Many newer golfers (and a few older ones, too) have a tendency to misalign themselves when they take their stance. Normally, what they will do is aim way right of the target and they do this for a reason. Players who are misaligned from the get go and aim right are usually players who try to swing with their arms. When they do this the ball will almost always take off to the left. So what they are doing with this "right side" target trick is trying to fix a problem before it even happens!

In theory, this shouldn't be a problem...but this is not theory, it's golf. When an "arm swinger" forces his ball back on the fairway by overcompensating his alignment, he thinks he's doing himself a favor. But on those occasions when he actually makes a good, solid full body swing, his ball zips off into the trees on the right or into a right side bunker and he gets mad, and what's worse is that by using this misaligning method he's never going to reach his full potential as a golfer.

These players need to work on the basics of their swing, using their body as a whole and not just their arms. But they also need to know what their alignment is.

So how can you (or anyone else for that matter) see what your alignment is to the target?

Well, here's a simple and very effective tip to determine what your target alignment really is.

Take a stance (your usual stance), aim at a target that you would hit at, and then lay a club down on the ground from toe to toe. Now step back about 8 or 10 paces behind the ball and club that you laid down and sight down the club. Sighting down this club will reveal your alignment.

If the club is a bit left of the target, then you're fine. But if it's to the right of the target, you are out of alingment. Simple but effective.

If you discover that you are out of alignment (that the club on the ground is pointing to the right of the target) then you need to work on squaring up your stance.

Being square to the target is one of the most important tips in golf. Every ball you hit will be effected by this stance--either in a good way or (if you're in a misaligned stance) a bad way. It really is that simple.

Now when you are certain that you are in a square stance, hit a few balls. If the ball goes way left of the target, you know you are pulling it by trying to use too much of your arms. If the ball goes way right, you know you are allowing your body to slide too much through impact.

By being in a square stance and evaluating a few practice shots, you can determine a lot about your swing and those areas that you need to work on.