Chris I really think you’re one of the best instructors out there. You do an incredible job explaining on each of your videos. The detail you get into regarding the clubs such as the face design of a club and it’s impact is a tremendous help. Thank you for putting these out there.
Great lesson Chris. My big mistake was coming in from the side wich a friend pointed out. I now have a better setup wich has improved my alignment and striking. Love your channel 👍👏👏
The best explanation and setup routine for shot alignment that I have ever seen ... I will review this video many times. Thank you. PS You're a great teacher.
I have no idea how people aim without an intermediate target but they do. Think this is possibly the best video you’ve done as EVERY golfer struggles with alignment. You see the PGA TOUR PROS checking there’s during warm ups and if it’s good enough for them it definitely is for me 😂
cheers for the video! I am a casual golfer and have been for 10 plus years, but I want to play a bit more now and drop handicap significantly (currently 26). Would you recommend going for lessons to improve alignment and setup as a start, to improve mechanics/basics before looking at other aspects? thanks.
Thank you Chris. This was a game changer for me. Was slightly pulling everything incl putts. Feet we're aligned but didn't realise hips and then shoulders were open. Huge improvement last night. Thank you.
Great Video Chris, I ran into this exact issue on a 185 yard par 3, I used my 6 iron and hit it pure and had the correct distance flag height but off the green to the left. So clearly my alignment wasn’t correct or I would have been putting for birdie but I had a chip and run to at least have a chance at par
Spot on. All of these points are what I quickly note on my set up, making my alignment a strong part if my game despite being a mid-handicap, occasional golfer. The other big benefit is I can better evaluate my swing on course and correct minor swing flaws accordingly. I see a lot of golfers trying to adjust swing technique when they should have been addressing alignment errors. That's deadly! Thanjs for the content.
Great help to me a 17 handicapper trying to go lower, I do the little shuffle. I putting your left arm in at address or does it close off alignment. Thank you so much Chris your explanation is so good I try all your things got down to 15 at one stage. Your advice so helpful
Great lesson with lots of great advice I will try to include going forward. I often feel a little cheated when I get up to the green to find my ball is pin high but quite a distance left or right, as if only I aligned myself better I would be much closer. So deserves a lot more focus than it typically gets.
Hi Chris, many thanks for this video. I'm a relatively new golfer and your teaching is so clear and precise. I'm going to put this into action tomo and see how it goes. Happy to support your channel 👍
Great instruction again, the shoulder alignment used to be my main problem. Now, thanks to your lessons, I align myself much better and consequently strike the ball towards the target. Thanks for another great lesson. Cheers.
Thank you so much for this video!! I always enjoy the tips you provide and my alignment is something that I do need to work on. I found myself guilty of making mistakes on 2 or 3 of the suggestions you offered, now I understand how to correct it and will work on improving things. Keep up the great work!!
Chris, Ive been aligning closed for 20 plus years and I mean like 30-40 yards closed. Now that I am trying to get it more square to the intended target I am hitting massive pulls. Is this because my body has developed a pull swing to compensate for a closed stance?
Nr. 5 is me to 100% :D. So often I move to the ball and have a bad feeling which I couldn't describe so far. I know there was a mismatch. The golf shots were horrible like my feeling said. Now I know what to do. Thank you Chris!
Hi Chris....I hit my driver about 180 to 200 yards...but one bad thing it's all arm distance...I can NOT GET HIP ROTATION TO SAVE MY LIFE...PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME...THANKS CINDY
Thanks mate, I'm 64 just started playing golf, have played A-grade cricket for years, and played sport most of my life, but for the life of me I could never figure out why I couldn't align my golf swing. Tomorrow I'm going to put all these tips into the practice and let's see what happens...it was seriously doing my head in. Thank you
I implemented the "open to the ball" walk-in technique in a tournament today after watching last night. Made a huge difference in alignment and setup. Will continue to integrate this action.
Chris like your humor at the start of this video. I already followed most of your tips but always learn something from each of your video’s. I am sharing this video with my wife to reinforce what I have been sharing with her on alignment. All the best.
Good video Chris BUT …. You left out the most important part about aim, which I believe accounts for why so many golfers aim incorrectly and unwittingly compensate with an out to in swing path (OTT). Simply calibrating what visual straight looks like … I suspect even great golfers don’t realise what visual straight is as it’s something they do automatically - it’s something they ‘just do’ without conscious thought, but it’s a light bulb moment when I explain it to people. Anyone that’s fired a rifle competitively will know what zeroing is.- it’s the same in golf. In my opinion the railway track visual referred to in countless instructional lessons, videos and books is correct if the track is no more than 8’ long - anything more than that is a recipe for an optical illusion and incorrect aim. I could explain it here, but it’s your Chanel and I don’t want to steal your thunder and opportunity to deliver a truly eye opening lesson on alignment. Ps it was lessons and videos using the train tracks analogy which screwed up what I did naturally - I ‘persevered with that for years and ingrained the OTT compensation - I’ve rediscovered what I ‘saw’ as a youngster and am now working at eradicating the bad muscle memory. A lengthy comment but hopefully some readers may understand what I’m alluding to.- any that don’t really are missing low hanging fruit. Have a great time playing the greatest game!
