Alignment is an often-overlooked foundation, says Top 100 Teacher Mike Malizia.
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I was lucky enough to attend the annual GOLF festival Top 100 Teachers Summit IN Cabot Citrus Farms earlier this month, and what a pleasure it was to pick the brains of some of the game’s best guiding minds for two days.
In addition to the many on-site presentations, my colleagues and I had the opportunity to pull a few teachers during quiet moments and ask some of our burning questions about instruction. A question I had for Top 100 Teacher Mike Malizia: What is A thing that many of your students tend to struggle with the most? His response was immediate: EXPANSION.
This piqued my interest because I feel like I am never lined up where I think I am. And according to Malizia, I’m not alone. But putting down the alignment sticks during a practice session on the range isn’t the cure-all you’d think it would be.
“You can’t practice range in driving range because the driving range is a square box,” Malizia told me. “Out on the golf course you have shapes, you have putts aimed one way, fairways aimed another. Green is sung several ways. So the layup is probably one of the most important things in golf and one of the things that people never practice. The scope is huge.”
If you really want to improve your alignment, Malizia says, you need to practice your technique long a round – not before or after one.
“Here’s what I want you to do,” Malizia said. “Go out and play nine holes only late in the day. I want you to use a stretch stick on every stroke.”
According to Malizia, students who try this tip are often surprised at how quickly it helps.
“(Then) they say, ‘Yeah, I shot 38 today, unreal!’ Malizia said. “And I go, yes, for your absences are now not so far off.”
“Alignment is one of the most important things,” he continued. “But it’s also one of the most neglected and under-practiced.”
If you’re looking for a simple tip to keep your game in shape for 2025, determining your alignment is a surefire way to start generating lower scores. Try Malizia’s advice and start your next golf year off on the right foot.
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