In Jack Nicklaus’ biographical account (Golf My Way), Jack recounts an episode where his game was going haywire. All that was needed was for his teacher (Jack Grout) to point out that his shoulders were aligned waaaay right of target. With that simple fix, he was back to winning tournaments. If alignment (lack thereof) can adversely affect the game of the greatest golfer that ever lived, imagine the effect it can have on everyday mortals!

    Here is a tip that will help your alignment (also, read the post on ‘shirt button alignment’).

Your swing path will naturally track your EYE LINE.

That’s right, your eyes dictate the path the club follows on the downswing.  While setting up, hold the golf club parallel to the ground – and aligned parallel to your knees (or thighs). Align your eyes on top of the golf club – and leave them there. Now, you know where your eyes need to be, so even if they stray a bit, you can bring them back to the target line. To summarize:

1. Align  your KNEES parallel to target line
2. Hold your club above your knees (and parallel to the knees)
3. Align your eyes to your club shaft

Now here’s the catch. While it is easy to align the eyes at ADDRESS (by ensuring that your EYE LINE is parallel to the target line), it is equally easy to disrupt this alignment on your backswing. Most people have a fair amount of ‘head movement’ and often, lower body movement (sideways swaying) – both of which can result in a disorientation of your meticulously placed eye-line.

The fix?

Keeping your head ‘steady’ (not fixed). This is easier said than done, but it is a habit worth inculcating. Its benefits extend beyond the full swing. Your short game will see an improvement as well (most people have waaaay too much sway/upper body movement in their short game). Keeping your head ‘fixed’ is typically bad advice – as it introduces an unnecessary rigidity into the swing.

Summary

Correct alignment has proven to be a challenge for golf pros and amateurs alike.  While most coaches emphasize lining up the BODY with the target line (using alignment rods), they ignore the importance of aligning the EYES. The eye-line is where your mind is trained to take your body – regardless of how and where your body may be lined up. Hence, it is important to get the eyes aligned parallel to the target line. This post illustrates how one might end up accomplishing that alignment.

The post The EYE LINE and proper alignment in golf appeared first on Anuj Varma, Hands-On Technology Architect, Clean Air Activist.

Open , Closed and Square Stances

There are three FOOT stances when addressing the ball.  OPEN, SQUARE and CLOSED – which are typically described by the left foot’s position. However, this is slightly misleading – as what is REALLY opening (or closing) with the left foot – is your left hip and left shoulder. In fact, all ALIGNMENT in golf – is shoulder based. The ball will go where your SHOULDERS finish (line up at the end of the swing) – not WHERE your feet or hips end up. It is as simple as that.

SHOULDERS dictate alignment

Shirt Button Technique (courtesy Jack Nicklaus)

One of Nicklaus’s golden tips talks about the alignment of shirt buttons relative to the Target line. If the shirt buttons are SQUARE – the shot will go straight  – if they are to the left (open), the ball will fade, if they are to the right (CLOSED ), the ball will draw. These SHIRT button positions are doing nothing except aligning your shoulders. Shoulders SQUARE  -ball goes straight, Shoulders OPEN – ball goes left, Shoulders CLOSED – ball goes right. However, I am 100% in favor of visualizing SHIRT BUTTONS over SHOULDERS. As you will discover, SHOULDERS are TRICKY to get right. Shirt buttons are a lot easier.

How NOT to ALIGN

I see several people using a golf club on the ground to line their feet up. This is the standard practice – and standard teaching instruction for golf alignment. However, you can line up your feet WITHOUT correctly lining up your HIPS or your SHOULDERS. Try it – it is EASY to ROTATE your hips even when your feet are square to the target line. The rotation may be minute – but it can (and does) happen. Same with the shoulders. I believe lining up with the FEET is the absolutely most error prone way to try lining up for a golf swing.

Reading List

My Golden Lessons: 100-Plus Ways to Improve Your Shots, Lower Your Scores and Enjoy Golf Much, Much More eBook: Jack Nicklaus, Jim McQueen, Ken Bowden: Kindle StoreASIN: B0033DDIPK

The post Alignment in Golf appeared first on Anuj Varma, Hands-On Technology Architect, Clean Air Activist.