In the infamous words of American rapper, actor, and filmmaker, Ice Cube, you should always remember to “Chickity-check yo’ self before you wreck yo’ self”. For fellow Gen X’ers like myself, Ice Cube is likely best known as a member of the legendary hip hop group NWA. Now, each time you listen to “Check Yo Self”, you’ll remember this important reminder to calibrate your alignment and ball position.

The more us golfers practice without feedback, the more we can engrain a “false truth” with regards to our setup. I frequently encounter golfers who are surprised to learn their alignment or ball position are fooling them. If you are not regularly calibrating your eyes, you’re doing your game a tremendous disservice and can cause resulting compensatory errors in your swing. Here are some tips for ensuring you are setting yourself up for success.

Golf Swing (Alignment & Ball Position)

To check your ball position, first, set a club on the ground pointed at the target and halfway between your toe line and the ball.

Then, set another club on top of the alignment club, perpendicular to the target line, creating a 90 degree angle. Set a ball directly across from the 2nd club. Now you can determine the true middle of your stance.

Additionally, set a camera face-on from your setup to confirm your ball position. Multiple forms of feedback only enhances your learning. When evaluating ball position, reference your upper body instead of your feet. Golfers have different widths of foot positions, so referencing the lead foot can provide varying feedback. Wedges and short irons should be directly below the nose. The driver should be below the lead armpit.

Putting (Alignment, Ball Position & Depth)

As for putting, the occasional utilization of an alignment mirror is critical. Even great players can develop a path that is offline due to a misaligned clubface.

When a ball is not slightly ahead of the low point in the putter swing, and assuming a right-handed golfer, it can kick the Club Path to the right (if too far back in stance) or left (if too far up in stance). Additionally, if ball position is too far back in the stance, it can produce an undesired negative attack angle, thus discouraging an optimal Roll Percentage. A ball too far forward in the stance can also create poor impact.

When using an alignment mirror, check your shoulder alignment – it should be parallel to the target line. Additionally, ensure that your eyes are on top of the target line, or just slightly inside of the line.

Tour players receive constant feedback from their caddies and coaches. Give yourself the feedback you need to be the best golfer you can be!