This is the first lesson in our comprehensive series on developing elite-level ball striking.
Becoming a great ball striker ultimately comes down to mastering three elements: hitting the ball in the right direction, with the correct trajectory, and with the correct curvature. When you control all three, you have complete command of your golf game.
The very first step in this journey is learning to control your starting line. If you can dictate exactly where the ball begins its flight, you've laid the foundation for becoming an exceptional ball striker.
Have you ever been in the middle of a round, blocking shot after shot to the right — or pulling everything left — with absolutely no idea how to fix it? This drill will give you the specific feel and awareness needed to correct these problems on the fly during a round, so you can self-correct instead of helplessly repeating the same miss. You can also get instant feedback on your swing path with a free AI swing analysis that shows exactly where your club is traveling through impact.
Set Up the Drill
You'll set up a pair of alignment rods for a simple but powerful drill that teaches you how to manipulate both the club and your body to control the ball's starting line.
Stand the first rod upright approximately seven to eight feet in front of your ball, positioned directly in line with a target you've selected down range. If you were to hit the ball dead straight at your target, it would strike the rod.
Lay the second rod flat on the ground, parallel to the first rod and aligned with your target. This ground rod helps you align your feet, hips, and shoulders parallel to a dead straight shot line — giving you a reliable reference for square alignment.
Hit to Each Side
With both alignment rods in position, it's time to start hitting shots. Line up for a perfectly straight shot — no cheating by simply turning your entire body — and then deliberately hit balls to each side of the upright stick. Start by sending one to the right, then one to the left, alternating with every swing.
At this stage, we're not concerned with how far right or left your shots go, or what shape they take in the air. Just focus exclusively on the starting line of each shot — where the ball begins its flight relative to the stick.
Here's what you'll discover: if you're someone who tends to come over the top with a right-to-left club path, hitting balls to the left of the stick will feel effortless. But the moment you try to start the ball to the right, it becomes genuinely challenging.
Reshaping your swing path to produce an inside-out movement — sending the ball to the right — will feel uncomfortable and unfamiliar at first. That's completely normal. With focused repetition, the new movement pattern will become increasingly natural.
The critical requirement is that your feet, hips, and shoulders remain aligned to the rod on the ground throughout every swing.
The entire purpose of this drill is learning to manipulate the starting line through changes in your club path and body mechanics — not by simply re-aiming your whole setup to one side or the other.
Give it a Try
Set up parallel to your target and begin with short, easy swings.
Start by working the ball to the right of the stick. Focus on feeling your club approach from slightly more to the inside, keeping your shoulders a touch more closed through impact, and starting the ball out to the right of the rod.
Now switch and hit one to the left. You'll alternate sides with every shot — right, left, right, left. This variation closely mimics on-course conditions, where you rarely get to repeat the exact same shot twice in a row. We want to develop your ability to manipulate ball flight on demand.
Line your feet up parallel to the ground rod again, but this time work the club more out in front of your body. Swing from right to left through the impact zone, starting the ball slightly left of the stick.
Once you're comfortable with the drill at slower speeds, gradually increase your clubhead speed, eventually building up to full swings. For additional practice with real-time feedback on your swing path, try a free AI golf lesson that tracks your movement mechanics.
When you can make full swings, alternating sides, and successfully send 10 shots to the right and 10 to the left of the stick, you will have completed the essential first step in becoming a truly great ball striker.
Watch part 2 now to see how you're moving your body in the opposite direction of the pros!
Setting up the drill
Set up the shot
Don't turn your whole body - that's cheating!
Hitting to the right
