Article #18
Featured Teacher: Mr. Vaughn
To meet this week's teacher, or to purchase a copy of MUNIE ~ The Jitterbug Collection, go to www.bobbysteiner.com
Be honest with me and tell me how many times, just before you swing, you think, "I don't think I'm lined up quite right, but, oh well, I'll try to make it work."
Of course, you may view this as just a narrow disregard of pre-swing detail, but the shock wave of poor alignment extends far beyond the outcome of any one shot.
To understand how this can be, think of your golf swing as a rifle, and figure there are two parts to being a marksman.
First, you need a gun that shoots straight. This is why we learn golf fundamentals. We're simply trying to construct a swing that can be relied upon to hit the ball directionally consistent.
Second, once our gun shoots straight, we gotta know how to point it. Seems elementary, right?
But, here's the deal. Let's say you're not properly aligned, but somehow hit an accurate shot. All you did was make a bad swing, the equivalent of bending the barrel on your rifle. And, although it seemed to work, you're like the kid who got away with stealin' cookies-you gonna try it again. 'Cause now, somewhere in your mindset is the idea that you can aim a little right or left of the target, and still access the hole with a well-timed, mid-swing, redirection maneuver.
Friends, if you go to any PGA or LPGA tour stop, you'll see every player on the range using some sort of alignment aid to keep them on the straight and narrow. That's because proper alignment isn't something you learn, and therefore, have a permanent predisposition to be good at. Rather, alignment is a sense, a perception that has to be conditioned on a regular basis. And, every time you choose to "make it work" by trying to guide the ball away from where you're aligned, you undo some of what makes your gun shoot straight to begin with, as well as reverse your sense of perception for what square alignment looks and feels like.
Best I can tell, it's easier to simply get square, and stay that way.
Peace,
Mr. Vaughn