Instruction
The Truth About Aim and Alignment
Ever think about this? If the clubface is aimed left of the target, we call it closed. If the body is aligned left of the target, we call it open. If the clubface is aimed right of the target, we call it open. If the body is aligned right of the target, we call it closed. And we wonder why students are confused?
Golf instructors invented this “golf speak” language to help them talk about the game, but it’s actually hurt a lot of golfers’ chances of understanding what we’re talking about. So I’m going to be especially careful in this article to use terminology that accurately describes what is actually happening.
Let’s start with a few definitions:
- Aim: The position of the clubface in relation to the target or desired starting line. It is a fundamental of the game.
- Alignment: The position of the body in relation to the clubface. It is a preference based on an individual’s swing.
Golfers aim the face of the club at the target (or where we want the golf ball to start), but they align the body to the face. That is why it’s so important to get the face of the club looking directly at where you want the ball to go. But very often the problem is this: Slicers tend to aim the face left, and therefore align their bodies left in an effort to keep the golf ball out of right field. Golfers who fight a hook tend to aim the face right and align their the bodies to the right in an effort to keep the ball out of left field. So while their intentions are good, lining up more left to cure a slice and more right to cure a hook makes those problems even worse. It’s a vicious cycle, and one that every golfer has fallen into at one point or another.
Above: A “square” clubface.
That’s why we have to be careful of the anti-slice or hooked-face drivers. If you align the body to that face, you are aiming left, and if you then swing along that line you’ve just poured salt in your slicing wound. The club face is so visually dominant in the set up that even when I square the club faces of brand new golfers they inevitably move their body around to the correct alignment.
If you watch the pre-shot routines of the very best players, you’ll see that they stand behind the golf ball before they hit their shot to visualize the line on which they want the ball to start. When they walk up to the ball, the very first thing they do is set the clubface to that line. The next step for them is to align their bodies to the club face. How they do so is dictated by the shot they are playing at that time. They are not always playing a dead straight shot. In fact, they seldom try to hit their shots straight, but their process does not change: Club face aimed first, body aligned next.
Above: A “closed” clubface.
I should say a few words here about something called the “D” plane. This deals with the TRUE path of the club into the golf ball. This much we know: If I am aligned parallel to the target and my attack angle is down, as it would be when I hit a ball off the turf, then my club is swinging right of my alignment, so technically I would aim slightly left to offset that. And if I am swinging up, as I like to do for a driver, then my club is swinging left of my alignment, and again, technically, I would aim slightly right to offset that path. You can read my article on the D Plane to learn why. The point is this: We can set up a little right or left of desired flight line, but we would still follow the process described above.
Here is something you may not have considered about the club face: The aim of it can direct the path of your backswing. When golfers aim the club left, their backswings invariably go outside. And when golfers aim the clubface to the right, their backswings invariably go inside. The reason? The top edge of the club is visually very dominant. Aiming the face left sets the top edge perfectly perpendicular to an outside takeaway and aiming the face right sets the top edge perfectly perpendicular to an inside takeaway. This is why I do not believe that opening or closing the club at address has much to do with fading or drawing the ball. For example, to try to draw the ball by closing the face, I align my body parallel of the target line and aim the face left. It often has the “double cross” effect because the PATH is directed outside, just the opposite of what I want for a draw. Slicers are particularly guilty of this. As soon as they close the face to try to offset their slice, they will surely swing more outside in.
Above: An “open” club face.
The next time you’re hitting balls, try this: Get an alignment stick and lay it on the ground pointing exactly at your target. Then take your club face and place the leading edge perpendicular to that stick. Then set your body parallel to it. Now look up at your target several times from where you are. It will give you an awareness of how to aim and align. Do this several times, then take the stick away and change targets. Next, put a stick on the ground along the line of your feet and another stick, where the ball would be, aimed directly at the target; then go back and take a look. Can you picture railroad tracks? One rail is ball line, the other is the body line. Remember parallel lines, by definition, never meet!
