Peter Finch's Golf Lessons: The Key Fundamental Ignored By '70 to 80%' Of Amateur Golfers Could Be Your Biggest Problem
Peter Finch has coached countless golfers of all ability levels, but there is one element that amateurs constantly overlook... and it's stifling their progress!
As amateur golfers, feeling out of sync with the golf swing can be unsettling and frustrating – sapping all of the enjoyment out of the sport we love. Despite a lack of qualification, we often try to self-diagnose the issue, landing on one of many common swing faults we have heard discussed on the range or in the clubhouse.
However, rather than jumping to a highly-technical major problem, most amateurs would benefit from looking first at the golf swing set-up fundamentals in order to discover the root cause.
When discussing the most common lesson that amateur golfers typically ignore, which you can watch in the video below, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Peter Finch described a lack of understanding and awareness of how to aim in the golf swing is holding so many players back from reaching their full potential on the course...
Peter Finch Golf Tip: How To Aim Correctly In The Golf Swing
Peter Finch is one of the most recognisable PGA professionals in the world, delivering online free lessons to golfers across the globe with a combined social following of almost one million people.
In his coaching career, Peter Finch has supported golfers of all abilities to play better golf and shoot lower scores.
There’s something you need to remember – this is a target-oriented sport. And yet the aiming of body and clubface is one of the few things golfers consistently overlook. The same with the golf grip and things like posture. If you were watching an archer and they were consistently aiming 20 yards right of the target, would that not be a red flag that this isn’t Robin Hood?
When was the last time you actually worked on your aim? I’m going to guess that probably 70-80% of you haven’t worked on where you’re aiming.
Let’s keep it simple. It’s a lot easier to line up to something just in front of the ball than to something a long way away. Stand behind the ball and establish your target line. I do this by lifting the shaft up and drawing it down in a straight line. Then I pick out something just in front of my ball.
I’ll start with my feet together and I’ll take aim at this spot just in front of me. I know that spot sits on my ultimate target line and because my feet are together, my toes, my knees, my hips, my shoulders are all square and they’re all parallel to my clubface. All I need to now do is separate my feet the appropriate amount and I know then that I’m parallel to my target line with my body.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Drills: Make Your Practice Fun And Add Pressure
GM says:
Why not make it fun by adding an element of competition. The next time you head to the range, split the space you are hitting towards into three zones. You can use objects that are already placed there to help you identify the parameters, such as yardage markers or flags, as you need to ensure you have clear boundaries for each zone.
Give yourself 15 balls and try to hit five into zone one, five into zone two, and five into zone three. If you land the first ball in the zone you get a point, the second (consecutive) is worth two points and the third worth three points (and so on). If you miss, drop back down to single point shots and try to build a streak again to ramp up your score. You can make this easier or harder by increasing or decreasing the size of the zone, or adding jeopardy by including a penalty – like returning your score to zero every time you miss a zone.
Use what you have learned from Peter Finch to focus on your aim and alignment, and keep score to give yourself a target to beat next time.
Barry Plummer is our Staff Writer, joining in January 2024 after seven years as a PE Teacher. He now writes about instruction, working closely with Golf Monthly's Top 50 Coaches to provide hints and tips about all aspects of the game. As someone who came into golf at a later age, Barry is very passionate about supporting the growth of the game and creating opportunities for everyone to access it. A member at Sand Moor Golf Club in Leeds, he looks forward to getting out on the course at least once a week and making up for lost time in the pursuit of a respectable handicap.
Barry is currently playing:
Driver: Ping G425
Hybrid: TaylorMade Stealth 4 Hybrid
Irons: Mizuno JPX 921 4-PW
Wedges: TaylorMade RAC 60, Callaway Jaws MD5 54
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour
-
All-Century Golf Bag: Which 14 Clubs From 2000-2024 Make The Cut?
Fergus Bisset considers popularity, reviews, innovation and his own opinion to select an all-century bag, driver to putter. Do you agree with his selections?
By Fergus Bisset Published
-
You Can Now Buy TAG Heuer Golf Watches At PGA TOUR Superstore, And Boy Do I Want One!
TAG Heuer golf watches are as premium as it gets in the golf space, and I cannot stress enough how much I want one...
By Sam Tremlett Published
-
What To Work On This Winter: Golf Fitness Or Technical Tuning?
We ask two of our esteemed experts, Jeremy Ellwood and Fergus Bisset, how they will be investing their time over the winter in their pursuit of golf improvement
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Jack Nicklaus Golf Tips: 5 Timeless Lessons From The Golden Bear
As one of the greatest players in golf's history, Jack Nicklaus possesses a wealth of experience and wisdom. Here, we share five of his invaluable golf lessons
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Peter Uihlein Golf Swing Tips: How To Maximise Distance By Balancing Power And Control
Hitting long tee shots is a crucial skill for amateur golfers, but control is key, so we asked big-hitter Peter Uihlein to share his tips to maximise distance
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Ball Striking Masterclass: Drastically Improve Your Distance And Consistency With Long-Irons, Fairway Woods And Hybrids
Many amateurs struggle with ball striking when using long-irons, fairway woods and hybrids – but these PGA pro tips can improve your distance and consistency
By Gary Munro Published
-
How To Start The Backswing In Golf (Plus One Bonus Hack To Revitalize Your Ball-Striking)
Improving your ball-striking is a key factor in the pursuit of progress on the course, but consistency can be elusive. This simple hack could be the answer...
By Joshua Mayo Published
-
Dan Grieve Golf Tips: 3 Releases To Save Your Short Game
Dan Grieve is a world-renowned short game expert and his 3 releases system has helped countless amateurs to play better golf. Dan explains all in this video...
By Dan Grieve Published
-
'These Are The 3 Hardest Bunker Shots You Could Ever Face'... Overcome Your Misfortune With Alex Elliott's Sand Save Masterclass
When faced with the hardest bunker shots in golf, most amateurs curse their luck and feel defeated before they even try... but PGA pro Alex Elliott can help!
By Alex Elliott Published
-
How To Play The Long Lazy Lob Shot: Get Out Of Trouble Around The Greens With This Essential Short Game Saver
The long, lazy lob shot is a short game essential for when the only option is to go airborne with your chip shot. Our expert PGA pro explains how to nail it...
By John Howells Published