How to Check Golf Alignment with the Handy Golf App
Alignment is one of the first setup fundamentals to check when you are trying to understand why the ball starts offline, curves too much, or misses the target. With the HandyGolf app, you can use drawing lines to compare your body alignment to your intended target line.
Set the Camera Correctly First
Before analyzing alignment, make sure your camera angle is accurate. If the camera is not positioned correctly, the lines you draw in the app may be misleading.
For a down-the-line alignment view, the camera should be:
- Parallel to the target line
- Opposite your hands at address
- Stable and level
- Far enough back to show your feet, body, ball, and target line
This step is critical. If the camera is even slightly off angle, your alignment lines may appear open or closed when they are not.
What Is Square Alignment?
A square alignment means your body lines are parallel to your target line. This usually includes your:
- Feet
- Hips
- Shoulders
When these lines are parallel to the target line, your setup is considered square. A square alignment generally helps promote straighter shots that start closer to your intended target.
Think of it like train tracks: the ball-to-target line is one rail, and your feet, hips, and shoulders form the other rail running parallel to it.
What Is Open Alignment?
Open alignment means your body is aimed left of the target line for a right-handed golfer. In the HandyGolf app, this shows up when the line across your feet points left compared to the target line.
Open alignment can often promote:
- Pull shots
- Slice shots
- Out-to-in swing paths
Many amateur golfers set up open without realizing it, then compensate during the swing. Checking your alignment on video can help you spot this quickly.
What Is Closed Alignment?
Closed alignment means your body is aimed right of the target line for a right-handed golfer. In the app, the line across your feet will point right compared to the target line.
Closed alignment can often promote:
- Push shots
- Hook shots
- In-to-out swing paths
A closed setup is not always wrong, but if you are unintentionally aimed right, it can explain why your ball starts right or curves too far left.
How to Analyze Alignment in the Handy Golf App
1. Draw the Target Line
Open your swing video in the HandyGolf app and select the line drawing tool. Draw a straight line along your intended target line. This is the reference line you will compare everything else to.
2. Draw the Feet Line
Next, draw a line along your feet at address. Try to place the line through the toes or along the same point on each shoe so the comparison is consistent.
3. Compare the Two Lines
Now compare the feet line to the target line:
- Square alignment: The feet line is parallel to the target line.
- Open alignment: The feet line aims left of the target line.
- Closed alignment: The feet line aims right of the target line.
4. Check Hips and Shoulders Too
After checking your feet, you can also draw lines across your hips and shoulders. Ideally, these body lines should match your intended setup. For a neutral setup, feet, hips, and shoulders should all be parallel to the target line.
Quick Alignment Guide
| Alignment Type | Body Aim | Common Ball Flight Tendencies |
|---|---|---|
| Square | Parallel to target line | Straighter shots |
| Open | Left of target line | Pulls and slices |
| Closed | Right of target line | Pushes and hooks |
Final Tip
Do not judge your alignment until your camera is set up correctly. Once the camera is parallel to the target line and positioned opposite your hands, the HandyGolf line tool can give you a much clearer view of whether your setup is square, open, or closed.
