How to properly use alignment sticks when practicing

It might go without saying, but practice is vastly important if you want to improve at golf. Sure, playing real rounds is beneficial, but you need a healthy dose of practice on top of that to really show marked improvement. But how you practice is just as (and maybe more) important than what you practice. If you are practicing the wrong way, you will only encourage bad habits.

One popular practice aid is alignment sticks. They can be used in a handful of ways, but one of the most common is laying them on the ground to show your alignment. While that can be helpful, it’s important you do it properly in order to get the most benefit out of your practice session. In a recent Tweet, GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jonathan Yarwood showed what that looks like.

“Establishing the target line is really important for your alignment sticks,” he says. “Most people don’t establish a target line.”

To establish a target line, you need to put down an alignment stick behind the ball toward your intended target. Then line up another alignment stick parallel to the first one close to your feet. This will ensure that your feet are lined up with where you want to aim.

Now all you need to do is take away the alignment stick behind the ball and swing away.