Intermediate Targets in the Short Game Techniques

Too many golfers overlook the value of this aiming method once they get on or around the greens. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you don’t need to use an intermediate target when you are close to the hole. After all, you can see the hole just outside of your peripheral vision, so it shouldn’t be too hard to aim – right? Not necessarily. Small aiming mistakes are amplified in the short game, so it will pay to be as precise as possible. Why settle for chipping the ball up next to the hole, when you could have chipped it in?

The process for using intermediate targets in the short game is exactly the same as it is in the long game. You are going to find something to use as a target which is located near your ball and along the target line you have selected. In the short game, you need to have a tremendous amount of discipline to stick with your intermediate target rather than looking up and down at the actual target and your ball. Once you pick the intermediate target you are going to use, have faith in that selection and stick with it.

You might have a bit of trouble using this technique in a greenside bunker, as the sand really can look all the same when it is well manicured. If that is the case, try to pick something out on the lip of the bunker which can serve as your target. This option is not going to be quite as accurate as using an intermediate target right in front of your ball, but it will have to do. Most amateur players are not particularly accurate with their bunker play anyway, so simply aiming your shot as close to the target as possible will serve your purposes. Of course, if you do find yourself in a bunker where you have plenty of intermediate targets to pick from, you should stick with the technique just as you do around the rest of the course.

The method of using intermediate targets to improve your alignment has worked for countless golfers over the years, and it can work effectively for you as well. Considering the fact that many professional golfers use this technique on a daily basis, you should have no doubts about how well it is going to work in your game. Like anything else, you’ll need to spend a bit of practice time working on this style of play before you are confident enough to put it into action on the course. In the end, you might find that your golf swing is far more consistent than you realized, and that your poor alignment was actually to blame for many of your poor shots in the past. Good luck!