How To Use Alignment Sticks To Fix Your Path!!

If you ask any elite golfer what kind of shot shape they hit, very rarely will they say straight. Nearly every golfer will always say they play a little fade or a little draw. The reason for this, is that hitting it straight is the hardest shot in golf. Most beginner golfers will struggle with the slice and therefore will have the goal of playing a draw whereas the advanced player typically wants to play a fade in fear of becoming 'stuck' (too inside on the downswing).

Whether you're having problems with a slice or a hook, there are simple ways of overcoming this issue by using alignment sticks or your own clubs. If you're someone who slices the ball, your path with tend to be too 'out to in' which means swinging too far to the left. In order to fix this issue, simply place an alignment stick that points to the right. This alignment stick should be placed on the far side of the ball. When hitting balls simply imagine that you're following the alignment stick out to the right. This will have the effect of flattening your path and therefore overcoming your slice.

If you're someone who hooks the ball, this would mean the exact opposite. You would be someone who swings too far to the right on the downswing. Simply place the alignment stick down again on the far side of the ball pointing left and feel your swing exiting more left each time when you are executing your shot. This will have the effect of making your path steeper and hence overcoming the flat or 'stuck' downswing.

A couple of notes when doing this, is just make sure when swinging right or left that the distance your hands are from the body remain the same from set-up right through to impact. For example in your attempt to swing right, you may inadvertently push your hands too far away from the body which can result in 'heel' shots. Another important aspect to note is only do these drills right up until the change is made. Drills tend to have an expiry date so you just want to move on from the drill to ensure you don't exaggerate the move in the other direction.

If you'd like any further help in understanding path, just contact mysef at David Waters Golf located at Emerald Lakes Golf Coaching Centre.