THE SETUP
IN-TO-OUT SWING PATH
Attaining proper aim and alignment.
Yellow line = correct alignment of feet and body.
Red line = incorrect alignment.
nment
grass a couple feet in front of their ball and
then align parallel to that, but most times
their body ends up at the target or slightly
to the right of the target. This creates an
“out-to-in” swing path and, for a driver, the
result is usually the dreaded slice.
To set up properly, I like to see that you
are looking well left of target, then step
into the stance, and get the feet and eyes
looking even more left than feels comfortable.
Once you accomplish the proper
Too many golfers align their bodies directly to their intended
target. Ideally, the feet, knees, hips and shoulders should be
parallel left of the intended target, Gaudi says.
alignment, then the rest of your body will
match up. When you now look down the
target line and compare to where you want
to go, the usual comment I get is “I am too
far left.” That’s exactly what I want to hear.
Soon the golfer can take the proper swing
in a good circling motion and get a feel for
the ultimate “in-to-out” swing path.
If you have been misaligned and set up
to the right of your target for a long time,
the readjustment of your swing may be
challenging. But with a little work and
assistance from a PGA or LPGA professional,
you can overcome it and start
swinging freely and with more speed than
you ever thought possible. Using a swing
tool like the Orange Whip can provide
quicker improvement.
A test I like to do with my students is to
hold your right arm up (for a right-handed
golfer) pointing to your intended target.
Then hold your left arm up shoulder-width
and parallel to your right arm;
look down your left arm and out into the
distance to understand what parallel left
really means. Keep in mind that the visual
of seeing more left will be more magnified
when swinging a driver compared to a 7
iron. Try this routine several times to feel
the proper way to align and set the rest of
your body, then you will get into the habit
of swinging in-to-out and watch your ball
start to have that beautiful baby draw.
Linda Gaudi, PGA, is the Director of
Instruction at The Country Club of Fairfax.
She is LPGA T&CP and TPI Certified and
is the U.S. Kids Golf Northern Virginia
Local Tour Director. She can be reached at
[email protected].
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J ULY/A UGUST 2020 | V IRGINIA G OLFER
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