Here’s another reason correct aim and alignment are so vital. Suppose you hit a perfect golf shot and it went 15 yards left of your intended target. If you knew for a fact that you were aimed and aligned perfectly, you would know the problem was in your swing. Or you could have been aimed 15 yards right and hit the ball directly at the target. That would reveal a path well left of your body line or a closed face. This works great in putting too. If you draw a line on the ball, aim your face directly at the hole (on a straight putt) and then miss the putt right or left, your stroke was the problem. You would never know that if you weren’t 100 percent sure where you were aiming!
You can also check the aim of your club face. The next time you’re hitting balls with a buddy, set up and then have him or her come in and take your place, aligning the club exactly as you did. From behind, you can see if your clubface is aimed where you thought it was. This also works great for putting. Or use one of the magnetic tools we use to check lie angles. They are readily available and great for showing you where you are really aimed.
In golf, a little refresher course in some basic grade school geometry (parallel and perpendicular lines) goes a long ways to a better set up and hopefully a better swing. As always, if you post a video or a picture to my Facebook page, I’ll be glad to take a look.
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
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” on RG.org 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!
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Pingback: What is a Slice in Golf and How to Fix It
David
Jul 23, 2015 at 2:18 pm
One thing I don’t see discussed here: just because the club face is pointed (aimed) in a certain direction at address, doesn’t necessarily mean that is where it will be pointed at impact. So squaring the face to the target line, and then aligning the body to the face may get your body in the correct alignment, but the club face could still be closed or open to that target line at impact. I think it takes some experimenting/experience to learn the difference between the club’s aim at address vs. impact.
For me, I pick out an intermediate target a few feet in front of my ball, then align my body parallel to the imaginary line between the ball and the intermediate target. From experience, I know that I need to have the club a little open to that line at address in order to have it be square to that line at impact.
Anders
Aug 28, 2014 at 12:37 pm
Hi Dennis,
I have been working very hard to try and curve my shots into a draw
and a fade so that I can use them when needed.
However, I’m having a lot of trouble.
Naturally I hit my shot very straight. When I try and aim my feet and
body right and my clubface down my target line for a draw I for some
reason continue to hit the ball dead straight down the line where my
feet and body are facing. It’s as if the angle of the clubface has
little impact on where the ball is going.
I can change my swing path slightly more in-to-out with my clubface facing my target and curve my shot but just that slight change and instead of a draw the ball curves 30 yards to the left. The same happens for a slightly out-to-in path when I try to hit a fade.
Any suggestions on how to get better results?
Thanks,
Anders
Bob Morrissey
May 21, 2014 at 9:38 am
As a right handed golfer, I never felt comfortable starting backswing with a straight left arm. A year ago, began taking club back with a straight right arm, keeping my left arm almost limp. Seems to be less margin for error because I’m not swinging across my chest, from left to right. Find I’m much more consistent and haven’t lost any distance. Here’s my question: is this working because once I get to the top of my backswing, everything is automatically kicking as If I had taken my club back the traditional left-handed way?
Nagar
Apr 8, 2014 at 9:24 pm
Dennis thank you for writing a great article. I recently had a lesson after about 4 years and getting down to a 3 handicap. My pro David said I had to swing left after the ball had been contacted as the golf swing is based on an arc and not straight lines. e.g. swing out to right field for a draw, this is wrong information as the the club face must be closed a few degrees for this to occur. Confusion reigns supreme with incorrect information. BTW my clubs we’re 4 degrees too upright for me. So my body was compensating for not only my clubs but the swing I had developed by using these clubs.
David then changed the lie angle and I then could actually play a small draw or fade with a great shot pattern dispersion and not a hook or slice.
Could you please do an article on golf club fitting and the results of incorrectly fitted clubs.
Ta Nagar.
Chris H
Apr 6, 2014 at 7:24 pm
Well written Dennis! This article and your recent one on ball position are two of the best instructuctional articles I’ve read in quite a long time. Teaching golf is getting too technical and complicated with some people. Thanks for keeping it simple and going back to basics.
christian
Apr 5, 2014 at 4:03 am
How can anybody not understand, or find it hard to learn, what open/closed feet are as opposed to open/closed clubface? Seriously?
