I Want To Hit It There

One of our readers requested this month's tip. 95% of all golfers cannot or do not line up to hit the ball to their target. I will watch them practicing and ask one simple question, "Where are you trying to hit the ball?" The answer to me is, "I want to hit it out there". Usually out there is a 100 yard wide practice area. Of the three swing fundamentals, "alignment" is the key to getting the golf ball to go where you want. Practice the following and you will see you're going toward the target intentionally:

* During a Tour players' pre-shot routine you will see them making sure that they pick an intended target to begin their set-up to hit the ball toward the primary target. Usually they will find a spot about six to twelve inches ahead of the ball in line with their target. Next they will draw an imaginary line through the ball and intended spot on the ground.

* Now that the line of flight has been determined, continue with your set-up and address to the golf ball. The clubface will be directly on the line of your intended path. Your feet should be lined up on a parallel line target line. This is crucial. If your feet are at your target and the club is at your target, the lines will converge upon each other and this will lead to a virtual closed clubface at impact. With your feet on the proper line, make sure that your knees, hips and shoulders are on the same line as your feet. When practicing, lay clubs on the ground to give you a better visual of this alignment process.

* Finally, when you swing the club, make sure that the club stays long and low on the back swing on the imaginary extended line. When making the downward swing, the hips rotate through first and allow the club to swing back down on the same path and toward the target. Remember to finish the swing with your belt buckle pointing to your intended target. Any swing short of that may not provide the intended results