Target Determines Alignment, Trajectory and Shot Shape - Golf Tip (Video) - by Pete Styles
Target Determines Alignment, Trajectory and Shot Shape - Golf Tip (Video) - by Pete Styles

So I am sure you will be aware by now that golf is a target related game. We have always got something to aim for, be it the fairway, be it the middle of the green or be it the flag. And it’s always important that we focus on that target and we actually made that target quite a narrow target in our mind’s eye. Sometimes we tee the ball up on the fairway, we look down there and there is trees here and there is bunker here and there is a massive space in the middle. And because it’s such a big space, you forget to focus on any particular part of it. You then step up over the ball and your brain hasn’t got a clear picture of where the ball should be going. And often it will get drawn towards the hazards on either side of the fairway, because they are a bit more obvious. Now what you really need to do is make sure you have got a very clear target in your mind.

And it isn’t always the flag, it could be a dogleg hole, where the flag is to one side and I am actually playing out and then back into the dogleg. It’s very important when I stand back behind my ball, I look down my target and I pick out one very particularly spot. It might be a tree in the background or it might be even a stripe on the fairway. And I am very focused on hitting exactly at that target, so when I set up over the golf ball, my brain and my body has a very clear picture of exactly where I want to hit the ball. I can then commit to a 100% hitting at that target, I am not necessarily saying, I will hit the stripe every time, but I should hit either side quite close to it. I then turn and reassess my flag, do I aim for the flag, do I aim for the middle of the green. I look at my sort of risk and reward strategy and then when I have decided on my target, again I am very specific. If I am aiming for the middle of the green, I pick a point on the middle on the green that I am going to hit towards. And I have got to be careful now, hitting into a green, I don’t get to the top of my swing and then remember where the flag is and then try and steer it towards the flag or away from the hazard. Once you’ve picked your target, commit 100% at it. You might consider where the wind is coming from, what the slopes are doing and how they would affect the ball, also where the hazards are. But all that happens in my pre-shot routine, all that happened, stood behind the ball, I have worked out exactly what my very small target is. And then from here on into my pre-shot routine, I am just focused on the target. I lose sight of where the flag might be, I aim for my very specific target, I hit a 100% commitment at that target. And you will find that your scores will come down by doing that, so be a bit more target focused and that will help improve your numbers. 2013-09-16

So I am sure you will be aware by now that golf is a target related game. We have always got something to aim for, be it the fairway, be it the middle of the green or be it the flag. And it’s always important that we focus on that target and we actually made that target quite a narrow target in our mind’s eye. Sometimes we tee the ball up on the fairway, we look down there and there is trees here and there is bunker here and there is a massive space in the middle. And because it’s such a big space, you forget to focus on any particular part of it. You then step up over the ball and your brain hasn’t got a clear picture of where the ball should be going. And often it will get drawn towards the hazards on either side of the fairway, because they are a bit more obvious. Now what you really need to do is make sure you have got a very clear target in your mind.

And it isn’t always the flag, it could be a dogleg hole, where the flag is to one side and I am actually playing out and then back into the dogleg. It’s very important when I stand back behind my ball, I look down my target and I pick out one very particularly spot. It might be a tree in the background or it might be even a stripe on the fairway. And I am very focused on hitting exactly at that target, so when I set up over the golf ball, my brain and my body has a very clear picture of exactly where I want to hit the ball. I can then commit to a 100% hitting at that target, I am not necessarily saying, I will hit the stripe every time, but I should hit either side quite close to it. I then turn and reassess my flag, do I aim for the flag, do I aim for the middle of the green. I look at my sort of risk and reward strategy and then when I have decided on my target, again I am very specific. If I am aiming for the middle of the green, I pick a point on the middle on the green that I am going to hit towards.

And I have got to be careful now, hitting into a green, I don’t get to the top of my swing and then remember where the flag is and then try and steer it towards the flag or away from the hazard. Once you’ve picked your target, commit 100% at it. You might consider where the wind is coming from, what the slopes are doing and how they would affect the ball, also where the hazards are. But all that happens in my pre-shot routine, all that happened, stood behind the ball, I have worked out exactly what my very small target is. And then from here on into my pre-shot routine, I am just focused on the target. I lose sight of where the flag might be, I aim for my very specific target, I hit a 100% commitment at that target. And you will find that your scores will come down by doing that, so be a bit more target focused and that will help improve your numbers.