkpoints
There are four main areas to check your alignment: shoulders, forearms, hips, and feet. You need to keep these areas parallel with one another. The forearms need to hang down naturally and parallel with your shoulders and hips.
Loosen your forearms so that they don’t tense when raising them in the air. Let the swing come from your hips, and let your shoulders follow through. Put a line outside the ball and parallel to the feet line. Use this line to ensure everything is parallel.
Perfecting your alignment on the golf course will make every trip to the links that much more successful and enjoyable.
