Landmarks and pre-shot routine

It’s important to establish a routine so that you align the club face and the ball correctly.

The ultimate goal of every golfer is to achieve a certain consistency in all aspects of the game. The best golfers aren’t necessarily the ones who hit the farthest but those who consistently hit the same distance using the same club. In order to achieve consistency, a new golfer should get to know a few details before taking the first swing. It is absolutely essential to repeat the same basic positions before repeating the same swing.

The best golfers always place themselves a few feet behind the ball so that they can analyze what they need to do. This helps them visualize the trajectory of the ball, see where the flag is positioned, as well as identify potential obstacles, and determine the line of flight by choosing a landmark a few inches in front of the ball.

The landmark position can be a broken tee, a dead leaf, or a small twig. The landmark ultimately ensures an alignment of the club face with the starting position. The landmark cannot be positioned by the golfer, it needs to be already on the ground.

On teeing grounds, finding a landmark is a little bit easier because the ball can be placed anywhere between the two markers. After choosing a landmark, the ball can be placed behind it (provided it is between the two markers), and this is perfectly legal. 

Once a line of flight and a landmark chosen, the same routine for taking the starting position should be employed. This differs from golfer to golfer, but generally consists in placing the body in front of the ball, placing the club face behind the ball and perpendicular to the line of flight, and taking the appropriate body position for swing.

Align the club face and your shoulders before positioning your feet.