Hi Chris. I just found this film clip and it makes sense what you say and describe. My problem is that I sometimes draw the ball. Sometimes is the problem. I feel I have to aim right, and sometimes the ball draws in beautifully. But sometimes it doesn’t draw and I’m left way right of the green or where I’m aiming. I’d much rather hit the ball straight and be more consistent. I think I need a lesson, guessing I’m using my hands too much? I’m a 10 handicap. Sometimes when I line up straight I gradually crab my feet closed again, it just doesn’t feel right. My golf mates are amazed at how closed I stand at address. Do you have any suggestions?
Played club championship last weekend.Was having a good round until the 14th 3rd shot with hybrid went OB 3 times! Took 15 on it and ruined my round..Shame never saw this last week lol
Coach, I just started golfing last year. I have figured out my irons and my hybrid but I hit it off the heel of my driver 9/10 times. Pleeeaaassseee help. My PR is 95 and want to break kid 80s by end of year. I need help off the tee box in a bad way
Wrong alignment(to closed), is the problem on my bad shots. Sometimes i know it, and hit it yet🙈 It's so crazy. Must look more for this. The neer point in front of the ball on the targetline, is a good reference. Will be work on it.👌
Chris The tip on driving, where you place the club behind the ball near the back foot causes me to sky the ball and off the toe, with everything else the same. Any suggestions ? Great videos.
My initial setup Is the exact same.Go behind the ball, find a aimspot, align the club then position my feet.Some tees/shots for some reason throws me of a bit tho. Hate when I hit a bad shot when it doesnt feel right, and I dont take the time to just reset. Instead I try to force the shot.Stepping back and reset is the big key for me. Hitting the ball straight consistantly is another story tho. Think alot of that can be helped by taking a little more time making sure I feel confident over the ball. Great vid as usual Chris. Hopefully I can use it to break some bad habits.
I either top or chunk the shot at least 25% of my shots. I have tried to listen to numerous videos (not just yours) and it only left me with even more swing thoughts. I've only played a few years but I'm getting to the point of giving up.
So useful. Thanks. I am always told that I am aiming right of the target and I was searching a way to detect it and change it. I have a question related to the practice swing. How / when are you doing it? Before standing behind the golf ball to define an intermediate target point or later on?
Thanks for watching, yes I select the shot and target that I want, then go into my practice swings and once they are done I stand directly behind my ball and select my intermediate target and go from there
@@ChrisRyanGolf Thanks Chris. Crystal clear. I have just discovered your channel a week ago, a few videos after I feel like I am starting to understand better what to do and more importantly why to do it. It is so easy to forget what to do when you don’t understand why.
Thanks for the great lesson Chris. I truly appreciate your ability to coach. I will take these lessons and apply them on the range / course. Keep up the great material. Your impact is making a difference on many players. I will definitely share your material. Cheers!
Chris, I like the video but it does not address the alignment with player is on a up/down hill or side hill. Do you have video to cover the alignment on uneven ground? Thanks.
Glad I watched this video Chris, you touched on a problem I've ha for years with point 5 when adjust my footing and I could never get my ball position correct. Could you go into a little more detail/do a vid on the ways you're ball position could be adjusted i.e. width of stance, lie, alignment etc.
You statement regarding the golf club along your toe line ‘the golf club is aligned at the flag’ is totally wrong. The line from the centre of the club is aligned at the flag and based on the railway tracks philosophy, your toe line should be parallel to the club face line, hence slightly left of the target, in this case, the flag. The result of your alignment is that you have a closed stance.
You confirmed a lot of a recent lesson content which is great. I think you kind of undid the first five points by doing the last alignment check without making sure that the check is generated by just a head turn without a look over the shoulder.
I think that for amateur's if you tell them to approach the ball with the shoulders more open this can cause them to go over the top because their shoulders will be too open at address thus causing them to swing over the top more. Just my opinion though? love to hear your thoughts.
Superb video. Looks like I need to have a set up routine instead of just walking up and hitting the ball. The last point re shuffling around to correct alignment is exactly what I do. New routine for me from now on.👍😃
That makes alit of sense now. Bc I look at other golfers toe line when I play with then and a few guys I know are aiming way right with their feet but hit it straight
I've gained more confidence in my game because I have one less thing to think about. The outcome for me is hitting greens with greater consistency. Thanks Chris!
Great lesson. I know I make some of these mistakes in my alignment. Sometimes the need to maintain pace of play causes these problems. Maybe a lesson on maintaining pace of play would be useful.
