I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. I spent last week in Florida playing golf with some of my PGA buddies. Earlier in the week, I played a round of golf with Frankie Valli’s son, which was a great time. Many of you may know Frankie Valli from his connection with The Four Seasons, with hit songs such as Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry and December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night).
Wednesday we played at Calusa Pines, a tough course located just outside of Naples. Even though this was my first time playing competitive golf in over two months, I was actually pleasantly surprised by shooting just one or two over par.
Anytime I am getting back to golf after a break, I always want to make sure my alignment is correct. Having the proper alignment throughout your stance is one of the easiest ways to ensure consistency when you hit the golf ball.
I’d like to share with you some tips on how to check if you are aligned properly for your golf swing. When you address the golf ball you want to be parallel left of the ball – with your feet, hips and shoulders all properly aligned in the same direction. If you lay your golf club on the ground directly parallel left of the ball and align your feet to the club, your feet are sure to be in the correct position. Once you have your feet in position, pick up the club and touch it to your hips and shoulders to make sure they, too, are properly aligned parallel left of the ball and your club face.
Getting yourself properly aligned and into a good position is the first step towards an improved golf swing. It also makes it much easier to identify errors in your swing if you start in the correct position.
Later this week I will be back in Naples for the Merrill Lynch Shootout located at Tiburon Golf Course. The Merrill Lynch Shootout is hosted by Hall of Fame golfer Greg Norman and this year marks the 20th anniversary of the tournament.
Be sure to check back next week for an update on the tournament and more tips on improving your swing. As always, please feel free to send any questions my way.