AlignmentPre-shot routine Driver Beginner ⏱ 8 min 🇫🇷 Video in French

Golf Course Alignment Waypoint: Lewis Wallace

Name: Golf Course Alignment Waypoint: Lewis Wallace
Uploaded: 2023-08-20T12:00:00+00:00
Duration: 7 min 42 s
Channel: Lewis Wallace
Description: Think you're aligned correctly? Lewis Wallace uses a stick on the ground to demonstrate the mistake many golfers make without realizing it: positioning their feet first. Instead, he suggests Jack Nicklaus’s method—placing the clubhead first on an intermediate point—and his 1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1 pre-shot routine.

Think you're aligned correctly? Lewis Wallace uses a stick on the ground to demonstrate the mistake many golfers make without realizing it: positioning their feet first. Instead, he suggests Jack Nicklaus’s method—placing the clubhead first on an intermediate point—and his 1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1 pre-shot routine.

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Lewis Wallace · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

4 minNext Level UpReading Greens with Your Feet, Justin Rose's WayJustin Rose · Intermediate 10 minNext Level UpBrooks Koepka's Fairway Finder: The Safe FadeBrooks Koepka · Intermediate / Expert 14 minFrom the same proCombo Iron Set: Custom-Made Head, Shaft, and GripLewis Wallace · Intermediate / Expert

What the lesson shows

Lewis Wallace points out that, when it comes to the driver, consistency means getting the ball on the fairway, and that a key factor comes into play even before the swing: align properly. The most common mistake he sees: getting ahead of the ball and placing first the feet, then the body, then the clubhead. When he repeats this pre-shot routine with a baguette, he finds himself unintentionally aligned all the way to the right. However, A right-aligned body causes compensation: In a swing, you come back over the line to hit the ball back onto the court.

He suggests the Jack Nicklaus order: Clubhead first, then the body, then the feet, or Cameron Smith's variation: clubhead behind the ball, left hand on the left leg, feet together, then left foot and right foot. To aim, he chooses a midpoint about one meter in front of the ball—a small flower, for example—since you can't place a tee on the tee box. Then the pre-shot routine 1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1: clubhead, intermediate point, target, then target, intermediate point, ball.

The Exercise, Step by Step

Stand behind the ball, choose your starting direction, and pick an intermediate point about one meter in front of the ball—such as a flower or a mark on the ground.
First, position the clubhead behind the ball, aligned with that midpoint.
Look: clubhead, intermediate point, target, then target, intermediate point, ball.
Place your left hand on your left leg, with your feet together, then place your left foot and your right foot.
Put your hands back on the grip, repeat the 1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1 eye exercise, and play.
At the driving range, use a stick on the ground to make sure your feet are parallel to the line.

Key Takeaways

Alignment is key to consistency—even before the swing.

Feet first, then clubhead: we often align to the right without realizing it.

A body aligned to the right causes you to swing back over the line.

Jack Nicklaus's sequence: clubhead, body, then feet.

A point about one meter in front of the ball serves as a reference point.

Pre-shot eye-tracking routine: 1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1.

Mistakes to Avoid

Position your feet first, then your body, then the clubhead.
Believing that alignment is too basic to be verified.
Unintentionally aligning to the right and then swinging back over to compensate.
Placing a tee in front of the ball on the tee box is not allowed: use a natural landmark instead.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

Start with a pre-shot routine where you place your feet on a stick to check the gap
Same shot, but in the order of clubhead, body, feet
Choosing a reference point in front of each ball
Pre-shot routine: 1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1 before each shot

Your Questions

What is the most common alignment error?

According to Lewis Wallace, position your feet first, then your body, and finally the clubhead. Without realizing it, you often end up aligning yourself well to the right of the target.

Why does poor alignment cause you to miss shots?

If the body is pointing to the right, you swing back across the line to send the ball back toward the fairway. Misalignment causes you to compensate technically.

How did Jack Nicklaus line up?

First, align the clubhead with a point between you and the ball, then your body, and finally your feet. Lewis Wallace adds the “1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1” pre-shot routine to this.

Can we place a marker at the starting line to help us line up?

No, you can't place a tee like that. Lewis Wallace recommends choosing a natural landmark, such as a small flower, about one meter in front of the ball.

Learn More

All “Alignment” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you All “Pre-shot routine” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you Justin Rose's putting session with Phil KenyonBefore a tournament, Rose and his coach check his setup, the ball's line matched to the top of the putter, a start-line gate and the slope in percent. Reading Greens with Your Feet, Justin Rose's WayRose walks in a semicircle to feel where the slope changes direction, then adjusts his stance until a stick on the ground points to the center of the hole. Brooks Koepka's Fairway Finder: The Safe FadeKoepka breaks down the drive into alignment and ball position, then demonstrates his “fairway finder”: ball set back, open stance, and a downward swing. Lewis WallaceAll of his lessons

Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Lewis Wallace). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons without hosting them.