The alignment illusion

Trailing Justin Leonard by three strokes heading into the final round of the 2002 PGA Championship, Rich Beem needed a career performance to follow up his International victory from two weeks before and capture his first major championship. He got one. On Sunday, Beem put on a ballstriking clinic: He hit 13 out of 14 fairways in regulation, an amazing 93 percent; he hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation, an equally impressive 83 percent.

One reason Beem's swing held up beautifully under major-championship pressure (and that incredible charge by a raging Tiger Woods ) is that he has excellent alignment. You can improve your consistency, too, by working on your alignment.

Alignment to the target line

The most common swing faults are usually present before the swing itself, due to poor alignment. If you do not reference the target line properly when setting up, you will find it almost impossible to reference the target when swinging the club.

There are three types of stances:

Square stance. The target line is represented by the blue line going through my ball out to the target. The red line shows how my body is positioned in reference to the target line. As I stand "square" to this target line, my feet, knees, hips and shoulders are aimed to the left of the target but parallel to the target line.

Closed stance. If the body line merges with the target line -- that is, if the body aims directly at the target in the distance -- we say the stance is "closed." This is the most common misalignment.

Open stance. The body is aimed to the left, away from the target line.

How alignment influences swing path

It has been said that the setup at address is "the mold into which the swing is poured." Your alignment influences your golf club's swing path, so it follows that a good swing can be more easily accomplished with a good setup. Everything depends on how you swing the club in reference to the target line.

Square stance. This stance creates the best opportunity for the golf club to move along the target line. In the picture to the right, the shaft points directly to the target line at the top of the backswing. This position makes it easier to redeliver the club back along the target line to the ball, creating a straight launch.

Closed stance. This stance encourages the club to swing to the inside of the target line on the backswing, promoting a flatter swing path. A flatter swing path creates an inside-to-out path back to the ball, launching it to the right of your target.

Open stance. This stance influences the golf club to swing to the outside of the target line on the backswing, promoting a steeper swing path. A steeper swing path creates an outside-to-in path back to the ball, launching it to the left of your target.

How alignment influences impact

Here is how the ball responds at impact to what we have created in our alignment:

Square stance. This stance creates the best opportunity for the club to be in motion along the target line. And remember, the longer the golf club references the target line through impact, the longer the ball compresses on the clubface. Greater compression allows the ball to stay in the air longer for increased distance.

Closed stance. The flatter swing path created by this stance influences the club to swing from inside the target line back into the ball. It also encourages compression off the heel of the clubface, creating hook spin. This causes the ball to spin sharply to the left.

Open stance. The steeper swing path created by this stance influences the club to swing from outside the target line back into the ball. This usually results in compression off the toe of the clubface, creating slice spin. The ball spins sharply to the right.

How alignment influences the finish

The best indicator of a good golf swing is how balanced you are at the completion of the swing. In the photo, my body is aligned square to the target and balanced vertically as I hold my finish. I am not maintaining my address posture (the so-called "spine angle") into the finish of my swing, which many top teachers advocate. Swinging the club in reference to the target line influences me to balance out "square" to the target.

ALIGNMENT DRILL

Lay clubs on the ground to represent your target line and body line. This will help you to align squarely, which, in turn, will improve your swing path and balance.

© 2002 Rob Stanger

Rob Stanger is teaching professional at the Mission Hills Country Club Golf Learning Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Contact him at robstanger.com.

 

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