Alignment Issue: Right Handed, Lined Up Left of Target When I Think I’m Square

Had a friend point out on the range yesterday that I was lined up well left of where I thought I was. When I reached the point where he confirmed from behind that I was aimed at the target, I felt I was aimed well right of the target.

From my limited reading, it appears that the more common alignment fault is the opposite -- that right-handed golfers are usually aimed right of where they think they are aimed with longer clubs.

I have always picked out an intermediate point from behind the ball and then stepped in, but evidently this alone isn't working, as I am somehow still aligning my feet and shoulders left when I think I am parallel and aimed dead at the target.

Once fix I have seen suggested elsewhere is to line up using ONLY the intermediate point and never look back up at the target in the distance once set. Anyone ever tried this?

I have seen Monte's goal-post theory of intermediate points, which I plan on trying. I have also see the Malaska theory of setting up 2 alignment sticks in the ground vertically with the target in between, which is taking the goal-post theory literally and trying to hit it between 2 sticks.

Any other suggestions?

Ideally post a good video of your routine including "I have always picked out an intermediate point from behind the ball and then stepped in", and indicate what you're trying to do with the ball, and where out in the distance you believe you're aimed. I have always picked out an intermediate point from behind the ball and then stepped in. Stepped in to what?

You have alignment points on your knees, hips and shoulders. Pretend you have horizontal rods running thru these . These hypothetical rods should all line up parallel with that line between your ball and the intermediate point (which should also point directly at your ?). Also clubface should be perpendicular to the target line.

now all this is also dependent on perfect strike (face flat and in sweet spot) and your swing path being perfect too. Which prob is not the case.

but all stuff you can work on!

this might help a bithttps://images.app.goo.gl/YKZzga24QSwXjZSx5

My PSR is standing behind the ball and picking an intermediate point on the line somewhere within 2 feet of my ball. Then I approach the ball from the left side and step in my with right foot and put the clubhead behind the ball and align my club face square to the intermediate point. Then I attempt to square my stance to the club face.

This is evidently working well for me on short to mid-irons, but once I get into my hybrids, fairways, and driver, what I think is aligning square to my club face and intermediate point is actually open, per a fellow golfer watching me from behind on the range, and my ball flight is consistent with that feedback, as my hybrids/fairways/driver start straight at the target and then shape left to right incrementally the longer the club gets.

When adjusting my stance and club face to truly at the target, per my borrowed eyes, I felt like I was aimed a good 15-20 yards right of the target.

Without video it sounds like you may be pretty close in your personal preference but optics may be messing things up from your perspective.

In simple terms, square club face to flight, or set the club face into the game, then square the body to club head not, as you said, club face. Just an option to consider.

im guessing you set up the same way with all clubs. but are only noticing issues in the ball flight because the longer clubs naturally have more sidespin. the fact that your 9 iron goes pretty straight but your 5 iron fades/slices doesnt immediately jump out as an alignment at setup issue to me.

i might take a peak at Steve Johnston's Eureka swing on youtube. He setups very open with the feet. Aiming left, but set the shoulder square and swing in to out, creating a nice draw from what looks like a fade position. while maybe not a permanent fix, this may straighten out your ball flight from an alignment position that may be more natural feeling to you.

Surely the answer is to place an alignment stick on the floor parallel to the target line and set up square to that.

Still having some issues with this.

It appears from searching other threads/forums/articles, etc. that the alignment issue for the vast majority of right handed golfers is that what they perceive as square alignment is actually aimed well right of target. And when they get spot-checked and corrected to square, they feel like they are aimed a mile left.

My issue seems fairly novel in that its the opposite. What I perceive as square is actually aligned well left of target. And when I get spot-checked and corrected to square, I feel like I'm aimed a mile right of the target and will hit a big push.

Anyone ever dealt with this before and have any ideas on what it could be?

Is adjusting for expected ball flight causing the issue? Doesn’t sound like it but thought I’d ask. Intermediate target only instead of looking back up works for me when I struggle aiming too far right but also just a LOT of practice seeing the target picture with the proper alignment and getting used to that view. Takes time and vigilance.

Hmm. I don’t think so.

But I can’t help but notice you said whenever you “struggle aiming too far right.” That seems to be everyone but me, lol.

After searching the forums, I don’t think I’ve seen a single instance of a right-handed golfer having my issue of thinking they are square to the target but actually pointed left.

Just didn't want you thinking my issue is left, but I'd think the idea would be the same. Work on the target in front of the ball, then work in getting used to the sight picture with the target and just plain don't readjust your setup, don't do it.

Maybe you just plain see things a little differently (I'm assuming you are right eye dominant and not suggesting anything if you weren't, no idea how that would play into anything but who knows).

