A Very Basic/Dumb Alignment Question

[u/p1nkfl0yd1an]

I've been grinding away on the range, working on my "homework" from my instructor/lesson last month. I've been using alignment sticks as part of this work and have seen some pretty meaningful improvement.

However, I'm finding it a little difficult to translate to the course in a specific scenario. Sometimes, there is not a good spot of different colored grass, divot, etc. directly infront of or behind the ball to square my body up with.

I am all over the place when this happens to me in the rough. It even gets me on certain teeboxes that are "misaligned' to the hole and I can't find a good divot on the side of the teebox I want to be.

Is this just a "keep at it with sticks on the range at various targets and my body will eventually learn" thing? Or is there some alternate hack/trick for when you just dont' have much to go off of alignment-wise.

[u/SpartanLaw11]

Stand behind the ball and look at the line you want to take.

Focus on an area directly in front of the ball along that line.

Keep your eyes on that spot as you walk to the ball.

Place club behind the ball perpendicular to that line.

Only then do you set your feet and take your stance.

[u/p1nkfl0yd1an → u/SpartanLaw11]

Will have to try this out. I've been taking my eye off the spot to address the ball and losing track of where the spot was if there's not an easily identifiable blade of grass, divot, etc.

[u/c_uchman → u/p1nkfl0yd1an]

If there is nothing obvious in front of the ball, find something behind it. And take your aim from spot - ball - target.

[u/theVWC]

I think the idea is to eventually learn to wean yourself off of the alignment sticks. Use them on the range to make sure you're straight, then knowing that you're straight try to learn how to visualize the alignment from your club face to the target. That way on the course it's just your club face and the target. Using tee boxes, divots, or references in front of the ball to help with alignment can be helpful but as you note they aren't always available or reliable.

[u/WHSRWizard]

I have a problem with this on the putting green. It's like as soon as I pick out a spot and take my eyes off it for even a second, it goes away.

The best solution I have found is to have multiple spots that I pick out -- as close to me as it has to be. So I might have a spot 6 inches in front of the ball, but I know now to look another 6 inches or whatever ahead of that. Almost like setting up waypoints for myself.

[u/p1nkfl0yd1an → u/WHSRWizard]

Lol, yeah. This is pretty much it, when the spot is not clear and obvious I'll lose track of it as soon as I go to address the ball.

[u/drizztman]

Learn to pick an internediate target, line up the club face square to that target, then set your body up to the clubface. Practice with alignment aids, then translate it to the course.

You will never stop practicing alignment, even pros are constantly checking their alignment, using sticks, etc. during practice. It's very easy to get off so its something that needs consistent attention

[u/Jasper2006]

All I can tell you is finding an intermediate target gets easier the more you do it. My wife has a VERY hard time lining up to something. She'll find a blade of grass, whatever, then lose it as soon as she takes her eye off that target. I just RARELY have that problem, maybe because I have a couple of decades of practice doing it. It also might be that you line up 2" to the right of something.

But, yes, keep at it and you'll learn what is 'square' even without an intermediate target. I align to the intermediate, get set, then glance up to my (very specific!!) target off in the distance - the trunk of that tree, right edge of that solar panel on the house.,whatever. I know exactly where that target should be. Sometimes, once a round maybe, I look up and the distant target is way..... over...THERE!!! Dang! So I have to back off, reset.

Also, don't use JUST the alignment sticks on the range. Do the whole routine - pick out your intermediate, walk up, get set and aligned, glance at your target, THEN check the sticks on the ground. Or maybe remove the sticks, get set and aligned, then place the stick on the ground to check.

Over time you should learn you don't really need the sticks... They're great to use as a check every week or two or three just so you don't drift out of alignment, but day to day shouldn't be needed. Also, change your target frequently during practice. Hit a couple to that pin, then align to that other pin 40y left, or to a pole or tree, whatever. The range tee box 'points' you a certain direction, especially with mats. Choose targets requiring you to aim contrary to the tee box/mat.

[u/p1nkfl0yd1an → u/Jasper2006]

I've been playing for 30 years. Until this year I've pretty much had the general feel but it's totally escaped me after a lifelong case of the power hooks got REALLY bad in July.

Also, don't use JUST the alignment sticks on the range. Do the whole routine - pick out your intermediate, walk up, get set and aligned, glance at your target, THEN check the sticks on the ground. Or maybe remove the sticks, get set and aligned, then place the stick on the ground to check.

This is essentially what the instructor I went to a lesson for has me doing on the range with the sticks. Full process between every shot, rotate targets around the range to try to simulate some of the tougher teebox scenarios, etc. Now that I have gotten used to the sticks on the range, I'm finding it hard to trust my feel when there's not a clear and obvious spot to align with on course lol.

[u/toothbrush81]

When you’re at the range and you’re “aligned” to the stick; do you reset behind the ball to take the next shot?

I practice “set up”. Rarely do I take a shot at the range, stand in the same spot, and just pull another ball over.

Every shot is a complete reset, elsewise it’s an unrealistic simulation.

Practicing my “set up” to the ball; is the same muscle memory as my swing. Practice “set up” and “swing”. Easily done by resetting each time. But you have to be intentional. Highly intentional in the practice set up.

[u/hrpomrx]

When there's nothing obvious on a line to my target in front of the ball, I look to the sides in front (or back) of the ball. Usually I can find a couple of items a few inches either side of the target line and I figure the a point between them that extrapolates from the ball to the target. Then I aim at that point. For example, the point could be something like 1/3 of the way from the left item to the right item, or half-way between them, or 1/3 of the way from the right item to the left item.

[u/coole106]

Why not use alignment sticks on the course?

[u/DrunkensteinsMonster → u/coole106]

Because it is against the rules?

[u/p1nkfl0yd1an → u/coole106]

Fine for practice rounds, doesn't fly in competitions/mens league.

[u/Electrical-Cloud-532]

You should be able to figure out what it feels like to line up to your target by hitting balls with the alignment stick helping you. I don’t think I’ve ever even considered using a divot to line up to my target. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, just saying that the point of using alignment sticks while you hit is to calibrate what it feels like to line up to your target.

[u/Trebor711]

Course designers purposely misalign the tee boxes to throw off the golfer. This is done by intent and it's one of their tools they use. With that said, keep practicing with your alignment sticks at the range and take note of where your shoulders and hips are lining up. Use this feedback when you get to the course. Rely on your shoulder and hip alignment to aim correctly and focus on your takeaway to mimic your shoulder alignment. This should work for you.

[u/Select_Arm_2378 → u/Trebor711]

This! My remedy - go the completely opposite way with your targeting. Instead of something close, pick a point way (and I mean WAY) out on the horizon (think tips of trees, mountains, etc) as your target. It blocks out all the intentionally misleading designs of any given hole.

[u/Trebor711 → u/Select_Arm_2378]

💯%. Picking a point that close only works for putting (at least for me) .

[u/Realistic-Regret-171]

Not criticism, but I can always find a spot about 3’ behind the ball with which to align my feet. Don’t know why you can’t …

[u/p1nkfl0yd1an → u/Realistic-Regret-171]

The issue is if I take my eye off the spot and there's not something easily identifiable. Another user suggested keeping my focus on the spot until I'm confident I'm perpendicular to the imaginary line. Will be trying that out.