4 Golf Alignment Mistakes That Guarantee A Miss

Golf alignment is not a fun thing to practice. Call it boring. However, if you don’t spend some time working on alignment, it’s going to hurt you on the course. We’ve all hit a shot that felt perfect only to see the ball sailing nowhere near the target. More often than not, the issue isn’t your swing. It’s your alignment. Here are four of the most common alignment mistakes that set you up to fail, plus one bonus tip that far too many golfers skip.

Walking in from the side

One of the easiest ways to misalign your body is by walking into the ball from the side. When you approach from an angle, your body tends to close off to the target line before you even take your stance.

Instead, walk in from directly behind the ball.

Keep your body open until the very last moment, then square up as you finalize your setup. This lets you stay aware of the target and ensure that your alignment has not changed. Coming in from behind the ball lets you build a neutral stance right from the start.

Skipping the intermediate target

Trying to aim at a 150- or 175-yard flag without a close visual cue is very difficult. In fact, it’s so difficult that it becomes ineffective.

Always choose an intermediate target. Pick a spot one to three feet in front of your ball and ensure that it’s on the intended line. Aim the clubface at that spot, not the distant flag. Then build your stance around the properly aligned clubface.

You can do this on everything from a drive to a putt.

Lifting your head instead of rotating

Many players attempt to check their alignment by lifting their head and turning their upper body toward the target. When you do this, your eyes are no longer parallel to your setup lines and you may have also changed your spin angle in your golf setup.

The best way to go about this is to simply rotate your head while keeping your body still. This sends your eyes straight up your setup line and instantly reveals if you’re off.

Trying to fix or adjust alignment without restarting

This one took me a long time to learn. I still sometimes set up to the ball and don’t trust my alignment. From there, I start shifting and moving a little, and it throws everything off.

When you adjust your stance without restarting your routine, you often throw off your ball position, spine angle and shot shape. This will create even more problems.

If you realize your alignment is off, back off completely and restart your pre-shot routine.

Bonus Tip: Consider looking at the target before you swing

One more thing that I can’t call a mistake, instead just a tip to help you improve, is to look at the target one more time before you swing. Many players never look up again after they get into position. Looking up one more time helps your brain stay target-connected during the swing.

Final thoughts

Poor alignment is one of the easiest ways to ruin a great swing. These mistakes are incredibly common, even among better players. Start building a consistent pre-shot routine that includes walking in from behind, using an intermediate target, and rotating your head.