Regardless of stance, good golf shots are 'aimed'

One forgotten factor in most golf instruction is the basic need to "aim the whole swing." One can have a perfect-looking swing, but if it isn't aimed correctly a perfect shot will not result.

Now some pro golfers use a closed stance for their tee shots, with the right foot withdrawn an inch or two behind the left. Others take care to stand "square," with the line across their toes, or their heels, parallel to their line-of-aim. A few -- notably Lee Trevino -- stand fully "open" as if aiming 40 degrees to port.

These differences confuse the happy hacker. But they shouldn't. In spite of their differences, all these golfers "aim" the downswing perfectly.

Think of the swing for a moment as a circle, a tilted wheel. The wheel can obviously be "aimed" straight, or slightly to the right or to the left.

For a straight shot the downswing wheel should be "aimed" straight along the line to the target. But because it is tilted the feeling will be that the club is coming through across the line-of-aim from behind you on the right, through the line-of-aim and out in front of you to the left.

For a slight draw aim your downswing- wheel slightly to the right of the line-of-aim, holding the clubface square to that line all the same.

Lee Trevino, in spite of his "open" stance, is a very straight hitter. This is because he deliberately comes out and round on the backswing to put his swing firmly "on the wheel," and then comes "under" . . . down a well-aimed swing wheel.

Stand how you will, if you aim the downswing along the track you want you will have a good chance of hitting the shot you want.