Instruction
When lining up square is wrong
From the time I first picked up a golf club, I was taught to align my body square to my target line to help me hit the ball with as little curvature as possible. The only time I was taught to alter that relationship was when I wanted to hit a big draw or fade. With the advances of club and ball flight monitors such as FlightScope and Trackman, I’ve come to understand understand that a golfer’s body alignments must be altered in order to “zero” out path. That allows a golfer to hit shots that have the minimal amount of curvature that you see from golfers on the professional tours.
Interestingly enough, the only information I’ve found written on the topic is from Ben Hogan’s book, “Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf.” The book illustrates the different stance arrangements Hogan employed, which were based on what club he was using. While Hogan didn’t know much (or anything) about the D-plane, he figured it out on his own. He aligned his feet more left with his shorter irons and aimed his body more right with his driver (more about why he had to do that in a second).
Here is a screenshot of a sample player showing his path (the blue line) coupled with the data of that particular swing. You can see that his path is a touch right of his target line at 5.9 degrees from in to out. For that reason, the ball started a touch right and then curved back to the target — the classic push draw that most players desire. However, if you look closely you can see that this player’s alignment is a touch LEFT of the target line. Why, you may ask? If you are swinging the club 6 degrees from in to out and line up square, then you would have to produce a face angle that is well left of your path in order to move the ball back to the target. This would also produce a curvature amount that is hard to consistently reproduce; thus, this player lines up a touch left in order to balance out the 6-degree in-to-out path.
Imagine if we could measure his alignment at address with the same numbers as above. If he aligned himself 3 degrees left of his target line and made the same swing, then his resultant path would not be 6 degrees from in to out. It would only be 3 degrees from in to out, which is a more manageable number to play from in a “perfect” world. Obviously humans are not robots, and I don’t expect them to deliver the club on the same path each time. But I will say that we all have tendencies and by using our alignment to buffer these tendencies we can play better golf.
Using alignment to make up for exaggerated paths is very easy and can be done by players of all levels. All you have to do is chart your true path on Flightscope or Trackman and you will have an idea of just how much you need to alter your alignment at address in order to make up for the path you have at the current moment.
Here’s a good rule of thumb with short irons: Try aiming your body more left than you currently do to give yourself the best chance to hit a perfectly straight shot. Why? With short irons, you likely hit more down on the ball, which moves your true path to the right. Aiming more left helps cancel out the “rightness” of the path, helping you hit the ball straighter.
With your driver, the relationship is the exact opposite. Try aiming a touch right to help you hit the straightest drives you can. Experiment with your body alignments relative to the path of your swing to help you dial in your ideal trajectory.
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
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tlmck
May 15, 2014 at 3:33 am
Doesn’t everybody line up slightly open? I have been doing it for 35 years now with every club in the bag including the putter. I hit draw, fade, high, low, etc. Just feels natural to me. Lee Trevino made a few million with an open stance as I recall.
Ben
May 14, 2014 at 10:52 am
I have no idea what any of this means
Art
Dec 30, 2013 at 3:49 pm
I don’t see any consideration given to ball position. Since the club moves on an arc, the position of the feet in terms of the body’s orientation, as well as relative to how far forward/back the ball is placed within the framework of the club’s arc are relevant.
Intention also plays an important role. Was the player’s intention to swing in-to-out to impart a draw?
Ben
Jan 5, 2014 at 12:52 am
I haven’t read everyone’s comments but did anyone notice his ball finished over 8 feet left of his target? And that was with his club path going 5.9 degrees from in to out??
Ruddy
Nov 30, 2013 at 8:36 pm
Tom, according to Trackman, I swing in to out. I can only hit hooks with my irons, due to inconsistent, mostly toe contact and early release , according to GolfTec. This puts hook spin on the ball. Therefore I compensate by aiming 15-20 yards to the right. If I follow your advice above and align to the left instead, I’ll probably hit it into the Pacific. My other fix has been to try to hit a big slice by cutting out to in on my downswing, dropping my hands straight down from the top. Any pointers you have will be dutifully tried and much appreciated. Thank you.
tom stickney
Nov 30, 2013 at 11:27 pm
It sounds like a pivot issue to me…causing you to stand up on the downswing thus hitting the ball on the toe invoking the club’s gear-effect. I would suggest fixing your pivot before you try and adjust your aiming.
Dave
Nov 28, 2013 at 4:35 pm
I think that most people that play often and are relatively athletic will subconsciously adjust to their miss. We all know the guy that we play with whose setup is garbage and his swing looks like a seizure, but he stripes it down the middle with regularity.
Joe Golfer
Nov 27, 2013 at 5:34 pm
Besides the Hogan book mentioned, an old book by Tommy Armour called
How To Play Your Best Golf All The Time is also a book that recommends those same stance changes.
As for me, I really don’t follow those directions, but that’s because of a bad back.
If I line up slightly closed, my hips don’t slide like they should.
