Who would have ever thought that an alignment stick would become a golfer’s must-have accessory? You can now find an alignment stick in almost everyone’s bag, regardless of their handicap.
But alignment sticks are not just for alignment. An alignment stick can be used for improving a golfer’s swing and ball flight. So if you don’t have one, you’re missing out on a sure fire way to improve your game.
Here are my 10 best drills using an alignment stick for something other than aiming.
Swing Plane Drill
Swing plane is a commonly used term in golf but often misunderstood. Swing plane simply means controlling the club shaft position during the swing. To swing on-plane, the shaft needs to swing back and down on an angle that matches the club’s lie angle (the shaft angle with the club soled flat on the ground).
If you can swing on plane, your shots will be more consis-tent, more accurate and more powerful, while an off-plane swing will lead to a host of problems including an incorrect swing path, missing the center of the face and a poor Angle of Attack (AOA).
To set up this drill, match the alignment stick to the club’s lie angle, and then shove it in the ground (as pictured). Place another alignment stick on the ground so you are swinging toward a specific target. Then take several practice swings trying to match the club shaft’s position with the alignment stick on the backswing or downswing.
