We all know that these two handy straight sticks can really help us with our alignment, but so many golfers use them incorrectly. The biggest mistake I see is a golfer aiming a stick on their body line, which is pointing at the target. The most common misconception in the pupils I coach is that we are aiming our body at the target. This is incorrect and can cement some serious faults in your swing. Compensatory movements that sap power and breed inconsistency.
So, if you are using alignment sticks to help with your practice, ensure to set your sticks up as if you are on train tracks. A stick on the target line about a grip behind your ball, then your other stick along your toe line which will be heading parallel, so left for right handers. A stick thrown on the floor and vaguely pointed at the target will cause you to begin to guide the club back across the line, this results in a serious leak in power and inefficient movement.
If you’re a golfer who suffers with alignment issues then you may well have rushed out to buy a set of the best golf alignment sticks and planted them down in your set-up, thinking that’s the answer, I've fixed my problem.
In fact, using these sticks means a golfer can get lazy with their set-up. They are practising from a correct position on the golf range, but not actually learning HOW to aim better. They return to the golf course and routinely line up poorly so not a lot changes.
Use the sticks yes, if working on parts of your swing as it stops you misaligning whilst concentrating on another area. For a better routine, set up to different targets, constantly use a stick to check how spot on your aim is. Use them to help you aim at targets across the corner of the practice mat which can be disorientating. But repeatedly go through the routine and get used to what aiming straight feels like. The sticks can be your reference point and act as evidence to reassure you you’re doing it correctly.
There are so many other ways you can use these to help you play better golf. Here are a few ideas.
Lose The Scoop
Impact position can sometimes be a tough one to monitor yourself and work on at the range. I love drills that give you feedback and this is one such drill. It can be done with short and longer shots and will ensure you lose the scoop at impact for good.
Place a stick about 6” behind the ball so you’ve got almost a barrier. If you are prone to leaning behind the ball at impact and almost trying to lift the ball up in the air (as you would a hockey shot) then this drill will stop you in your tracks. By having a stick behind the ball, you are encouraged to hit down and compress the ball more and hit the ball first and turf or mat just after. If you slightly scoop it you’ll clatter the stick.
Our mind tells our body to miss this, so as an automated response you move towards the target as you hit and your impact position improves. I would recommend starting this with small chip or pitch shots to get a feel. No need to go beyond a short iron. It will improve the whole of your game. Working on this drill alongside distance control with short swings will have you dialled into that scoring zone as well as hitting it further.
Strike That Pose
Another great drill using the sticks that has a similar purpose to the first one, is the wacky wacky drill… I call it this as I remember fondly Tim Barter with a wire coat hanger sticking out the end of the club and it thumping us in the ribs on any slightly scoopy chip shots.
Hold the alignment stick as an extension of the club, it will protrude past your lead arm and the idea with this drill is to keep it from hitting you. If you minimise wrist flick through impact and instead clear your body out of the way, you won’t hit yourself. If you slightly flick the wrists and don’t involve the body enough you’ll whack yourself. Hence the name.
Not only can you use this drill to hit small chip shots, you can also slowly break the whole swing down, and again through a full follow through you shouldn’t hit yourself.
Whip Your Swing Into Shape
I love a visual aid, but almost more satisfying is an audible one. We talk about creating power using our hands and setting the club correctly with efficient wrist hinge and release. But when you can’t see yourself it’s a tough one. So start with one stick in your trail hand (right for right-handers) and set up as if you are about to hit a shot, hovering the stick above the ground.
Wind yourself up like you would if you were skimming a stone and unwind giving that stick a good whip through to the finish. If you don’t cock the wrist correctly you won’t uncock it. The noise you make will be a dull drone.
Soften your hold on the stick and really cock the wrist (again the image of how you’d skim that stone will help this) and feel the forces working through the ground, unwinding your body through and the last thing to go is that whip of the stick. You’ll hear a big swish through the impact area.
This is a great drill if you're someone who casts the club (throws it from the top) as when you do this you will throw the power hands and arms first from the top. Wasting energy and the swish will happen higher up near your ear. So work on making the swish happen at the right point. This is speed and power.
Progress this drill by holding the stick in your hands as you’d hold a normal club. Make the same energy happen through the impact zone. Always finish the swing. This is a really satisfying drill. It can be done holding your driver upside down when on the course also.
Thumbs Up
Grip a stick halfway down and practice getting to the set position and making a T-shape, another way of feeling this is thumbs up. The reason for gripping down the stick is that it gives more room to do it inside, but also makes it really obvious when trying to achieve right angles. If you don’t utilise your wrists correctly you’ll really notice the angle is too great.
Gateway To Awesome Golf
If you could do one drill this winter to improve your golf it’s this gateway drill. Two sticks strategically positioned and you have yourself a set-up where you simply cannot get away with a poor swing path.
I’m lucky enough to be able to hit off grass so it’s easy to just poke the sticks into the ground in these positions. At the range, baskets are a brilliant way of making this drill work when you can’t get sticks in the ground..
The stick behind the target line is placed slightly shallower than your shaft angle. The idea is to send your club just underneath this for a perfect takeaway on the way back and miss it on the way through the ball. This will stop you from hitting over the top at impact and encourage your body to work efficiently.
The other stick should be placed on the target side of the mat creating a gateway as you can see this is slightly steeper in angle. . Again encouraging us to miss it on the way through and extend the club to the right of the target line.
Rehearse between these sticks initially and really encourage the feeling of a top spin forehand. This set-up will help you to feel the roll of rotation as your hands release effectively through the ball without scooping.
Hitting half shots within this zone will help your swing path and make you a better golfer. You’ll know if you do it incorrectly as you’ll clatter the sticks but it will be obvious where you’re going wrong. Brilliant feedback for an effective practice session. As with the stick behind the ball drill earlier, your body will automatically avoid hitting the sticks. Enjoy this one!
So it’s not just alignment these sticks work magic with, give these drills a go and reap the benefits out on the course.
