Russell Covey
Like pretty much every golfer on the planet, I am big Jack Nicklaus fan.
I learnt so much from reading 5 timeless tips from the Golden Bear, and let's be honest... who wouldn't want to listen to advice from one of the best golfers of all time?
Learning how to aim in golf might seem like a pretty basic principle, but it's so important to your ability to score well and navigate the golf course successfully.
Fortunately, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Russell Covey has a simple tip that all golfers can use to improve their alignment on the tee box - and it was used by Jack Nicklaus himself...
How To Aim On The Tee Box: A Simple Tip Used By Jack Nicklaus
Russell's students having notched up wins in the Spanish, French, Dutch, Scottish and English Amateur Championships and St Andrews Links Trophy. In 2021, he was named PGA Specialist Professional and PGA Specialist Coach.
You have 18 opportunities over the course of a round to perfect your set-up and alignment on the tee.
When you are on the tee box you still have the ball in your hand, so use that to your advantage.
Look for a discarded or broken tee (the pink castle tee in the image below) or an old divot mark, then tee your ball up behind it.
It's important to consider what the rules say with regards to this process, as there is clear guidance on what you can and can't do when using a secondary target for the purposes of alignment.
There is more on this at the bottom of this article, but the basic premise is that you can only use reference points that already exist on the tee box, so avoid dropping a club or alignment stick down as a target to hit over.
Ideally, your reference point should be no more than a club’s length away, just so you can see it out of the corner of your lead eye.
Jack Nicklaus did this for years - picking an already existing secondary target, like a small spot or mark on the ground, a few feet in front of his golf ball on his target line.
You can't place the second tee on the ground for alignment purposes, but if there is something already on the tee box when you arrive... you would be foolish not to use it
A lot of golfers are guilty of putting the tee in the ground first and then finding a secondary target spot in front of them - but that's the wrong way around to complete this process.
It’s easier to line up to a secondary target just in front of you than to aim at a tree 250 yards away in the distance - so it's a bit of a no brainer to make this part of your pre-shot routine.
Note, in the image below, how I step in with my trail foot first. This allows me to be open to the target. My whole lead side is working itself back to the target line while I get ready to play.
From here, I’ve got more chance of getting parallel rather than closing myself off to the target as many people do.
Stepping in with your trail foot first will help you to be parallel to the target rather than closing yourself off
Final Thought
Do you aim your body at the hole on three-foot putts? No, you set your feet, knees, hips and shoulders parallel to your target line. This is what you should be trying to do on your longer shots, too.
Try this simple tip during your next 30 minute driving range session, then when you are confident take it out onto the course and get ready to reap the rewards.
As part of the official rules of golf, is it legal to use a secondary target to aim?
This is a great question, as there are some important factors to consider to ensure you don't fall foul of a costly penalty on the course.
According to both the USGA and R&A, a player must not set an object, like a club or alignment stick, down on the ground to help with aiming.
You can, however, use an existing feature, such as a blade of grass, old divot or twig, as a reference point, as long as you don't disturb or move it to help create a target.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.