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 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.

🧭 How Alignment Should Feel

Whether you’ve been playing for years or you’re just getting started, proper alignment might feel a little off at first — and that’s perfectly normal.

If you’ve been playing with inconsistent results, your body may have unknowingly adjusted to faulty alignment habits. When you start aiming correctly, it might feel like you’re aiming left or right of your target, depending on whether you’re a right- or left-handed golfer.

That’s because proper alignment isn’t based on how something looks — it’s based on how your body is positioned in relation to the target line. For a right-handed golfer, your feet, hips, and shoulders should align slightly left of the target. For left-handed golfers, it’s the opposite — slightly right of the target.

This new setup might feel strange, even uncomfortable at first. Your stance might seem open or closed. But that’s okay. In fact, that shift in feeling is a good sign — it means you’re retraining your body to move more efficiently and consistently.

Stick with it. Soon, what feels awkward now will become second nature — and your shots will start finding their mark more often.

📌 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.