Fit is an often overlooked issue, says Mike Malizia of the Top 100 Teachers.
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I was fortunate to attend the annual GOLF event Top 100 Teachers Summit On Cabot Citrus Farms earlier this month and what a pleasure it was for two days to pick the brains of some of the best instructors in the game.
In addition to numerous on-site presentations, my colleagues and I had the opportunity to pull several teachers aside during quiet moments and ask some of our most pressing questions about teaching. One question I had for Mike Malizia’s 100 Best Teachers: What is it one the thing that many of your students have the most trouble with? His response was immediate: alignment.
This piqued my interest because I feel this is the case Never fit where I think I am. According to Malizia, I’m not alone. However, putting away your alignment sticks during a practice session at the shooting range is not the cure you think it is.
“You can’t practice positioning on the training ground because the training ground is square,” Malizia told me. “On a golf course you have shapes, tees facing one way, fairways facing the other. The greens are set at an angle. So positioning is probably one of the most important things in golf and one of the things people never practice. The fit is huge.”
If you really want to perfect your positioning, says Malizia, you need to practice your technique while round – not before or after it.
“Here’s what I want you to do,” Malizia said. “Go out at night and play nine holes by yourself. I want you to use the alignment stick on every shot.
According to Malizia, students who try this tip are often surprised by how quickly it helps them.
“[Afterward] they say, “Yes, I shot 38 today, it’s unreal!” Malizia said. “And I’m going, yes, because your longings are no longer so distant.”
“Adjustment is one of the most important things,” he continued. “But it is also one of the most overlooked and underpracticed.”
If you’re looking for a simple tip to help you get your game ready for 2025, fine-tuning your setup is a sure-fire way to start generating lower scores. Try Malizia’s tip and start your next golf year off on the right foot.
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