Alignment mistakes that affect your swing (and how to correct them)

A small error in the position of your feet can make you compensate during the swing for a problem that started before you even moved the club.

You can execute the movement correctly and still get a different result from the one you intended. When the clubface, feet, hips or shoulders are pointing in different directions, your body tends to make adjustments during the swing. Before changing your technique, it is worth checking whether the problem starts with the position you take over the ball.

Pointing with your feet instead of the clubface

One of the most common alignment mistakes is using your feet as the main reference. You set up with the target in mind and assume that the clubface is pointing towards the same spot, when there may actually be a considerable difference between the two lines.

The clubface should be your main reference. Place it behind the ball and aim it at the target before positioning your feet. From there, your body should be parallel to the target line. Think of two lines running towards the same target: one passes through the ball and the other through your feet. The target is at the end of both, but your body is not pointing directly at it.

Setting up too open or too closed

The position of your feet can affect the path the club takes during the swing. When your stance is too open in relation to the target line, you may encourage an out-to-in swing path. If it is too closed, the opposite tendency can occur.

There is no single pattern that applies to every golfer, as the ball flight also depends on your technique and the club you are using. What you can control is keeping your setup consistent and repeatable. During practice, place a club on the ground parallel to the target line and use it to position your feet. From the golfer’s perspective, it can be difficult to notice a difference of just a few degrees, whereas a club on the ground makes the error much easier to see.

Trusting what looks aligned

Your perception can work against you when you are standing over the ball. From behind it, you can clearly see the line between the ball and the target, but once you address the ball you are looking from a different perspective and that reference becomes much less obvious.

A setup that feels perfectly aligned may actually be pointing several degrees to the left or right. As the distance to the target increases, that small difference becomes more noticeable in the result.

During practice, look for a point a few inches in front of the ball that sits on the line you want the ball to follow. It could be a mark on the grass, a leaf or any other small visible feature. Align the clubface with that point first, then set your body.

Checking your shoulders and hips

Alignment does not depend solely on your feet. You can have a good lower-body setup and, without realising it, have your shoulders or hips pointing in a different direction.

The shoulders are particularly important because they play a role in starting the backswing. If they are too open or closed in relation to the direction of the shot, they can influence the path the club takes from the very beginning of the movement.

As you address the ball, check that your feet, hips and shoulders are consistently aligned. There is no need to turn this into a long routine. With time, it should become part of your normal pre-shot setup.

Changing your reference depending on the club

Your setup can feel different when you change clubs. With a short iron, you are closer to the ball and your posture is more upright. With a driver, your stance is wider and the ball is positioned further forward. These differences change your setup and also your perception of the target line.

The relationship between the club and the target remains the same, however: the clubface should be aimed at the chosen target and your body should be parallel to that direction.

If you notice that your setup changes too much when moving from one club to another, use a club placed on the ground as a guide during practice. It can show you whether you are actually changing your direction or simply experiencing a different sensation at address.

Trying to correct your direction during the swing

When you realise that you are incorrectly aligned after the swing has already started, your body may try to compensate. You might change the club’s path, alter the action of your hands or adjust the clubface to avoid a ball flight that was already influenced by your setup.

These corrections may solve one particular shot, but they make the movement harder to repeat. If your initial alignment changes from one shot to the next, the compensation you need will change as well.

The adjustment should therefore happen before the takeaway. Set the clubface first, build your stance around it and check that your body remains parallel to the target line. You can then focus on making the swing without trying to repair during the movement a problem that began before it.

A simple routine to improve your alignment

Adding this check to your pre-shot routine should not require many extra steps. The aim is to repeat the same sequence so that your setup becomes less dependent on what you happen to feel at that particular moment.

Choose your target and then find a point close to the ball along the line you want the ball to follow. Align the clubface with that point and position your feet accordingly. Before starting the swing, check that your shoulders and hips are consistent with your lower-body alignment, then make the swing using the same sequence.

Repeating the same routine is more useful than continually adding new checks. If you use the same process over several practice sessions, it becomes easier to identify when you are genuinely misaligned and when the problem comes from another part of your swing.

Before changing your swing, check where you are aiming

When a ball repeatedly finishes on the same side, it is easy to look immediately for an explanation in the club’s movement. Alignment deserves to be checked first because it can influence the result long before impact.

Checking your setup also helps distinguish between two different problems: a swing that needs a technical adjustment and a swing that is responding to an incorrect starting direction. Correcting the latter first can prevent you from introducing unnecessary compensations into your movement.

At Golf Alcanada’s practice area, you can work on this routine with different clubs and observe how your ball flight changes. The Toptracer system provides information about your shots and allows you to analyse what happens during a practice session. Golf Alcanada was the first golf course in Mallorca to introduce the system in 2022.

The next time a shot finishes off line, check how you were set up before starting the movement. A small difference in direction can carry with the ball much further than it first appears.