I use Monte's goal post method (on the ground) now instead of a single point - Tom Watson in his book a few years ago suggested visualizing actual goal posts out towards the target. Heck if the wind isn't blowing, lol, I've picked a cloud, or a tree top (has me thinking follow through).

No coach here, but it seems like it's how do you stop taking the club so far back? Like Monte says, and I think I have this right, just don't take it back too far --- takes time and then someday you aren't.

Anyone ever dealt with this before and have any ideas on what it could be? -DLev45

My own experience is aligning too far left is caused by ball to forward and or too little shoulder tilt at address for a given club.

I am positive I don’t have it too far forward. If there is a problem with my ball position, it’s too far back, if anything.

However, I do have pretty level shoulders and know that I don’t quite get to the point of recommended secondary tilt.

I’m agree it sounds like I’m just going to have to drill it out of habit.@MonteScheinblum or @iteachgolf, have you guys ever had a right-handed student who felt like way left, as opposed to way right, was actually square?

Kind of sounds like you play a trap fade shot? I keep ball off left heel (1'-2") for most all clubs save Driver which is at heel (and may even drop right foot back a bit.). Alter stance width with right foot. Knock downs, ball position is dropped 1" On short irons find it beneficial to open left foot while holding shoulders square. I care about shoulders & elbow line being square & worry more about stance width over foot placement.

I generally play LW to 8i ball in the middle, 7i-3h club head in the middle and ball just forward of that, and then FW/Driver with the back of the club head in the middle.

Intent of straight ball flight. Misses aren’t super consistent. I get straight pulls, straight pushes, 10-20 yard fades, and 10-20 yard hooks. And that’s pretty much through the bag from LW-Driver.

I’m capable of all the flights, but just wish I knew when they were going to happen!

Off-topic on the alignment issue, but I know my clubs are wrong for me and I need to get fit. I suspect that contributes to the inconsistency.

I’m 6’2 playing standard length, 1-up, and everything but my driver and wedges are regular flex. Iron shafts are XP 95 R300 and my 7-iron carries 165-170.

I have the same issue, right handed aimed left. I pick out a spot before and after the ball as a parallel and line up to that. In addition, after I pick the intermediate spot in front of me, I don’t look at the target again. I’ve read/seen compelling information(to me) that the mind will take over if you give it a picture that it doesn’t agree with.

I always thought you tended to aim more towards your body (right hander would aim more left, left handed would aim more right of target) so news to me the opposite is most common. Be sure youre aim is truly pointing left of the target and not just parallel to your ball line. I had a buddy who was aiming his feet at the target with the club face and couldn't figure out why he kept hitting a draw/hook.

Sounds like you have a good routine. Try closing your nondominant eye when picking a target to make sure you aren't being tricked. Don't assume its right eye bc youre right handed. It took me a few times shooting guns (and missing terribly) to realize i am left eye dominant.

Align your clubface, then align your body to the face. You're going at it backwards, taking a stance and then setting the club. If I understand what you're saying.

It depends on how your ball flight is as well I would imagine. I would have my alignment sticks setup up railroad style down the line and thinking my face was square but I was actually set up square with a slightly closed face. Starting with a square stance could be helpful but not be the ultimate answer. Might take some trial and error. I myself set my club square at my target then set my body to what I take as where it needs to be. For the most part, it works FOR ME. I play a slight cut and thats what I play. I have friends who I see pointing left of the target that play a draw. You might be different so there might not be a perfect answer. I see Monte giving his expertise so I would poke his knowledge and experience base.

I think how you reference ball position for all your clubs might be a bigger problem than whether you're square or open in stance. Playing a long or short club that is referenced to "center stance" adds variability in that left foot might be 6" or a foot (who knows?) from the ball. Better to have a reference that is always off left lead foot, That might be 2", 4" or whatever but then upper body can reference to that point no matter length of club for most all swings. Then use right foot to tweak stance width appropriate to club.

What’s your standard ballflight?

Fight on good shots is a straight ball. Miss is probably 66% straight push, 33% toe hook.

Interestingly, according to my spotter, when doing my PSR and aligning the club face square to my target line via intermediate point, my face alignment wasn’t far off.

The issue comes in when I square my body in phase 2. I think I have squared my hips/shoulders to the target line/intermediate point, but they are open.

My spotter told me to line up like I was going to hit the ball and take my left hand off the driver and point straight ahead, first without looking, and then look up to see where I was pointing. And for a 250 yard target, I was pointing a good 30 yards left of my target.