Yeah I agree Charles, I think we often get over the ball and not feel comfortable but go ahead anyway so as not too take too long, finding the balance I think is key
Chris: Excellent tips. One not mentioned I learned by emulating the swing of an amazing trick shot artist Harry Frankenburg (aka Count Yogi) is to take a practice swing with side bend and stop at the point the in the finish where the club momentum in the actual swing pulls the right arm straight and horizontal. At that point the club shaft should be angled outward from hands still very near the target line with toe up. The toe of the club quite literally becomes like the front side of a rifle pointing to were the ball lands. Try it by swinging to horizontal, looking over the toe, hitting a ball then seeing where it actually lands relative to were the “sight over the toe” indicated it would. With a bit of trial and error you will learn to adjust the pre-shot aiming practice swing to were the ball actually lands. Once you know that you can approach the ball from the side, do the aiming swing, adjusting both feet like aiming the turret of a tank until the toe points to where you want the ball to land. The caveat is you need to have good swing mechanics with proper side bend for it to work. Something few amateurs consider when aligning face at address is the fact the face angle changes in the time between striking the ball, compressing it, then releasing it. Compression and release dwell time and angle vary but the ball will always release off the face to the left of where the face is pointing at impact which is why the those who know about that cause and effect anticipate it by addressing the ball behind with and open face and aim inside of center > + on the ball with the face.
A huge contributor to confusion over how to align I see it beginners is CONCEPTUAL. They think to hit a straight shot you must bring the club head as straight as possible like landing a plane on a runway and smack the back of the ball “dead” center on ball relative to target line + Those beginners also have no clue about side bend and why that is so critical for good ball striking. When I show them how to side bend their path always becomes shallower and more correctly inside-square due to maintaining bend in the right arm keeping hands from being pulled out by club force. I let them address the ball as they had, aiming to strike the back of ball dead center + with square to target face and their shots always start to hook to the left, especially if coming up early to see where ball goes. That’s when I introduce them to the concept of needing to have face open a bit as it strikes the ball, and needing to aim inside of center >+ because with the side bend and more inside path the face closes more turning the time it takes to compress and rebound, enough to put hook spin in the ball. When starting to hook the logical thing would appear to be open just open the face but that will start putting slice spin on the ball unless the aim point where the opened face picks up the ball is moved more inside. This baffles most beginners until I created a curved “entrance ramp” at an angle to the target line and show them in slow motion how a swing with ideal side bend brings the club head into the ball from the inside like that with wrist action twisting the face from open to closed at the same time. I turn the alignment line on the range ball from straight at the target | to the same angle as the “gate” created with the tees / and show them holding ball on face how the face carries it and releases it. I have them make actual swings through that angled gate of tees until their conscious brain accepts the new concepts of: 1) side bend, 2) aim inside of center of ball, 3) strike ball with face open to target anticipating dwell time / angle and release of ball further to left that where face was aiming when struck.
Do you recommend gripping the club before walking into the shot or lining the club face up to the intermediate target with one arm, taking stance, and then gripping the club?
Thanks Chris, great video. I use most of these, but will be trying them all tomorrow, especially the head rotation. I think I might be guilty. Keep them coming.
@@ChrisRyanGolf Chris, thought I’d follow up from yesterday. Played in a scramble today with folks from my community and I know I was guilty of lifting my head to check alignment. Used the rotation method today and had great success. Thanks for the tip. Enjoy watching your instructional videos.
Thanks for the lesson Chris. I can see myself in your don'ts and this is the first time I've really considered the steps to proper alignment. Keep up the great video's.
Chris, I just watched this and these are amazing tips! Thanks! I was wondering if you'd do a video on tempo. I know everyone's tempo in their swing is different but is there a way to coach it? Thanks again!
Great tips Chris, especially the one about head tilt. Alignment (especially with a driver) has always been an issue for me but I've just tried this down the range and it worked like magic - so obvious now you've explained it...... fingers crossed on the course tomorrow!
Thanks Chris! Do you feel like you consciously cock your wrists in the backswing? As in pulling up with your right index finger or wrist, and pushing down slightly with the last two fingers on your left hand or wrist? This has always bothered me. Some day don't think about it. Some day ye they intentionally chick their wrists. I've struggled with cupping my left wrist at the top of my backswing forever! I've managed to become a scratch golfer in spite of it, but my consistency is not as good as I'd like. Thanks for all your great lessons! Greg
Generally I do not comment on any instructional video, however i stumbled across this video after a few years of inconsistent golf shots and it has CHANGED my game! I was the shuffle footer with perfect alignment but not understanding why I had no control over my ball. This video has been a GAME CHANGER
Sorry for the error in my last comment. I meant to say aligning your body to the flag would actually be closed from your alignment to the ball-intermediate target line.
Hey Allan, yes you are correct that the feet should be parallel left of the flag, I just personally get my students to align their feet at the target. Technically the feet should be 2ft left of the flag, I’ve just never come across anyone who is that good that they can be accurate to within a few feet, but that’s just my opinion and you are correct in what you say
No wonder! I’ve been a front foot (both feet!) shuffler and I’ve noticed the ball being in the wrong place but I just couldn’t understand why. I will step away from now on. Too many times I say I shouldn’t have moved my feet after bad shots! Step away from the ball and start again… is my new mantra!
