Golf alignment sticks are a great way to help practice your golf swing. Did you know that proper alignment when setting up to hit your golf ball can improve your game drastically? Practice drills with golf alignment sticks are an easy and inexpensive way to make you feel like a pro (or at least improve your score). Find out how to use golf alignment sticks to improve your golf game.
From swing path drills to putting drills, alignment sticks are so versatile and shouldn’t be forgotten about!
The alignment stick is one of the simplest and cheapest golf training aids that you can use. That’s why we recommend incorporating them into your regular practice sessions.
There are so many different ways that you can use alignment sticks to improve your golf game. Incorporate some of these drills and practice ideas into your regular session at the driving range and you’ll be shooting lower scores in no time.
We’re going to go through a few of these ideas on how to use a golf alignment stick to practice your swing.
Basic Alignment Stick Drill
Start with a basic alignment stick practice drill
Start by putting the golf alignment stick across your stance as you approach the golf ball. Line it up off the toes of your feet with a little bit of distance between making sure that you feet are parallel to the stick.
Make sure you are lined up towards your target the correct way and aimed in the correct direction. This helps practice towards a target instead of just aimlessly hitting the ball.
It’s super easy to go to the driving range and just hit the ball as far as you can. But by incorporating something simple like an alignment stick, you will really see the benefits of your time at the range.
Train Tracks Double Alignment Stick Drill
For more precision, add a second alignment stick
You can add another alignment stick just outside of the golf ball (this is called train tracks). This creates a target line down the ball and a line that’s going down your feet where your body is lined up.
Swing Path Drills
Improve your golf club path with an alignment stick
Golf alignment sticks can help improve your golf club path or swing path. You can make a strip with 2 alignment sticks where you’re going to try to hit the golf ball between those two alignment sticks.
Make the sticks more narrow to increase the difficulty and precision or move the sticks further away from each other if you’re just getting started.
This helps with your swing path and club path. That way if you’re over the top or inside out – you can work it one way or another to help that club path get on track towards your target.
Swing Plane Practice
Get your swing plane on point
Another way to use golf alignment sticks to practice your swing is to us them for your swing plane. You can put the alignment stick behind you or out in front of you on an angle of your desired swing plane.
If you put it behind you, that means you’re going to try to swing on top of it and not underneath the swing plane. If you put it out in front of you, you’re going to try to swing more left and rotate.
Target Line Practice
You can put an alignment stick out in front of you down your target line. This will help you to hit the ball a little more to the right or to the left. If you’re starting off to the right, you can put an alignment stick out there and it can help get you to rotate your body to swing a little further left. This will also help with the club path drill mentioned above.
Golf Takeaway Drills
The takeaway of the golf swing can also be practiced using alignment sticks. As a reminder, you can lay one or 2 alignment sticks behind you on the ground based on the path that you want to try taking the club back. This gives you a visual aid so that you’re not taking the club too far outside or too far inside.
Ball Striking Drills
You can use the alignment stick as a striking drill – basically lying the alignment stick directly behind the golf ball. This forces you to hit down on the golf ball and compress the ball through the ground.
That way, you’re not hitting too far behind the ball or picking it off the ground. This will give you a better solid strike and more distance.
Golf Ball Position Practice Drill
Incorporate a golf tee and practice ball position
Use the tee with two alignment sticks – lay one down your feet line to help with your alignment. You can also lay one perpendicular towards the golf ball. This helps with your ball position and making sure that your ball position in your stance is consistent between your feet based on the club that you’re hitting.
Putting Drills
Don’t forget about your putting! This is often overlooked when practicing your golf game. Make sure you’re getting good practice at the driving range.
Alignment sticks can be used to practice your putting. Place two alignment sticks like train tracks just outside the width of your putter. The straight back and straight through method will help make sure you’re taking the putter back square.
Weight Transfer Help
Get the proper weight transfer down
Help make sure you transfer your weight towards your target / lead side – you can put an alignment stick in the ground next to your lead leg. When doing this, you should feel your lead side hit the alignment stick. This means that you are transferring your weight correctly.
All of these options are a very inexpensive way to practice your golf game. Get creative and enjoy whatever works best and helps improve your swing the most!
