Golfer's need to understand when trying to pick a target, you should first think about how you are going to successfully aim at that target before each swing. After all, picking a target doesn’t do any good if you don’t wind up aiming accurately when you take your stance. In this section, we are going to explain how you can take your stance correctly over and over again, leading to the most accurate shots you have hit in your golfing life.
The best way to build your stance is by sticking with a step-by-step process. If you can go through this process each time you get ready to hit a drive, you can be confident that your body and the club are pointed in the right direction.
As you might suspect, this process is going to start with the selection of a very specific target. Once you decide that you are going to hit your driver, take that club from your bag and tee the ball up at an appropriate height. Then, stand back and pick out your target in the distance. You can’t afford to get lazy on this step, as failing to pick a specific target is going to interfere with your ability to hit quality drives.
With your target selected, you actually aren’t done finding targets for this shot. Next, you are going to pick an intermediate target, which is going to be only a few inches in front of your ball. This will be a spot on the ground that is easy to see from address, and is on the target line between your ball and the actual target out in the distance. Since you can’t see that far-off target when standing at address looking down at your ball, using an intermediate target is a great idea. You should pick your intermediate target while standing directly behind your golf ball to ensure that it is precisely on the line that you intend to hit.
Finally, you are ready to walk up to the ball and take your stance. As you walk up, the driver should be in your right hand, and your first action should be to set the club head down on the ground behind the ball. At this point, you are only going to have your right hand on the club, and you will not move your feet into position just yet. The first goal when building your stance is to aim the face of the driver perfectly at your intermediate target. Once that is done, proceed to build the rest of your stance while making sure the club head doesn’t move at all.
Still holding the club with just one hand, set your feet in place based on the position of the club head. Flex your knees, settle into your stance, and make sure you are comfortable. With your feet set and your stance mostly finished, add your left hand to the grip and get ready to start your swing.
As one final act of preparation, you are going to look up at your target in the distance. Get a good look at the target, bring your eyes back down to the ball, and start the swing. You don’t want to stand over the ball for too long, as you will get tight and you might struggle to make a relaxed and comfortable swing as a result.
The key to this process is aligning the club head with your intermediate target before setting your feet. Most amateur players go about this process in the wrong order. They set their feet first, effectively establishing their aim right from the start, and then they set the club head behind the ball. By setting the club head first, you make sure that you’re actually aiming at the target properly, and then you build your stance around that proper aim. This might seem like a subtle difference in procedure, but it can mean big improvements when you are out on the course.
It cannot be emphasized enough that you are going to have to practice this routine on the driving range if you hope to aim accurately on the course. Aim is just like anything else in golf – it is a skill which needs to be refined. If you fail to practice your aim, there is no way you will ever develop your game in this area. Rather than just hitting shots as fast as possible on the range, take your time and aim each one intentionally. This is going to take more time than just hitting shots rapid-fire, but the impact on your game will be far more meaningful.
