# An Aim in Life



## 65nlovenit (Dec 8, 2006)

Being a newbie to golf, this summer being the first time I’ve been able to get out on a regular basis, I too have suffered through the dreaded SLICE. Took some lessons, and solved the slice problem, well almost. There were times when I would look down the fairway of a par 5 and wail away like a madman trying to get as much distance as humanly possible. It was usually one of these times when the slice would again raise its ugly head. Then a friend of mine, a 8 handicapper took me aside and beat some good advice into the old noggin. He started by asking me if I knew of any sport where if you wanted to become proficient at, that you didn’t have to AIM. Of course I said there wasn’t any such, so then he asked me what was I aiming at when I got to the par 5’s, and for the life of me I couldn’t tell him an exact target. Like I said I would line up hopefully on the centre of the fairway and hit it as hard as I could swing. If it went straight down the middle it was more of a miracle then good management. He suggested that I pick a tree somewhere down the fairway, and hit it at that tree, and not be happy with my shot unless it went directly at that tree. I started teeing up the ball, walking behind it and sighting down the fairway at some far off target, something I didn’t think I could actually hit, but was going to try. Address the ball and settle in, take one more look at my target, then complete the swing. Well low and behold, shots started going where I was aiming, and the real kicker was I was getting 15 to 20 yards further out, with what seemed to be not near as much effort. If you want to experience the true fun of golf, pick a target, give it a whack, and look up to see it screaming down the fairway, dead on the target. If you want to kick your game up a notch, and lose some on the score sheet, try AIMING AT SOMETHING, and not be happy till it starts going there.


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## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

I take that one step farther. After picking my target, I then find a spot on that line about 4 or 5 feet in front of the ball. I use that spot to set myself up on the target line. I play several courses where the setup of the tees or the construction of the tee boxes tend to point you in the wrong direction. I've always found it easier to set up on the right line if I don't look at anything but that spot until I'm almost ready to swing. Then I take one look at the distant target and pull the trigger. I use this spot technique for every shot I make, including chipping and putting (although the spot I use to set up to is usually closer to the ball than for full swings).:thumbsup: 

I won't say that I'm always on target with my shots... quite the contrary, but it's a pre-shot routine that I'm comfortable with and it's pretty much automatic for me any more.


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## 65nlovenit (Dec 8, 2006)

It seems thats what golf is all about. Establishing some kind of routine, with that comes confidence in what your trying to accomplish. I had'nt really used the same principal for my short shots, I had been using the flag stick on the short stuff, that has a tendency to give you an aiming line, figuring out the distance is the another trick. Oh the joys of golf, figure out one thing, work on the other five hundred.


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## 373 (Jun 9, 2006)

65nlovenit said:


> Oh the joys of golf, figure out one thing, work on the other five hundred.


Sometimes I think the above describes as good as I'll ever be.


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