Hitting the golf ball where you want to starts long before you ever swing the club - it starts with your aim. Most golfers I see on the range who struggle with slicing or hooking the ball believe they have a swing flaw when, in reality, they’re just not pointed in the right direction to begin with. This guide will give you a simple, repeatable process for aiming correctly, so you can stop fighting your swing and start hitting more greens.
If there's one thing I see weekend golfers get wrong more than anything else, it's this: you don't aim your body at the target. It sounds simple, but this mistake is the root cause of so many bad shots. Golfers stand behind the ball, look at the flag, and then try to align their chest, shoulders, and feet directly at that point. When they do that, the swing naturally comes "over the top," producing a weak slice that peels off to the right (for a right-handed golfer).
The secret is to think of your alignment like a set of railroad tracks.
When you stand square on the inner rail with your clubface on the outer rail, you create the space needed to swing the club down and through the ball on the correct path. Get this right, and you’re already halfway to hitting a better golf shot.
Building a consistent pre-shot routine is the best way to make sure your aim is repeatable. Follow these steps on every single full shot, whether you're at the driving range or on the first tee of a tournament. This isn't just for beginners, tour pros have incredibly disciplined routines built around these same principles.
Every good pre-shot routine begins from a position directly behind the golf ball, looking down the fairway towards your target. This is where you make all your strategic decisions. From this vantage point, you can clearly see the line you want the ball to start on. You can see the wind, the hazards, and the ideal landing spot. Never rush this step. Take a moment to commit to your shot shape and the landing zone before you even think about approaching the ball.
This is arguably the most valuable tip in all of golf alignment. Trying to aim your body and clubface at a small flagstick 160 yards away is incredibly difficult. Instead, pick a very specific intermediate target on your ball-to-target line, just one to three feet in front of your golf ball.
What should you look for?
It can be anything, as long as it's directly on the line you chose in Step 1. It is far, far easier to align the flat surface of your clubface with a spot two feet in front of you than it is with a tiny target in the distance. This one small action simplifies the entire process and brings precision to your setup.
Once you’ve picked your intermediate target, it’s time to move. Walk into your address position from the side of the ball, keeping your eyes on that tiny spot you just identified. Don't set your feet yet.
The first part of your body to get into position should be the clubhead. Place the sole of the club flat on the ground directly behind the ball, and then meticulously aim the leading edge and face grooves squarely at your intermediate target. The clubface is your steering wheel - it needs to be pointed exactly where you want to go before you put your hands on it.
Now that your clubface is anchored and aimed perfectly, you can build the rest of your address position around it. Your clubface is on the outer railroad track, now you need to set your body on the parallel inner track.
Think "clubface first, body second." This sequence is what keeps your body from taking over and dictating a poor alignment.
Everything is now in position. Your club is aimed, and your body is parallel. Before you swing, allow yourself one or two last looks up at the final target. This syncs up your perfectly aligned physical setup with the mental image of your goal. Let your eyes trace the path from the intermediate target all the way out to the landing zone.
Finally, bring your focus back to the golf ball. Trust the work you've just done. You've created a routine that guarantees you are aimed correctly. Your only job now is to make a smooth, rotational swing and let the ball fly.
It’s one thing to understand the railroad track concept, but it's another to feel it. The best way to practice and ingrain this feeling is to use alignment sticks (or even a couple of extra golf clubs) at the driving range.
Place one stick on the ground pointing directly at your target. This is your ball-to-target line. Place the golf ball on the inside edge of this stick. Then, place your second alignment stick on the ground parallel to the first, a few inches inside it. This second stick represents your body line.
Now, practice your pre-shot routine. Set up so that your feet, knees, and hips are aligned with the inner stick. This physical feedback is incredibly powerful. You might be surprised to feel how "closed" (aimed to the right for a righty) your body feels when you're correctly aligned. What you're actually feeling, perhaps for the first time, is a truly square setup. Doing this for 20-30 balls will start reprogramming your perception of what "straight" actually feels like.
Mastering your aim is a fundamental building block that makes every other part of the game easier. By using an intermediate target and patiently building your stance around the clubface, you create a foundation for a consistent, on-plane golf swing and give yourself the best possible chance to find your target.
Perfecting your physical aim gives you the confidence to start your shot on the right line, but the next piece of the puzzle is knowing which line to pick on the course. We designed Caddie AI to bridge that exact gap, providing real-time strategic advice so you can make smarter decisions. When you're unsure how to play a new hole or stuck with a weird lie, Caddie AI can give you a clear plan and target, letting you focus all your energy on committing to the excellent alignment you’ve just learned.
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