Aim and Alignment

Aim is where the clubface points; alignment is where the body points. They are two different things, and confusing them is one of the quietest causes of missed shots — most players aim right of their intended target without knowing it, then subconsciously reroute the swing to pull the ball back, adding a compensation to every full shot.

The reference is the target line — the line from the ball to the target — and the body lines (feet, hips, shoulders) run parallel to it, not at the target. Picture a railroad track: the ball and target sit on the far rail, the feet on the near rail. Because the near rail is offset to the player's side, aiming the feet directly at the target actually points them right of it (for a right-handed player). Square alignment means the body lines are parallel-left of the target, with the clubface — not the feet — aimed at it.

Build it in a fixed order: clubface first, then the body. Standing behind the ball, pick a specific target and, if it helps, an intermediate spot a few feet ahead of the ball on the target line to aim over. Walk in and set the clubface square to the target first, then place the feet, hips, and shoulders parallel to the line the face has established — the body aligns to the face, never the other way around. A player who sets the feet first and then aims the face is working against themselves. Check alignment regularly in practice with a club laid on the ground along the toes; aim drifts without feedback, and a stance that feels square rarely is. The full pre-shot sequence that folds this together with target commitment and the swing trigger is the pre-shot routine (see Mental Game).

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