Thus, I just use a slightly open stance, play the ball a tad forward, and play a fade all the time, but only because it’s the best I can do with health limitations.
The advice given in the article does seem like sound advice.
Thanks for the info, Tom Stickney, and try to ignore comments from guys like JBro, who just want to say something snarky rather than positive and encouraging.
Tom Stickney
Nov 27, 2013 at 9:33 pm
You must always do what works best for you in the end as YOU are the player and thus has the last say. Thx for your note and comments
BS
Nov 26, 2013 at 7:28 pm
So If I swung with a path that is is 3 degrees out with a face angle that is 1 degree open while setting up square to the target it would start right and produce a draw ending up somewhere close to the target. If I swung the same way but set up 3 degrees left wouldn’t that produce the same shot just ending up farther to the left than where the original shot went? I’m confused on this. Tom, if you could clear this up for me I would appreciate that.
tom stickney
Nov 27, 2013 at 3:58 pm
It would all depend on your angle of attack and how much your swing direction differs from your true path. The more your swing direction moves one way or the other the more you must alter your plane line in efforts to zero out the true path for straight-away ball flight
paul
Nov 26, 2013 at 1:43 pm
So does this mean we should only set up square with long irons and woods when we are sweeping the ball?
paul
Nov 26, 2013 at 1:54 pm
Ha. figured it out, we just aim straight when we are trying to zero out angle and path and face for any club as long as the ball isn’t teed up. I think that is correct anyway…
tinytim
Nov 26, 2013 at 1:01 pm
well, with the driver only do, if you hit upwards!
Angus
Nov 26, 2013 at 12:02 pm
Quick question. Do you line the clubface up sqare to your stance when you open/close it or do you alter your grip and keep the clubface pointing at the intended target? Thanks
oneputz
Nov 26, 2013 at 3:47 pm
I am curious about this as well, i figured i would just go to the range and try to work it out through experimentation. Im very excited to try this setup as I have noticed my tendency is to push my short irons while my longer clubs draw/hook more than I would like. Thanks for the article.
Craig
Nov 26, 2013 at 3:48 am
That is amazing and exactly what I have found myself doing lately and striking the ball better, feeling slightly open with short clubs and closed aligning to the right to promote draw with longer clubs.
david
Nov 26, 2013 at 1:35 am
ty, great article. I’m not saying its a mistype, but im asking….in paragraph 4…when you say “It would only be 3 degrees out to in.” I am confused. Am I just not getting it completely, or did you mean to say “in to out”
am i not quite getting it…… or is there a mistype starting with the guy swing “in to out”, then finishing with him “out to in”?
Zak Kozuchowski
Nov 26, 2013 at 9:30 am
You’re right. It has been corrected.
Zachary yaz
Nov 26, 2013 at 1:26 am
thank you! give me a new insight on my swing!
FlyFish
Nov 26, 2013 at 12:43 am
I’ve been waiting for somebody to finally write something on this topic.
If you study the D-plane, you will realize that a stance adjustment is necessary when the ball is teed up and forward. A lot of pros setup closed with the driver.
JBro
Nov 26, 2013 at 12:23 am
Thanks for this information that is as old as golf, you just added numbers and buzzwords like “Flightscope” and “Trackman”. I want the 4 minutes it took to read this back into my life span, but alas, I get a lot of information from GolfWRX so we will call it even boring pointless article. Just hit the ball.
JMD
Nov 26, 2013 at 9:49 am
Nobody forced you to read the article Richard!!
Tom Stickney
Nov 26, 2013 at 10:26 am
We often criticize what we don’t truly understand…aoa shifting swing direction altering aiming based on spin-loft.
Take the next four minutes and remember to thank those of us whom write for this forum for FREE so that you can learn to become a better player.
CB
Nov 26, 2013 at 12:09 pm
Tom, you shouldnt have given the guy the time of day. Good article. Thanks for writing it.
CB
Nov 26, 2013 at 11:35 am
How embarrassing you wrote that.
TJ
Nov 26, 2013 at 3:18 pm
maybe it took him a while to read it?
TonyK
May 13, 2014 at 11:32 pm
Your confidence is ignorance. Once you become to understand this article, you would be ashamed of yourself. But chances are probably you won’t. Enjoy your 90’s scores forever.
Pastorcam201
Nov 25, 2013 at 10:31 pm
I play a pull and since I started to play lined up to the right I’ve dropped 10 strokes off my game and have way more fun I just aim to the right side of the green and boom right down the middle every time. Now if I could only learn to put????
Jeffrey Trigger
Nov 25, 2013 at 9:43 pm
I must be a freak. My ball almost always starts where my body is square too. However, my problem is I’m not always square to where I think I’m aiming…
ryan
Nov 25, 2013 at 8:54 pm
my path is very right of the target and in to out. Do you recommend I try aligning my body to the left to straighten out my shots? I tend to hit snap hooks if I stand closed especially with my driver.
Tom Stickney
Nov 26, 2013 at 10:27 am
Would highly recommend it or alter your swing direction.