When you’re fighting a hook or slice, it can feel impossible to aim your shots. So, like most golfers, you do what feels natural: aim for your shot position.
Depending on the difficulty of the curve, this can mean aiming anywhere from a few yards off the line to the width of the entire fairway to compensate for your exaggerated ball travel. But, Cameron McCormick, GOLF Top 100 instructor, says that habit can actually be what’s holding you back from winning.
Stop aiming for your miss
“Most golfers aim to miss,” McCormick said.
His explanation: players whose shots tend to swing to the left aim to the right of the target, while those who tend to curve the ball right to the left. Unfortunately, what seems like an easy fix, McCormick explains, often makes the issue worse.
“The problem is that [aiming for your miss] it only increases the error,” he says, “it increases the chances of you hitting that shot you’re trying to avoid.”
Aim more for precise shots
If you want to reduce your misses and increase your dispersion, McCormick recommends using a medium target when connecting on your shots. Having a small reference point a few feet in front of your ball will help you ensure you are on target at all times.
Your intermediate target can be anything from a dead patch of grass to an old divot and practicing at one distance will help you get it into your routine so that it becomes second nature when you use it on the course.
To try, simply place the tee about three to four feet in front of your ball, directly on your target line. Then, step up to the ball and set as you normally would.
Remember: the face, then the feet
The key to aiming correctly – whether you’re using a center target or not – is how you set up your clubface and body. Many golfers don’t realize that the order in which you aim your club and feet actually matters. As McCormick shows in the video above, the proper sequence is: clubface first, then the body.
“I’m going to force myself to go straight by aligning the clubface to the tee, and I’m going to separate my feet,” he says.
Now that you’re properly targeted, go ahead and pull the trigger. It may sound strange at first, but with a little practice, you should start to see your distribution window narrow.
“My mind is telling me that I have to face my mistake, but I’m going to force myself to face that and I’m going to learn to hit a straight ball flight,” McCormick said.
By breaking the habit of aiming to miss, you’ll be able to shoot again and confidently play where you’re aiming, not around your mistakes.
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