Have watched this a few times now and using on the course with every shot already. Especially with driver confidence and aim improved dramatically. Now if I hit a bomb to the right I know it wasn’t my aim which is helping me identify some other issues. Off a hitting mat or range it’s easy to align but T boxes and chip shots are not always square to your position this helps a ton. Just in case your looking for video ideas! One of my biggest issues now is over powering my swing from the top and relaxing enough muscle to allow the hands to naturally drop back instead of staying on the original plane or worse over the top. About 50% of my shots are great with straight aim but when I get to much muscle involved everything falls apart and my timing is off. Over powering also screws up my lag angle and causes a casting affect that reduces probability of a solid impact.
Chris, should my feet be aligned AT the target or just slightly left? I feel like when I do align my feet at the target and I'm square to that, that I feel like I'm aiming slightly right (even though I've confirmed with a aiming stick I'm not) so I end up coming over the top to keep it from going right. When I thought about it, if my club is aimed right at my target, my feet would be slightly left (as a righty) correct? If feet and club point at the same point in the distance, then either clubhead is closed a bit or feet are open or both - right? Ideally, feet and clubhead would aim straight down at target but be parallel to each other, not crossing.
Think of it like mechanical offset between gun barrel and sight. You’re aligning the club to your target during your set up and the line formed by your body’s points should be left of target by your body to ball offset distance. If you point your feet directly at target instead of club, I suspect that you will involuntarily drag the club inside the line toward the target leading to fade or slice conditions.
@@josepharnold1345 that's where I was going with it. I was pretty certain that feet would be left but that's because club is at your target. I was pretty good in HS but now I'm 20 years removed from that, so I'm trying to rebuild and starting with fundamentals. My miss is coming over the top to compensate for feeling like I'm aiming too far right with my old setup. Went out last week and worked on this new alignment all day. Shot 46 first 9 but followed it up with a 37. The magic is still there. Also my dad has some alignment issues and I wanted to work on this with him.
I've been checking out alignment videos and, by far, your instructions are the clearest and most comprehensive I've seen. I took lessons, and all the instructor told me was to use a stick, check my feet occasionally with my club, and line the club face up to the target. He had basically nothing to offer when I asked how I was supposed to check my alignment during an actual round when I can't really use a stick or check my feet. I can't wait to start finding that intermediate target to create a shorter target line to align my feet and shoulders with. Bravo!
I have struggled with alignment for years in my golf game (aiming too far to the right). Chris this video seems to be the clearest explanation of why that happens and how to correct it. I can't wait to take these suggestions to the course.
Such simple little tips that you see pro's doing day in and day out but without this explanation and breakdown you don't really understand the purpose of each move. I will admit that now you have mentioned all these faults I am probably guilty of all of them. Going to get myself down to the range this afternoon and really have a good think about it all and not just hit some balls but really get this whole process dialled in. Thank you
Chris I really think you’re one of the best instructors out there. You do an incredible job explaining on each of your videos. The detail you get into regarding the clubs such as the face design of a club and it’s impact is a tremendous help. Thank you for putting these out there.
Great lesson Chris. My big mistake was coming in from the side wich a friend pointed out. I now have a better setup wich has improved my alignment and striking. Love your channel 👍👏👏
Thanks Dave and glad you enjoy the channel
The best explanation and setup routine for shot alignment that I have ever seen ... I will review this video many times. Thank you.
PS You're a great teacher.
Thanks Bill really appreciate that
I have no idea how people aim without an intermediate target but they do. Think this is possibly the best video you’ve done as EVERY golfer struggles with alignment. You see the PGA TOUR PROS checking there’s during warm ups and if it’s good enough for them it definitely is for me 😂
Thanks Rob, and I agree, that intermediate target is key
Brilliant explanation as ever Chris. I think I simply forget to check properly during a round, particularly when I get tired.
cheers for the video! I am a casual golfer and have been for 10 plus years, but I want to play a bit more now and drop handicap significantly (currently 26). Would you recommend going for lessons to improve alignment and setup as a start, to improve mechanics/basics before looking at other aspects? thanks.
Thanks Chris, back to basics. No bad thing, bad habits are easy to get into
The best video about alignment I have ever seen! Really helpful. Thank you Chris.
Thanks Marcel appreciate it
Thank you Chris. This was a game changer for me. Was slightly pulling everything incl putts. Feet we're aligned but didn't realise hips and then shoulders were open. Huge improvement last night. Thank you.
Great to hear Dan, glad this could help
Dude I love your videos. They make so much sense. Best instructor on UA-cam imo
Hello Chris!
Very good instruktion very easy to understund😊
Great instruction, but can you please explain what to do with the club to align it to the target?
Great Video Chris, I ran into this exact issue on a 185 yard par 3, I used my 6 iron and hit it pure and had the correct distance flag height but off the green to the left. So clearly my alignment wasn’t correct or I would have been putting for birdie but I had a chip and run to at least have a chance at par
Great tips, I approach the ball from the side and my alignment is way off a lot of times. Gonna try tip number 1 and walk to the ball from behind it
Spot on. All of these points are what I quickly note on my set up, making my alignment a strong part if my game despite being a mid-handicap, occasional golfer.
