Symptom: Your swing "felt good" on the range, but doesn't work on the course.  You sadly watch another well-struck shot miss the fairway and bounce into the woods.

Overview: When practicing and warming up at the driving range, you must always pick a target to aim at. Never just hit balls to watch them fly.

Why it works: You should practice the things that you need to execute on the golf course. On the course, you are always aiming at something -- the flag, a spot on the fairway, a tree in the distance, a distant Saguaro cactus if you are playing Phoenix golf, or something else, and so this is how you should practice. Furthermore, if you don't deliberately aim at something during your practice sessions, you risk getting out of alignment, which can cause you to compensate during your swing and lead to inconsistent ball striking.  Ensuring good alignment is as simple as aiming at a point right in front of your ball, and using a club on the ground when you are on the range.  To see it all done right, watch Camilo Villegas' setup routine.  Copy him and you won't go wrong.

Do this always.  No exceptions!  Why such a stern exhortation?  Watch the pros hit balls the next time you are at a tournament, and you will see that they almost always do this on the range.  And they have hit a few more balls with more success than the rest of us have!

For example, here is Nick Price on the driving range.  Please note that he is aiming at a very particular pin on the driving range, well to the right of where he would be aiming if he was just "hitting balls".  Have a look:


And yet, how many people do you see at the range doing something similar to Nick Price?  I'd bet not one in twenty -- most are just swinging away!

Even when you are swinging your club in your backyard, it's a good idea to pick a target out to aim at.  Why?  Because it's very easy to get a swing that "feels good", but in fact has you swinging way out of alignment.  Don't do this!  You will regret it the next time you have to make the ball go where you want to.  Instead, pick a target, get the feel of the line to your target with the throw the stick underhand drill, and then practice your full swing.  Then you'll be practicing a real golf swing, not some sort of golf-swing-approximation-that-loosens-your-muscles-but-doesn't-hit-the-ball-straight swing!

Did you like this bit of Aiming Advice? Then please tell your friends -- Like, Share, Tweet, or Email below, and channel Nick Price's range habits the next time you are honing your game!

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May all your putts roll true -- GolfTipEditor

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