Alignment - Step Two Save Plan
Alignment: The Second Step in Save Strokes
Alignment: The Key to Starting Every Shot on the Right Path
If speed is the foundation of a consistent golf game, alignment is the structure that keeps everything on target. Poor alignment doesn’t just affect your aim — it alters your entire swing path and creates bad habits. Getting this right is essential to saving strokes.
Why Alignment Matters
Proper alignment is one of the most overlooked fundamentals in golf. Many players unknowingly line up their body to the target, instead of their clubface, causing misfires even with a great swing.
Misalignment leads to:
Pulled shots
Pushes and slices
Overcorrections like “yanks”
Poor contact
Inconsistency across all clubs
Golf is hard enough without setting up for failure before the club even moves. When you’re misaligned, your brain tries to compensate — often with swing manipulations that hurt your consistency and tempo.
The Correct Way to Align
Step 1: Start with the Clubface
Stand behind your ball and pick a small target a few feet in front of it on the same line (like a blade of grass or divot).
Set the clubface square to that spot — not the flag in the distance.
Step 2: Build Your Body Around the Club
Once the face is aimed, set your feet, hips, and shoulders parallel left of the target line (for right-handed players).
Your body should be aligned like train tracks: one line to the target (clubface), one parallel (your stance).
Step 3: Check with a Club or Alignment Stick
Lay a club or alignment stick on the ground along your toes.
Step back and check: is it parallel to your target line?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Aiming your body at the target: This leads to open clubfaces and slices.
Skipping the behind-the-ball check: Without a visual target, your setup can easily drift.
Overcorrecting mid-swing: Fix your alignment, and you won’t need to manipulate your path.
Drills to Build Alignment Skill
1. The Railroad Track Drill
Use two alignment sticks or clubs: one along the target line (for the ball/clubface), one parallel (for your feet/body).
Practice setup and short swings to build proper visual patterns.
2. Stick and Swing
Lay one alignment stick down, then practice swinging while keeping your body parallel and balanced through impact.
3. Mirror Check
Use a full-length mirror or phone to record from down the line — check that your hips, feet, and shoulders are square to your target line.
Our Take: On Alignment
You can’t hit the ball consistently if you’re not aimed correctly. Aligning your clubface first and then building your stance around it will reduce swing compensations and make your stroke more repeatable. Combine this with good speed, and you’re already ahead of most players.
Golf is a game that exposes every weakness — and it always finds them.
The only way to overcome this is through a smart plan and focused practice. Most of us have limited time to play, so we need to make every minute count. The SAVE Strokes plan gives you a clear framework to work on every part of your game, helping you build strength in each area. With it, you can turn your weaknesses into strengths and become a more confident, consistent golfer.
🧭 Step 2: Puts and Chips Align Based on Speed
Now that you know how fast you want the ball to travel, adjust your aim accordingly:
More speed = less break = aim closer to the hole
Less speed = more break = aim wider
Then:
Align the clubface to the chosen line
Set your body parallel to that line, not directly at the target
Many amateurs mistakenly align their bodies to the target rather than the intended path. This causes pulls, slices, and inconsistency. Start with the clubface—let your body follow.
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⛳ Alignment: Why It Feels Unusual at First
(Trusting the Line Even When It Feels Wrong)
🟡 A – Alignment
One of the biggest hurdles in golf is reconciling what looks correct with what feels correct. Many players have developed years of habits aiming too far left or right. So when they finally get aligned properly, it feels… unusual. Almost awkward. That’s not a mistake—it’s a sign of progress.
🟢 Why Proper Alignment Feels Awkward
Old Habits Dominate: If you’ve spent years aiming off target, your brain has stored that as “normal.” Correcting it makes you feel like you’re pointing in the wrong direction.
Parallel Tracks Illusion: Standing parallel to the target line (like railroad tracks) often makes right-handers feel like they’re aimed left and left-handers feel like they’re aimed right.
Eye Line Deception: From over the ball, your eyes play tricks. A 150-yard flag looks much farther off than an intermediate target just a few feet ahead.
🟢 How It Should Actually Feel
Slight Left/Right Sensation: For many golfers, proper square alignment feels like you’re aiming a little left (right-handers) or right (left-handers). That’s your brain adjusting.
Balanced, Neutral Stance: Your shoulders, hips, and feet should feel square—not twisted or reaching.
Clubface Leads, Body Follows: It should feel like the clubface is “in charge,” and your body alignment is built around it.
🟢 Training Your Feel to Match Reality
Use Alignment Sticks: Lay two down—one on your target line, one for your feet. Hit balls until the “awkward” setup begins to feel natural.
Intermediate Target Drill: Always aim at a spot a few feet ahead of the ball, then build your stance around it.
Trust Video Feedback: Record your setup. You’ll often see you’re aimed perfectly even if it feels off.
✅ SAVE Strokes Takeaway: Proper alignment may feel unusual or awkward at first—but that’s the body unlearning bad habits. Stick with it. With practice, awkward becomes natural, and natural becomes accurate.
📌 Alignment Tip Box:
✅ Feet, hips, and shoulders should all align on the same line, parallel to your target line.
✅ The clubface should point directly at the target.
✅ Imagine train tracks: the target line is one rail, your stance is the other.
🧠 Trust the process — proper alignment often feels wrong before it works right.
We bring you the third piece of the puzzle:
👉 Visualization— How to see the picture before it happens! Why Visualization?
We’ll walk you through it step by step.