The other big benefit is I can better evaluate my swing on course and correct minor swing flaws accordingly. I see a lot of golfers trying to adjust swing technique when they should have been addressing alignment errors. That's deadly! Thanjs for the content.
I use the “intermediate target” tip for putting and it helps
Yeah can help for all types of shots, I’d be lost without it
Great help to me a 17 handicapper trying to go lower, I do the little shuffle. I putting your left arm in at address or does it close off alignment. Thank you so much Chris your explanation is so good I try all your things got down to 15 at one stage. Your advice so helpful
Great lesson with lots of great advice I will try to include going forward. I often feel a little cheated when I get up to the green to find my ball is pin high but quite a distance left or right, as if only I aligned myself better I would be much closer. So deserves a lot more focus than it typically gets.
Hi Chris, many thanks for this video. I'm a relatively new golfer and your teaching is so clear and precise. I'm going to put this into action tomo and see how it goes. Happy to support your channel 👍
Great instruction again, the shoulder alignment used to be my main problem. Now, thanks to your lessons, I align myself much better and consequently strike the ball towards the target. Thanks for another great lesson. Cheers.
Thank you so much for this video!! I always enjoy the tips you provide and my alignment is something that I do need to work on. I found myself guilty of making mistakes on 2 or 3 of the suggestions you offered, now I understand how to correct it and will work on improving things. Keep up the great work!!
Love it! Thanks and glad the vidoe helped , can take a little practice but does really help
Great lesson. I walk in from behind, but I’ve been walking in closed.
Chris, Ive been aligning closed for 20 plus years and I mean like 30-40 yards closed. Now that I am trying to get it more square to the intended target I am hitting massive pulls. Is this because my body has developed a pull swing to compensate for a closed stance?
Nr. 5 is me to 100% :D. So often I move to the ball and have a bad feeling which I couldn't describe so far. I know there was a mismatch. The golf shots were horrible like my feeling said. Now I know what to do. Thank you Chris!
Thanks Chris, the best video I've seen about alignment. Very useful, can't wait to try it.
Hi Chris....I hit my driver about 180 to 200 yards...but one bad thing it's all arm distance...I can NOT GET HIP ROTATION TO SAVE MY LIFE...PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME...THANKS CINDY
Thanks mate, I'm 64 just started playing golf, have played A-grade cricket for years, and played sport most of my life, but for the life of me I could never figure out why I couldn't align my golf swing. Tomorrow I'm going to put all these tips into the practice and let's see what happens...it was seriously doing my head in. Thank you
Great video. The head turn at address to check your aim is crucial and an excellent tip.
Unreal Chris, thank you so much. There is not a single video you have put up that doesn’t reveal a gem 👍
Thanks Eric really appreciate that
Great job Chris. I really connect with your instruction
Thanks Chris, really struggle with my aim... always get told after the shot goes OOB... " that's where you were aiming ". Great video
Thanks Joe
I implemented the "open to the ball" walk-in technique in a tournament today after watching last night. Made a huge difference in alignment and setup. Will continue to integrate this action.
Fantastic!! Really glad it could help
Chris like your humor at the start of this video. I already followed most of your tips but always learn something from each of your video’s. I am sharing this video with my wife to reinforce what I have been sharing with her on alignment. All the best.
Good video Chris BUT …. You left out the most important part about aim, which I believe accounts for why so many golfers aim incorrectly and unwittingly compensate with an out to in swing path (OTT).
Simply calibrating what visual straight looks like … I suspect even great golfers don’t realise what visual straight is as it’s something they do automatically - it’s something they ‘just do’ without conscious thought, but it’s a light bulb moment when I explain it to people. Anyone that’s fired a rifle competitively will know what zeroing is.- it’s the same in golf. In my opinion the railway track visual referred to in countless instructional lessons, videos and books is correct if the track is no more than 8’ long - anything more than that is a recipe for an optical illusion and incorrect aim. I could explain it here, but it’s your Chanel and I don’t want to steal your thunder and opportunity to deliver a truly eye opening lesson on alignment.
Ps it was lessons and videos using the train tracks analogy which screwed up what I did naturally - I ‘persevered with that for years and ingrained the OTT compensation - I’ve rediscovered what I ‘saw’ as a youngster and am now working at eradicating the bad muscle memory.
A lengthy comment but hopefully some readers may understand what I’m alluding to.- any that don’t really are missing low hanging fruit.
Have a great time playing the greatest game!
Hi Chris. I just found this film clip and it makes sense what you say and describe. My problem is that I sometimes draw the ball. Sometimes is the problem. I feel I have to aim right, and sometimes the ball draws in beautifully. But sometimes it doesn’t draw and I’m left way right of the green or where I’m aiming. I’d much rather hit the ball straight and be more consistent. I think I need a lesson, guessing I’m using my hands too much? I’m a 10 handicap. Sometimes when I line up straight I gradually crab my feet closed again, it just doesn’t feel right. My golf mates are amazed at how closed I stand at address. Do you have any suggestions?
