How to Use Aiming Sticks in Golf

The two unassuming poles in your golf bag, often called aiming or alignment sticks, are arguably the most effective and underutilized training aids in the game. They provide honest, visual feedback that is impossible to get from feel alone, turning speculative practice into purposeful training. This guide will show you exactly how to use these simple tools to build a repeatable, fundamentally sound golf game, from basic setup to advanced drills that groove a better swing path.

What Are Aiming Sticks and Why Does Every Golfer Need Them?

Aiming sticks are just lightweight rods, usually made of fiberglass, that you can place on the ground or stick in it. Their power isn't in technology, it's in the visual truth they provide. So many swing faults - from a slice to a hook - are not caused by a bad swing motion itself but are actually compensations for poor alignment. You think you're aimed at the pin, but your feet are pointed 20 yards to the right. To get the ball back to the target, you intuitively swing "over the top," creating a slice. You blame your swing, but the real culprit was your setup.

This is where aiming sticks transform your practice. They remove the guesswork. Even the best players in the world can't trust their perception entirely, which is why you’ll see them using sticks on the range every day. The sticks act as an external, unbiased reference point for your clubface alignment, body alignment, ball position, and swing path. Using them consistently creates a pre-shot routine built on a solid foundation, which is the bedrock of consistency under pressure.

The Foundation: Basic Alignment with the "Railroad Tracks"

The most fundamental use for aiming sticks is to master your alignment. The easiest way to visualize this is with the "railroad tracks" concept. One track points the ball to the target, and the parallel track guides your body. This drill should be the starting point for every range session.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Set the Target Line: Walk a few paces directly behind your golf ball and pick a precise target in the distance (a specific tree, a flagstick, a yardage sign). Place your first aiming stick on the ground so it points directly at that target, running through where your ball would be. This is your ball-to-target line.
2. Set the Body Line: Place your second aiming stick on the ground parallel to the first one, but a few inches closer to you (on the inside of the ball-to-target line). This is your body line. It creates a channel where you'll place your feet.
3. Verify From Behind: Step back behind the sticks again. This is critically important. Your perspective is completely different when you stand next to the ball versus behind it. Confirm that the sticks form parallel railroad tracks, with the outer stick pointing directly at your target.
4. Take Your Stance: Now, approach the ball and take your setup. Place your feet so the tips of your toes are parallel to the inner stick. Your feet, knees, hips, and shoulders should all be aligned parallel to this stick. This means your body is actually aiming slightly left of the target (for a right-handed golfer). This is one of the most misunderstood concepts in golf - you don't aim your body at the flag!

Just by hitting balls this way, you're building a correct visual of what "square" actually looks like. At first, it will likely feel strange. You might feel like you're aiming way too far left. Trust the sticks, not your old habits. Hit 10-15 shots, step away, and then repeat the process aiming at a new target. This trains your eyes and body to work together.

Elevating Your Practice: Advanced Aiming Stick Drills

Once you've mastered basic alignment, you can use the sticks to diagnose and fix some of the most common swing faults. Here are four high-impact drills that can drastically improve your ball-striking.

Drill #1: Fixing Your Swing Path (The Gate Drill)

Slicers and pullers often have an "out-to-in" or "over-the-top" swing path. This drill provides immediate feedback, forcing you to swing the club from the inside.

• Setup: Lay one stick down on your target line as normal. Then, take the second stick and stick it in the ground an inch or two outside the target line stick and about a foot behind your ball. Angle it to match the angle of your club shaft at address.
- For slicers (out-to-in path), create an outer "gatepost" that you cannot hit on the downswing. - To fix a hook (too much in-to-out), you could place an inner gatepost.
• Execution: The goal is simple: swing the club to hit the ball without hitting the standing stick. If you come over the top, you’ll clang your club against the stick. It's instant, unmistakable feedback. This forces you to drop the club into "the slot" and approach the ball from the inside, promoting a draw or a straight shot.

Drill #2: Mastering Ball Position

Inconsistent ball position leads to inconsistent contact - fat shots, thin shots, and a general loss of distance. Aiming sticks make your ball position perfect for every club.

• Setup: Set up your standard "railroad tracks" (one stick for the target line, one for your feet). Now, take a third aiming stick and place it on the ground perpendicular to the other two, forming a "T" shape.
• Execution: This third stick is your ball position guide.
  • For short irons (PW, 9-iron, 8-iron), the stick should be in the center of your stance.
  • For mid-irons (7-iron, 6-iron, 5-iron), move the ball slightly forward, about one ball width ahead of the center stick.
  • For longer clubs like fairway woods and hybrids, the ball should be a couple of inches inside your lead heel.
  • For the driver, the ball should be aligned with the inside of your lead heel.
  This drill removes all doubt. You can now practice with the confidence that your contact issues aren't coming from a sloppy setup.

Drill #3: Sharpening Your Short Game

Aiming sticks are just as valuable around the greens. For chipping and pitching, your body alignment dictates the trajectory and quality of the shot.

• Setup: Place one stick down aimed at your landing spot. Just like a full swing, take your second stick and place it down for your body line. For a standard chip, your feet can be square to this line.
• Execution for Specialty Shots: For shots that require a different flight, like a soft flop shot, you often need to open your stance. The alignment stick gives you a baseline. You can consciously practice opening your feet relative to the stick, teaching you what a slightly open stance (5 degrees) or a very open stance (20 degrees) actually feels and looks like. This makes you more versatile and creative around the greens.

Drill #4: Grooving a Perfect Putting Stroke

Your putting stroke is the one area where a fundamentally sound path is everything. Using aiming sticks can build a stroke that rolls the ball pure every time.

• Setup: Place two sticks on the putting green, parallel to each other, creating a track just slightly wider than your putter head. Aim this track directly down the line you want your putt to start on.
• Execution: Practice stroking putts through this track without touching either stick. This drill does two things masterfully: it teaches you to keep the putter face square to your target line at impact, and it trains a consistent stroke path, preventing you from pushing or pulling putts. Hold your finish for a second after the ball is gone and see if your putter is still within the track.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

As useful as they are, you can use aiming sticks incorrectly. Here are a few common pitfalls to steer clear of:

1. Aligning from the Wrong Perspective: The number one mistake is laying the sticks down while standing next to the ball. Your perspective is skewed from this angle. Always set your target-line stick by looking from directly behind the ball.
2. Aiming Your Body at the Target: Remember the railroad tracks. Your feet, hips, and shoulders should be parallel to the target line, not pointed at the target itself. Aiming your body at the pin will force you to swing across your body to get the club back on plane.
3. Only Using them Once: Don't just set up your sticks at the beginning of a range session and forget about them. After hitting 10-15 balls, step away, pick them up, and re-align to a new target. The act of setting them up is a huge part of the learning process.

Final Thoughts

Aiming sticks are the ultimate truth-teller in golf practice. They offer simple, undeniable feedback that helps you fix the root cause of many swing issues - poor alignment and setup. By incorporating these sticks and drills into your routine, you replace guesswork with purpose and build a game that holds up when it matters.

While perfecting your physical alignment with sticks is a game-changer, knowing the right target to aim for on the course is a completely different mental challenge. That's a place where we designed Caddie AI to help. Once you know your swing is aligned correctly, our AI can provide smart strategies for any hole, suggesting the optimal target to avoid trouble and set yourself up for your next shot. It complements your physical practice by ensuring your well-aimed shots are also well-thought-out ones.