Tuition - Two minute golf lessons

Build consistency at the set-up

First up, let me illustrate for you the basic routine all good players run through at the start of a practice session to engage with the target line and check that their body line is set accordingly and correctly to the ball. Follow this routine and you will eliminate the all-too common fault of aiming your body at the target before placing the club behind the ball – which is a back-to front way of doing things.

Here you can see that I have placed the two canes on the ground to create the familiar parallel lines – a set of railway tracks aimed at my target. Taking one ball at a time (for the ultimate effect it’s best to start over each time so that you replicate hitting shots on the course), the key is to go through your pre-shot routine from start to finish. Start by aiming the clubface squarely down your target line, then use the canes as a source of reference as you get your body lines parallel to the ball-to target line. Your body takes its orders from the leading edge.

If you have been misaligning for some time your view to the target will appear distorted – and it might take some getting used to. But the canes on the ground confirm that you are perfectly in tune with your intended target and thus ready to work on your swing. As a warm-up to your practice session, go through this routine three or four times with every iron in your bag. There’s nothing like the repetition of these good habits to build consistency into your long game.

Double check on your target – and on an intermediary target that lies on your line

Lines on the ground help you to make a solid on-line swing