Played club championship last weekend.Was having a good round until the 14th 3rd shot with hybrid went OB 3 times! Took 15 on it and ruined my round..Shame never saw this last week lol
Coach, I just started golfing last year. I have figured out my irons and my hybrid but I hit it off the heel of my driver 9/10 times. Pleeeaaassseee help. My PR is 95 and want to break kid 80s by end of year. I need help off the tee box in a bad way
Great video! After watching this hopefully my alignment will improve !
Love the intermediate target. Sounds brilliant idea.
Wrong alignment(to closed), is the problem on my bad shots. Sometimes i know it, and hit it yet🙈 It's so crazy. Must look more for this. The neer point in front of the ball on the targetline, is a good reference. Will be work on it.👌
Chris
The tip on driving, where you place the club behind the ball near the back foot causes me to sky the ball and off the toe, with everything else the same. Any suggestions ?
Great videos.
My initial setup Is the exact same.Go behind the ball, find a aimspot, align the club then position my feet.Some tees/shots for some reason throws me of a bit tho. Hate when I hit a bad shot when it doesnt feel right, and I dont take the time to just reset. Instead I try to force the shot.Stepping back and reset is the big key for me. Hitting the ball straight consistantly is another story tho. Think alot of that can be helped by taking a little more time making sure I feel confident over the ball. Great vid as usual Chris. Hopefully I can use it to break some bad habits.
I either top or chunk the shot at least 25% of my shots. I have tried to listen to numerous videos (not just yours) and it only left me with even more swing thoughts. I've only played a few years but I'm getting to the point of giving up.
So useful. Thanks. I am always told that I am aiming right of the target and I was searching a way to detect it and change it. I have a question related to the practice swing. How / when are you doing it? Before standing behind the golf ball to define an intermediate target point or later on?
Thanks for watching, yes I select the shot and target that I want, then go into my practice swings and once they are done I stand directly behind my ball and select my intermediate target and go from there
@@ChrisRyanGolf Thanks Chris. Crystal clear. I have just discovered your channel a week ago, a few videos after I feel like I am starting to understand better what to do and more importantly why to do it. It is so easy to forget what to do when you don’t understand why.
Thanks for the great lesson Chris. I truly appreciate your ability to coach. I will take these lessons and apply them on the range / course. Keep up the great material. Your impact is making a difference on many players. I will definitely share your material. Cheers!
Thanks Blair appreciate that
Great video Chris! I really enjoy your delivery and instruction. Loved the intro, great editing!!!
Great video. I am terrible at this. I'll hit a perfectly straight ball and my mates go, you were pointing that way...🙈🤣
Are you every in ireland for teaching would book lesson I am based in n.ireland but would travel just been watching you few week shot my course record
You're sh... 9:20
great video and great presentation. I am sure if I just follow the first two suggestions I will fair better at the golf course. thanks Chris!!!
I agree, get the first two correct and you should be pretty close to ideal
Chris, I like the video but it does not address the alignment with player is on a up/down hill or side hill. Do you have video to cover the alignment on uneven ground? Thanks.
Glad I watched this video Chris, you touched on a problem I've ha for years with point 5 when adjust my footing and I could never get my ball position correct. Could you go into a little more detail/do a vid on the ways you're ball position could be adjusted i.e. width of stance, lie, alignment etc.
Thanks Phil and will look to shoot something along those lines s
You statement regarding the golf club along your toe line ‘the golf club is aligned at the flag’ is totally wrong. The line from the centre of the club is aligned at the flag and based on the railway tracks philosophy, your toe line should be parallel to the club face line, hence slightly left of the target, in this case, the flag. The result of your alignment is that you have a closed stance.
You confirmed a lot of a recent lesson content which is great. I think you kind of undid the first five points by doing the last alignment check without making sure that the check is generated by just a head turn without a look over the shoulder.
Excellent video on a critically important topic. Well done, Chris.
Thanks Ewing
Mismatched alignment is my number one fault. Thanks for the help.
Trying to work on my alignment. Not easy!! This video is a big help. Thanks.
I think that for amateur's if you tell them to approach the ball with the shoulders more open this can cause them to go over the top because their shoulders will be too open at address thus causing them to swing over the top more. Just my opinion though? love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you very much for these 5 tips. They were very very helpful in making me better golfer.
Superb video. Looks like I need to have a set up routine instead of just walking up and hitting the ball. The last point re shuffling around to correct alignment is exactly what I do. New routine for me from now on.👍😃
Love it! Doesn’t have to take an age, but a good routine really helps
Well just had our Senior monthly medal, and shot a nett 67. What a difference the alignment tips have made, and that was the first time I'd
Tried the various routines .Thanks Chris.👍😃😃
Did I miss something, but I didn't even see that last shot land and I specifically looked for it a good few times
Good tips, definitely some ideas I need to put into practice. Thanks!
Lining up, no one can hit a straight line in a golf shot . Should we not align ourselves thinking that how the golf ball moves . draw or fade . .
Thank you so much! I thought I was going crazy not understanding what I was doing wrong
great fix for my #5 set up fault, thank you!
That makes alit of sense now. Bc I look at other golfers toe line when I play with then and a few guys I know are aiming way right with their feet but hit it straight
I've gained more confidence in my game because I have one less thing to think about. The outcome for me is hitting greens with greater consistency. Thanks Chris!
