Hitting a great golf shot that sails directly toward the wrong target is one of the most frustrating feelings in the game. You thought you were aimed perfectly at the pin, but your ball ends up in the right-side bunker. This isn't a swing fault, it's an alignment problem, and it's something nearly every amateur golfer struggles with. This guide will walk you step-by-step through how to use the Tour Aim training aid to systematically eliminate alignment errors, build a repeatable setup, and finally gain the confidence to trust your aim on every single shot.
What is Tour Aim and Why Does Alignment Matter So Much?
Alignment is the foundation of a good golf shot. If your body or clubface is misaligned at address, your brain will subconsciously try to make compensations during the swing to get the ball back to the target. This leads to common swing faults like coming "over the top," swinging too far from the inside, or manipulating the clubface with your hands. The result is inconsistency.
Most golfers have tried dropping two sticks on the ground to create "railroad tracks," but this simple method has a fundamental flaw: it doesn't separate your target line from your body line. For a right-handed golfer, your body should be aligned parallel to the target line, meaning your feet, hips, and shoulders should be aimed slightly left of the final target. This is where Tour Aim separates itself from basic alignment sticks.
Tour Aim is a visual training system that forces you to align correctly. Its unique design uses one rod to point directly at your target (the target line) and a second, parallel rod to set up your body (the body line). By providing this clear, undeniable visual feedback, it removes all the guesswork and teaches you what true, square alignment actually feels like. It trains your eyes and body to work together, so perfect aim becomes second nature.
Setting Up Your Tour Aim: A Quick-Start Guide
Getting your Tour Aim ready for the range is straightforward. When you unbox it, you’ll find two main hinged panels, the alignment rods, and smaller swing plane sticks. The setup is intuitive, but here’s a quick process to get you started correctly.
- Step 1: Unfold the Unit. Lay the Tour Aim unit on the ground and unfold it so the two main panels sit flat.
- Step 2: Insert the Target Line Rod. Take one of the long alignment rods and slide it into the set of holes on the panel that will be furthest from you. This rod represents your target line.
- Step 3: Insert the Body Line Rod. Slide the second long alignment rod into the holes on the panel closest to you. This rod represents your body line, where you will align your feet.
- Step 4: Adjust the Width (If Needed). The hinge allows you to set the distance between the two rods. For irons, a standard stance width is perfect. For a driver, you may need a slightly wider setup. The goal is to easily fit your stance between the inside rod and your golf ball.
That's it. You're ready to start programming perfect alignment into your golf game.
How to Use Tour Aim on the Driving Range: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Now comes the fun part: putting the tool to work. Follow these steps methodically at the driving range to rebuild your setup from the ground up.
Step 1: Establishing the Target Line
This is the most important step, and a concept many golfers get wrong. Forget about aiming your body first.
- Stand behind your golf ball and pick a specific, small target in the distance (e.g., a specific flag, a yardage marker, not just "the green").
- Place your Tour Aim unit down and position the outer rod so it points directly at that small target. This can be your true target line, or just inside of it to give you a ball position reference.
- Place a ball directly in line with this outer rod, at the desired position within your stance (more on ball position in a bit). Your system is now calibrated to your intended target.
Step 2: Setting Your Body Alignment in Relation
Now, with the target line established, you can correctly align your body using the inner rod. This creates the "railroad track" effect properly.
- Step into your stance so that the tips of your toes are parallel to the inner rod. Look down. Do your feet, hips, and shoulders all seem to be running parallel to this line? This is your body line.
- Look up at your target. It will likely feel like you are aimed significantly to the left of the pin (for a righty). This feeling is normal and correct! Welcome to what proper alignment actually feels like. You've probably been aiming your body directly at the target for years, which causes you to aim your clubface to the right.
Spend a few minutes just taking your setup, feeling this new position, and looking between your body line and the target line. Let your brain absorb this new visual.
Step 3: Checking Ball PositionConsistency
The space between the two Tour Aim rods creates a perfect channel for consistent ball positioning. The outer rod acts as your target line reference, helping you see where the ball should be.
- For short and mid-irons (Wedge - 7 iron): Place the ball in the middle of your stance. Using the Tour Aim setup, this should be roughly in the center of the channel between the two rods.
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For long irons and hybrids (6-iron - Hybrids):
a touch forward of center towards the front foot - For fairway woods and Driver: Place the ball off the heel or instep of your lead foot. The Tour Aim rods make it easy to see exactly how far forward you’re placing it every time.
Step 4: Using the Upright Sticks for Swing Plane Feedback
Tour Aim also comes with smaller rods that can be inserted vertically into the housing. These offer fantastic feedback on your swing path.
- Takeaway Feedback: Place one stick in the back hole (behind the ball). As you take the club away, this a simple reference you stay on a good "on plane takeaway". Many amateurs immediately roll the club too far inside or lift it up too vertically. Compare to the postition and learn the correct starting movenent.
- Downswing Feedback: You can position a vertical stick in front of the ball to serve a similar guide to your swing coming back into the ball. The perfect swing path comes slightly from the inside, not "over the top."
Effective Drills to Make Perfect Alignment Automatic
Just setting up with Tour Aim is great practice, but incorporating specific drills will accelerate your learning and help you take this new skill onto the course.
The "Walk-In" Routine Drill
This drill helps you build a pre-shot routine that you can use on the course, even without the alignment aid present.
- Set up your Tour Aim as normal and hit a few shots to feel oriented.
- Step away from the setup, behind the unit.
- Go through your full pre-shot routine: Stand behind the ball, pick your target, and visualize the shot.
- Walk into the station, set your clubface first aimed down the outer rod (target line), and then build your stance around it using the inner rod (body line).
- Hit the shot. Repeat this 10 times. This process trains you to approach every shot with the same methodical alignment sequence.
The "Eyes Closed" Feel Drill
This drill enhances your feel for what square alignment is, removing your reliance on just your eyes.
- Set up to the ball using the Tour Aim as your guide. Get comfortable.
- Before swinging, close your eyes. Does the setup still feel balanced and square? Can you "feel" where the target is?
- Open your eyes and check. Are you still aligned correctly?
- Hit the shot. The goal is to get to a point where your body instinctually knows the correct position without needing constant visual confirmation.
Taking Tour Aim to the Putting green
Don't just leave your Tour Aim for the full swing. It's an outstanding putting aid too. Alignment is arguably even more important on the greens.
Set the two rods up pointing down your intended putting line. Place the ball in the middle of the "channel" created by the rods. This provides powerful feedback on:
- Putter Face Alignment: Is your putter face perfectly square to your start line at address? The rods make it obvious.
- Stroke Path: A straight-back, straight-through stroke will feel easy as you keep the putter head moving parallel to the rods. If you have too much of an arc, you’ll know immediately.
- Eye Position: Your eyes should be directly over the ball and the line. By ensuring they can just see the far rod you will keep your eye in the same spot for consistent contact..
Final Thoughts
Using Tour Aim is about more than just practicing alignment, it’s about removing a massive variable from your golf game so you can focus on making a committed, confident swing. By providing clear, undeniable feedback on your target line, body line, and clubface angle, it eliminates the guesswork and frees up your mind to simply hit the shot.
Once you’ve ingrained that rock-solid setup and can trust where you’re aimed, the next layer of improvement comes from course strategy and shot selection. After you dial in your physical alignment, you might wonder about the best target on a dogleg right, or what club to hit from an awkward lie. That's precisely why we built Caddie AI. Our app acts as your personal on-demand golf expert, giving you smart, simple strategies for every hole and real-time advice on tricky shots, so you can pair your perfect alignment with professional-level thinking.