Jim Suttie: Aiming for success

NAPLES - One of the most violated fundamentals in golf is aiming the club and aligning the body. Most golfers are too open or aligned left of the target. This, of course, will cause the club to swing to the left in an outside-inside swing path, resulting in a slice or a pull. The path of the clubhead through impact always follows the shoulder line.

If the shoulders are aligned to the left of the target at address, then the path of the swing will go left. Then there are also those players that aim their shoulders to the right of the target at address. These players generally swing out to the right too much and hit a lot of hooks and thin shots.

Here are some ideas for better aim and alignment:

■ Aim your clubhead first and then take your body alignment. Most average players will try to get their body alignment first and then try to line up their clubface.

■ Take your body alignment by lining up to a spot six feet in front of the ball. Don't try to line up to a target 250 yards away, as your eyes are just not capable of doing this.

■ Keep your eyes on this intermediate target as you take your stance.

■ Try to get your shoulders parallel left of your target line. When doing this, it will give a railroad track image. Your shoulder line will be on the inside track and the clubhead will be on the outside rail.

■ Your stance has little to do with the deflection of the golf ball at impact. There have been great ball-strikers with open stances and great ball-strikers with closed stances. A closed stance will give you a bigger turn and probably should be used with a driver, whereas an open stance will limit your turn and is better suited to a shorter iron. Also, a closed stance will make it easier to hit from "inside" the target line as you approach impact, whereas an open stance will cause a" steeper" approach to the ball.

■ Try to keep your shoulders square at address. Get an image in your mind that they will be in the same square square position at impact. If you do this, you will be able to release the club and swing out on the ball, causing your slice should disappear. Nine out of 10 golfers I see are much too open with their shoulders at impact.

■ Keep your eyes going back and forth from the intermediate target and back to the ball. Pull the trigger when you want to but try to make this routine the same each time you do it.

Setting up for success doesn't ensure a better impact, but it at least gives you a better chance.

Dr. Jim Suttie, 2000 National PGA Teacher of the Year, operates Suttie Golf at The Club at Twin Eagles North Naples and Cog Hill Golf Club, Lemont, Ill. Suttie is a Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher and rated No. 15 in Golf Digest Best 50 Teachers. Suttie coaches the FGCU men's golf team. For lessons and program information call 800-765-3838 or Jmsuttie@aol.com

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