I try intermediate target for the first time I played golf, but I did improvement when I aim my ball to the pin
Damn if you ever come to Australia can I play a round with ya?!!
Great lesson. I know I make some of these mistakes in my alignment. Sometimes the need to maintain pace of play causes these problems. Maybe a lesson on maintaining pace of play would be useful.
Yeah I agree Charles, I think we often get over the ball and not feel comfortable but go ahead anyway so as not too take too long, finding the balance I think is key
Chris: Excellent tips. One not mentioned I learned by emulating the swing of an amazing trick shot artist Harry Frankenburg (aka Count Yogi) is to take a practice swing with side bend and stop at the point the in the finish where the club momentum in the actual swing pulls the right arm straight and horizontal. At that point the club shaft should be angled outward from hands still very near the target line with toe up. The toe of the club quite literally becomes like the front side of a rifle pointing to were the ball lands.
Try it by swinging to horizontal, looking over the toe, hitting a ball then seeing where it actually lands relative to were the “sight over the toe” indicated it would. With a bit of trial and error you will learn to adjust the pre-shot aiming practice swing to were the ball actually lands. Once you know that you can approach the ball from the side, do the aiming swing, adjusting both feet like aiming the turret of a tank until the toe points to where you want the ball to land. The caveat is you need to have good swing mechanics with proper side bend for it to work.
Something few amateurs consider when aligning face at address is the fact the face angle changes in the time between striking the ball, compressing it, then releasing it. Compression and release dwell time and angle vary but the ball will always release off the face to the left of where the face is pointing at impact which is why the those who know about that cause and effect anticipate it by addressing the ball behind with and open face and aim inside of center > + on the ball with the face.
A huge contributor to confusion over how to align I see it beginners is CONCEPTUAL. They think to hit a straight shot you must bring the club head as straight as possible like landing a plane on a runway and smack the back of the ball “dead” center on ball relative to target line + Those beginners also have no clue about side bend and why that is so critical for good ball striking.
When I show them how to side bend their path always becomes shallower and more correctly inside-square due to maintaining bend in the right arm keeping hands from being pulled out by club force. I let them address the ball as they had, aiming to strike the back of ball dead center + with square to target face and their shots always start to hook to the left, especially if coming up early to see where ball goes. That’s when I introduce them to the concept of needing to have face open a bit as it strikes the ball, and needing to aim inside of center >+ because with the side bend and more inside path the face closes more turning the time it takes to compress and rebound, enough to put hook spin in the ball.
When starting to hook the logical thing would appear to be open just open the face but that will start putting slice spin on the ball unless the aim point where the opened face picks up the ball is moved more inside. This baffles most beginners until I created a curved “entrance ramp” at an angle to the target line and show them in slow motion how a swing with ideal side bend brings the club head into the ball from the inside like that with wrist action twisting the face from open to closed at the same time. I turn the alignment line on the range ball from straight at the target | to the same angle as the “gate” created with the tees / and show them holding ball on face how the face carries it and releases it. I have them make actual swings through that angled gate of tees until their conscious brain accepts the new concepts of: 1) side bend, 2) aim inside of center of ball, 3) strike ball with face open to target anticipating dwell time / angle and release of ball further to left that where face was aiming when struck.
Do you recommend gripping the club before walking into the shot or lining the club face up to the intermediate target with one arm, taking stance, and then gripping the club?
Just thinking the same question.
Thanks Chris, great video. I use most of these, but will be trying them all tomorrow, especially the head rotation. I think I might be guilty. Keep them coming.
The head rotation is so key Alan, definitely give that a go
@@ChrisRyanGolf Chris, thought I’d follow up from yesterday. Played in a scramble today with folks from my community and I know I was guilty of lifting my head to check alignment. Used the rotation method today and had great success. Thanks for the tip. Enjoy watching your instructional videos.
Nice video, one of my biggest issues is hitting a nice shot down the wrong line so will try this at the weekend
Chris - these are great instructions..Very useful..
Very good explanation. Thank you!
Hi I am very inconstant striking my irons i either hit fat or thin and what is the best way to correct this or is there a drill that can help me
Thanks for the lesson Chris. I can see myself in your don'ts and this is the first time I've really considered the steps to proper alignment. Keep up the great video's.
Thanks Geoff appreciate it and glad it helped
Great video, I really struggle with my alignment these are great tips.
Thanks Mike
Great video. 👍🏻 thanks for the help.
I hope it gets better because I can't get it right. It's such a frustration.
Chris, I just watched this and these are amazing tips! Thanks! I was wondering if you'd do a video on tempo. I know everyone's tempo in their swing is different but is there a way to coach it? Thanks again!
I have in the past…. But a long time again now, it’s actually on my list of videos to film
@@ChrisRyanGolf great! I'll be on the lookout for it! Thanks!
wow I had 5 out of 5 alignment mistakes...
Great video, 1 of your best.
