"Jack Nicklaus, for many years, employed this tee box strategy worth attempting - a sensible move to consider applying it yourself"

In the world of golf, alignment is a crucial factor that can significantly impact a player's score and overall success on the course. A simple yet effective tip for improving alignment on the tee box comes from PGA Specialist Professional and PGA Specialist Coach, Russell Covey.

According to Covey, when aiming on the tee box, it's essential to consider the rules regarding the use of a secondary target for alignment. The ideal secondary target should be no more than a club's length away, visible out of the corner of the lead eye. This tip can be practiced during a 30-minute driving range session.

The Rules of Golf, governed by the R&A and USGA, specify that a player may use an intermediate target (or aiming point) to help with alignment, but the ball must always be played towards the actual hole. Using a secondary target as a final destination is not legal if it changes the intended hole to be played. It's important to note that reading 5 timeless tips from Jack Nicklaus can provide valuable learning opportunities for golfers, and Nicklaus himself used a small spot or mark on the ground as a secondary target for years.

When on the tee box, Covey suggests using a discarded or broken tee (referred to as the "pink castle tee" in the image) or an old divot mark as a secondary target for alignment. It's easier to line up to a secondary target just in front of you than to aim at a distant object like a tree.

Covey's tip involves setting feet, knees, hips, and shoulders parallel to the target line on longer shots as part of the pre-shot routine. This process of using a secondary target should be integrated into this routine.

Many golfers make the mistake of putting the tee in the ground first and then finding a secondary target spot in front of them, which is the wrong way around. By following Covey's advice, golfers can improve their alignment and, in turn, their game.

It's worth mentioning that it's legal to use an already existing secondary target, like a small spot or mark on the ground, as long as it is not intentionally placed. However, it's not legal to use an alignment stick or any other object dropped as a secondary target to aim.

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Russell Covey, who has coached students who have won various amateur championships, and Jack Nicklaus, considered one of the best golfers of all time, both attest to the importance of alignment in golf. By following Covey's simple tip, golfers can take a significant step towards improving their alignment and, ultimately, their game. There are 18 opportunities to perfect your set-up and alignment on the tee box during a round of golf, so why not start today?

"Jack Nicklaus, for many years, employed this tee box strategy worth attempting - a sensible move to consider applying it yourself"