I have never ever heard of a golfer, no matter how new he or she is to the game, that couldn’t comprehend something like; “ok, feet to the left of target is open and feet right of the target is closed. Now, for the clubface it’s the exact opposite, aim the face right and it’s open and if you aim it left is called closed”. It’s not exactly rocket science
Dennis Clark
Apr 5, 2014 at 3:32 pm
I taught a few guys from NASA once who told me golf was a lot harder than rocket science. 🙂
Wayne O'Reilly
Aug 28, 2016 at 5:59 pm
So nothing to add? Just babble about the content?
John
Apr 3, 2014 at 9:45 pm
Thank you for the wondeful article. It made a lot of sense. Thank you!!
Alex
Apr 3, 2014 at 9:08 pm
So as someone who hits hooks, I noticed if I set up with the face looking closed, and feel like I’m going to reroute a bit over the top, I can actually hit tiny little hard draws or even a cut.
It’s been a huge revelation for me. Especially with the driver.
Dennis Clark
Apr 3, 2014 at 2:56 pm
The thing to notice about the articles I write is the tendencies most golfers have..not every player sets up this way. Freddy Couples and Lee Trevino set up MILES open in their prime. Kenny Perry and a few others (not many) closed. It worked for them, But Ive been watching closed club faces start outside for the most part for 30 years on the lesson tee-must be something optical about it. And TRUE path is only determined by 3-D technology. Mine is FLIGHTSCOPE. It’s the only way to factor in down and out, and up and in!
Dennis Clark
Apr 3, 2014 at 2:45 pm
The starting direction of the golf is as much as 80% club face and 20% path. If you want the ball the start right face should be there. The BALL STARTS ON THE FACE AND CURVES AWAY FROM THE PATH, Classic D Plane physics. Try seriously closing the face and taking the club inside, it’s VERY difficult to do. Thx for reading
Christopher
Apr 3, 2014 at 1:13 pm
The picture of ‘A Square Clubface’ looks a bit funky. The orange club looks like it has a bit of loft on it so the club would only be square if the sole was flat on the ground and that club has the toe pointing up in the air. The flatter you make a lofted club the more the face points to the left. Although it’s probably just for illustrative purposes!
I also think it’s better to have an alignment aid across the heels and not the toes, especially for players who have a square right-foot and a left-foot turned towards the target. At least until they get used to aligning our feet properly.
Dennis Clark
Apr 3, 2014 at 2:51 pm
The club has a lot of loft on it; it’s a toy for kids…I used it to make a point. I’ll do video to follow up. The actual line of feet is a guide, shoulders much more relevant, and heels are not visible at address. But I see what you mean. Another thing you may to do is practice with the sun at your back and put a club on your shoulders. Shadow tells a lot. And actually what you mean is the more UPRIGHT the lie angle is the note left it looks. Thx for reading.
Christopher
Apr 3, 2014 at 5:11 pm
The shadow tip is a good one. It’s good for putting feedback too.
Robert
Apr 3, 2014 at 12:23 pm
I understand what you are saying, but just because the topline of the club is closed or open doesn’t mean the player will in fact follow that path. When hitting draws or fades, I line up my feet where I want the ball to start and aim my club face where I want the ball to end up. I make my swing plane along my feet and not how the club is aligned. I understand not everyone will or can do this, but it seems like you are making what I do seem like it’s impossible.
Rob
Apr 5, 2014 at 1:30 pm
Robert, look up info on the “D plane” and prepare for your head to explode.
Dennis Clark
Apr 2, 2014 at 9:57 pm
Agreed; James is very good in that area; Joseph Mayo as well. The information is finite, the presentations endless. Thx Jeff
Jeff
Apr 2, 2014 at 8:36 pm
Good article. For more on the D plane I highly recommend looking up James Leitz.
Topspin2
Apr 4, 2014 at 5:50 am
You did not address the position of the eater in an “open face sandwich”…