However the important piece of info I need is, what is the music at the beginning? 😂
Thanks Dave….. and….erm…. I have no idea. Sorry I just randomly download some and throw them on 🤣
Great tips Chris, especially the one about head tilt. Alignment (especially with a driver) has always been an issue for me but I've just tried this down the range and it worked like magic - so obvious now you've explained it...... fingers crossed on the course tomorrow!
Can’t wait to see one on putting alingment as when set up it looks way left as a feel
Thanks Chris! Do you feel like you consciously cock your wrists in the backswing? As in pulling up with your right index finger or wrist, and pushing down slightly with the last two fingers on your left hand or wrist? This has always bothered me. Some day don't think about it. Some day ye they intentionally chick their wrists. I've struggled with cupping my left wrist at the top of my backswing forever! I've managed to become a scratch golfer in spite of it, but my consistency is not as good as I'd like. Thanks for all your great lessons! Greg
Generally I do not comment on any instructional video, however i stumbled across this video after a few years of inconsistent golf shots and it has CHANGED my game! I was the shuffle footer with perfect alignment but not understanding why I had no control over my ball. This video has been a GAME CHANGER
Sorry for the error in my last comment. I meant to say aligning your body to the flag would actually be closed from your alignment to the ball-intermediate target line.
Hey Allan, yes you are correct that the feet should be parallel left of the flag, I just personally get my students to align their feet at the target. Technically the feet should be 2ft left of the flag, I’ve just never come across anyone who is that good that they can be accurate to within a few feet, but that’s just my opinion and you are correct in what you say
No wonder! I’ve been a front foot (both feet!) shuffler and I’ve noticed the ball being in the wrong place but I just couldn’t understand why. I will step away from now on. Too many times I say I shouldn’t have moved my feet after bad shots! Step away from the ball and start again… is my new mantra!
Think I'm guilty of all of them... My friends can't understand how my alignment stance equals the shot I produce
You just need to put it down to your incredibly high level of skill and taken Kevin 😁
@@ChrisRyanGolf or luck I'm either amazing or totally awful I have no middle ground it's a par or 8
Have watched this a few times now and using on the course with every shot already. Especially with driver confidence and aim improved dramatically. Now if I hit a bomb to the right I know it wasn’t my aim which is helping me identify some other issues. Off a hitting mat or range it’s easy to align but T boxes and chip shots are not always square to your position this helps a ton.
Just in case your looking for video ideas! One of my biggest issues now is over powering my swing from the top and relaxing enough muscle to allow the hands to naturally drop back instead of staying on the original plane or worse over the top. About 50% of my shots are great with straight aim but when I get to much muscle involved everything falls apart and my timing is off. Over powering also screws up my lag angle and causes a casting affect that reduces probability of a solid impact.
Chris, should my feet be aligned AT the target or just slightly left? I feel like when I do align my feet at the target and I'm square to that, that I feel like I'm aiming slightly right (even though I've confirmed with a aiming stick I'm not) so I end up coming over the top to keep it from going right.
When I thought about it, if my club is aimed right at my target, my feet would be slightly left (as a righty) correct? If feet and club point at the same point in the distance, then either clubhead is closed a bit or feet are open or both - right? Ideally, feet and clubhead would aim straight down at target but be parallel to each other, not crossing.
Think of it like mechanical offset between gun barrel and sight. You’re aligning the club to your target during your set up and the line formed by your body’s points should be left of target by your body to ball offset distance. If you point your feet directly at target instead of club, I suspect that you will involuntarily drag the club inside the line toward the target leading to fade or slice conditions.
@@josepharnold1345 that's where I was going with it. I was pretty certain that feet would be left but that's because club is at your target.
I was pretty good in HS but now I'm 20 years removed from that, so I'm trying to rebuild and starting with fundamentals.
My miss is coming over the top to compensate for feeling like I'm aiming too far right with my old setup. Went out last week and worked on this new alignment all day. Shot 46 first 9 but followed it up with a 37. The magic is still there.
Also my dad has some alignment issues and I wanted to work on this with him.
I've been checking out alignment videos and, by far, your instructions are the clearest and most comprehensive I've seen. I took lessons, and all the instructor told me was to use a stick, check my feet occasionally with my club, and line the club face up to the target. He had basically nothing to offer when I asked how I was supposed to check my alignment during an actual round when I can't really use a stick or check my feet. I can't wait to start finding that intermediate target to create a shorter target line to align my feet and shoulders with. Bravo!
Will be trying this cheers guys,👍
I have struggled with alignment for years in my golf game (aiming too far to the right). Chris this video seems to be the clearest explanation of why that happens and how to correct it. I can't wait to take these suggestions to the course.
Such simple little tips that you see pro's doing day in and day out but without this explanation and breakdown you don't really understand the purpose of each move. I will admit that now you have mentioned all these faults I am probably guilty of all of them. Going to get myself down to the range this afternoon and really have a good think about it all and not just hit some balls but really get this whole process dialled in. Thank you
The shoulders tip changed my game. Just shot my record round
Awesome love it!
great advise thankyou .
Holy moses...I'm 5 out of 6. I'm going to apply this today. Thanks!