Golf Tips: Refining your aim

This is the second part of an ongoing series on the Laws, Principles and Practices of the golf swing.With the Masters completed on Sunday, one thing that should have caught your eye is the players' precision in repeating their pre-shot routines and setting aim.Yet, aim is an often misunderstood principal, as it is the alignment of the club face and shaft position in relation to the desired starting line of the shot. Meanwhile, a visual line drawn from the position of the golf ball to the target is called the target line. Aim is one of the most influential principals in relation to direction. The position of the club face at impact also affects ball spin and trajectory. So, aim should be set correctly as part of your pre-swing.You need to determine the desired starting line and trajectory by standing directly behind the ball and looking toward the target. The pre-swing thought process should include length, desired trajectory, wind, landing area and any trouble surrounding the target. After making a starting line decision, be sure to choose a point that is a short distance in front of the ball. The club face should now be placed behind the ball at 90 degrees to your target line and aimed directly over the spot you have picked out during your pre-swing. The shaft of the club then needs to be set in the desired position for the chosen shot. The standard loft of the club is when the top of your grip is even with the front of the ball. A higher-lofted shot will start with the top of your grip even with the back of the ball, and a lower-lofted shot will commence with the top of the grip forward of the ball.Remember, the goal of aim is to have your club face 90 degrees to the desired target line. If you'd like to learn more about aim, be sure to contact a PGA Professional near you by using the Zip code search of playgolfamerica.com or the PGA ProFinder tool on pga.com.(Rick Martino is director of instruction at the PGA Learning Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla.)