The Straight Shot

Jack Nicklaus famously said "Any straight shot with a long club is a fluke", and indeed the touring professional almost never tries to hit the ball "straight", preferring a controlled fade or a draw to give himself more fairway to aim at. For most handicap golfers, however, keeping it "straight" is the main concern. Here's how.

Please note: all lessons refer to right-handed golfers

For the average golfer hitting the ball straight can be difficult to master, but the key to the straight shot lies in a perfectly parallel set-up position

Firstly, the club face should be aligned at 90 degrees to the target line. The body alignment (feet, knees, hips and shoulders) should then be aligned parallel to the target line. From this set-up position the player will have a greater chance of producing the in-to-square-to-in swing path, needed to hit a straight shot.