Perhaps the most crucial of training aids. A pair of alignment sticks should require a slot in your bag just as much as your putter. Not only will they help you check your setup and direction of your body, you can actively use them as training aids IN YOUR SWING.
One of my favorite drills to highlight using alignment sticks tries to fix the issue of: EARLY RELEASE. What is early release?
Early release is when the wrists lose their angle too soon on the downswing, causing the club to straighten and bottom out before the ball instead of at or after impact. In simple terms: You’re “throwing” the clubhead early rather than delivering it late.
What it usually leads to:
- Fat or thin shots
- Weak contact / loss of compression
- Little to no shaft lean at impact
The Drill:
- Grab an alignment stick and hold it with your club, taking your normal grip. The alignment stick should be in front of your lead side.
- On the takeaway, pause at club parallel. The alignment stick should be pointing right down the target line.
- Swing up to about 75-80%. The alignment stick should then be pointing down in between your toes and the ball.
- Start your downswing. Pause at club parallel in your backswing. The alignment stick should be again pointing straight down the target line with a closed club face.
- Finally, rotate and swing through. The GOAL is to make sure the alignment stick does NOT hit your body before impact. If you the alignment stick hits your body before impact, that means you are dumping the club early leading to a flip or other compensations in your swing.
Below is a visual of what I described above! Try it out if you are fighting chunks and the dreaded flipping motion.
Mark Roberts Golf 