I was noticing alignment issues with me at the range yesterday. I aimed at a flag 152 away, put the face of the club 90 degrees to the stick....looks like I was aimed 12 yards left. I am left eye dominant and my ball position with all clubs except driver is directly under my left eye. Lining up striking balls like this made me feel like I was open stanced hitting pushes...when in reality I was square hitting straight shots.

when I come in to address all shots except for my putter, body and head is tilted to the right. Not sure if a better set up it to try address the club square by standing Straight and not tilting head. Or if I should just aim about 5 degrees my perceived left which will bring me square.

Still having this issue per a spotter. It's not that I have been playing terrible golf, but this is one of those "feel ain't real" things and it is still bugging me.

Right handed and right-eye dominant. Was using an 8-iron, intending to play the ball in the middle of my stance.

Normal PSR, stand directly behind ball and pick an intermediate point. Then take a step or 2 left, walk-in from diagonal left-to-right. Step-in with my right foot and the club in my left hand and align the face to my intermediate point. Then square my stance and shoulders to my clubface.

My spotter put a ball on each of my heels and then told me to back out, and my ball was forward of center and my feet were open to the target line.

When the spotter stood behind me and had me align my feet and club face to what he said was "lined up dead at the target," and I then looked up to see where I was perceiving to be aiming, it still feels like I am aimed way right. Like 15-20 yards right of my target. 

My predominant miss with irons and wedges are thin/weak cuts. They start on the target line but fade.

But predominant miss with hybrids and woods hook. I seem to rarely hit cuts with those.

I aim my club face left with my longer clubs as a righty.  I just set up with a closed face and think it's square. My stance is body is generally square.  It's more prevalent with my longer clubs, but I can do it with short ones occasionally too.  Lighting angles/shadows contributes to it as well.

On 5/30/2020 at 12:06 PM, farmer said:

Align your clubface, then align your body to the face. You're going at it backwards, taking a stance and then setting the club. If I understand what you're saying.

OP - this. And do it with an alignment stick in place until you learn what your proper alignment looks like. Two good suggestions you got and simply combine them.

10 minutes ago, Hawkeye77 said:

 

OP - this. And do it with an alignment stick in place until you learn what your proper alignment looks like. Two good suggestions you got and simply combine them.

I already do clubface 1st, stance 2nd. farmer misunderstood what I was saying.

The alignment stick part confirmed my weird visual. When I square up everything to an alignment stick pointed at the target and then look up at said target, it appears like its behind my left shoulder and I'm going to have to hit a pull to get it there.

I'm thinking I may have grooved a straight push as my stock shot and not realized it.

On 8/20/2020 at 11:28 PM, DLev45 said:

Still having this issue per a spotter. It's not that I have been playing terrible golf, but this is one of those "feel ain't real" things and it is still bugging me.

 

Right handed and right-eye dominant. Was using an 8-iron, intending to play the ball in the middle of my stance.

 

Normal PSR, stand directly behind ball and pick an intermediate point. Then take a step or 2 left, walk-in from diagonal left-to-right. Step-in with my right foot and the club in my left hand and align the face to my intermediate point. Then square my stance and shoulders to my clubface.

 

My spotter put a ball on each of my heels and then told me to back out, and my ball was forward of center and my feet were open to the target line.

 

When the spotter stood behind me and had me align my feet and club face to what he said was "lined up dead at the target," and I then looked up to see where I was perceiving to be aiming, it still feels like I am aimed way right. Like 15-20 yards right of my target. 

My predominant miss with irons and wedges are thin/weak cuts. They start on the target line but fade.

 

But predominant miss with hybrids and woods hook. I seem to rarely hit cuts with those.

Am I understanding the part in bold correctly - that you are trying to have the club face and feet pointing at the target? If you align your feet to the target then you will be aiming to the right.

Your feet and club face are like 2 railway tracks - they are parallel. The club face is aligned at the target (along the right rail track), the feet and shoulders (assuming a square stance) will point to a point parallel left of target (along the left rail track).

https://golfstateofmind.com/alignment-important-thing-every-golf-shot/

I have always aimed right of target. If I don't pick out a spot and just set my feet where I think they should be, I am aimed 15 degree right. My daughter is the same. She found a weird system that works for her, she bends over like at set-up then turns her head so her eyes are on top of one another and she lines up perfect from what she sees. I on the other hand have found that I have to pick out a spot right in front of the ball (6-9") or I still aim too far right. If the spot is too far ahead (24") this is not nearly as good. You can also try picking out 2 spots that are perpendicular to the target line and line up in between them. Make the gap about 1/2"-1" apart and 12" in front of ball. 

For me, I know my tendencies and always aim a bit left with driver knowing that I will be aimed perfectly 85% of the time. Go to the range and try a bunch of different things until your spotter says you got it. Play to your tendencies and have confidence in your line.