Proper Alignment - The No. 1 Problem of All Golfers, Amateur & Professional

By: Bob Boldt


Let's discuss one of the most common problems associated with playing solid golf: proper alignment. Despite very different techniques, here's a look at how two Hall of Fame golfers achieved this important goal.

Jack Nicklaus

Jack's No. 1 thought before he ever hit a golf shot was alignment. For the longest time I couldn't figure out why he took so much time over the ball, tilting his head forward and then turning his head back before starting his backswing.

What I later found out was that he was checking out a spot in front of the ball directly on his line of flight, allowing him to align his club head with the target line. He would then turn his head back to check a spot on that same line in back of the ball, in order to sweep his backswing over the intended line. There were many times Jack was accused of taking too much time over a shot, but he never wavered from this pre-shot routine.

Jack took the longest to set up and align a shot. His left foot angled approximately 45 degrees toward the hole. The reason came from his early days and trying to get his bulky 230-pound frame facing the hole at the finish.

I notice that many golfers have difficulty achieving this ultimate ideal position. The problem is that they do not properly angling their left foot toward the hole. Check your left foot if you are right-handed, right foot if you're left-handed. Angle your foot toward the target to relieve some of the pressure on your front leg in the follow-through, and to keep your turn from stopping while swinging toward the target.

Here's a tip: Stand straight up and turn your body toward the target at the finish. You should be on balance. If not, angle your forward foot more toward the target.

Lee Trevino

Lee's alignment was very unusual. His body was lined up approximately 40 to 50 yards left of the target line, with his club face on and square to the line. Trevino always had a bad back and, if he lined up square to the target, he could not get his body to face the hole on the follow-through.

Here's a tip: If you have back problems and experience trouble finishing the swing, open both your stance and your forward foot until your body can face the hole without straining your back.

Achieving Proper Alignment on the PGA & LPGA Tours

The majority of players on both tours will check their alignment by standing behind the ball and either picking out a spot in front of the ball or seeing a line of flight in their mind's eye that they want to use as the target. Recently, I've witnessed more caddies on the LPGA Tour standing before their players hit. Once the caddie confirms the line, he steps aside (as required under the rules) and the professional starts her swing.

Bob Boldt turned 77 in September 2014. Married for 31 years to Patricia, the father of two - including two sons, Rob and Jason, who are golf professionals and excellent players - played on the PGA and Champions tours for dozens of years, earning multiple victories in his amateur and professional careers.

Boldt, who attended Cal and became the Bears' men's golf coach, is a long-time native of Northern California and currently the director of golf at Vintners Golf Club in Yountville, where he is one of state's most recognized golf instructors. He received the Northern California PGA Section Junior Golf Leader Award in 1999.