In golf, we don't talk about aiming and alignment enough.
Most golfers focus so much on the mechanics of the swing -- takeaway, transition, impact and all the facets of delivering the club to the ball -- that they don't think about one of the most basic elements of the game. The truth is, though, that if you don't aim properly, then you're going to struggle to hit the ball to your target.
But if you ask a golfer how they aim the golf club and golf ball to their target, they really can't describe it well. They just kind of do it. But by failing to plan, as the saying goes, is making a plan to fail. Golfers should know how they intend to aim on every single golf shot.
Turns out, there is an easy-to-use method that one of the best golfers of all-time has employed to great success -- and it's a method you can use, too.
Jack Nicklaus has long talked about how he aims each golf shot, and it's remarkably simple and effective. What Nicklaus does is stands behind the ball and visualizes his shot. As he's visualizing the shot, he thinks about the kind of shot he's going to hit, where he needs to start it and where he'd like it to finish. By knowing the shot he's trying to hit and the shot shape he wants it to take, he can then see how the shot will travel through the air, land and run out.
The key part in seeing the shot -- at least as it relates to aiming -- is knowing where the ball has to start to be successful. That could be out to the left to hit a cut, out to the right to hit a draw or dead straight. No matter the shot shape, a golfer should still aim to the same place and then swing the club to produce the shot shape they want (or that they can hit confidently).
So, to aim the golf club and ball to the desired target, Nicklaus has long picked a spot just in front of the ball that's on the line to the target from where the ball is. That spot could be a few inches in front of the ball or maybe a few feet. That distance is up to the golfer and their eye. However, the key is that the aiming spot is much closer to the golfer and easier to manage than aiming at something much farther from the golfer.
Aim the golf club at that spot just in front of the ball, confirm the alignment to that spot, and then look at the target to connect the whole shot together. Now, when you're swinging, you swing confidently knowing that you're aimed properly.
The good news is that there's an alignment marker on most golf balls these days. A golfer can use that alignment marker to their advantage, both off the tee and when they're putting. You can use that alignment marker to point the ball toward your aiming spot -- or, you can use it to help direct your mind to the swing path you want to take.
Of course, there's more to aim than just the club face. The shot has to executed properly, and that includes swing mechanics and body alignment to the target. But checking off one of the many things that make a golf shot successful, a golfer gets closer to hitting great golf shots more consistently.
