Down-the-line
Alignment.
The feet or the club are aimed off the intended line. Film down-the-line with the club in the frame.
Down-the-line · Club in frame · Address, Takeaway, Impact
What's going on.
The clubface or the feet are pointed somewhere other than the line you meant. Down-the-line, a good swing still starts the ball left or right of the flag. The miss is baked in before the takeaway.
What's already OK.
You are still making a full mid-iron. The rails just were not aimed at the flag.
The one thing.
Aim the clubface at the flag first. Then stand on rails next to that line.
The drill.
Face then rails
A mid-iron. One stick on the target line, one just inside the toes, parallel. Camera down-the-line, club in the frame. Stock full swing.
10 rehearsals, then 10 balls.
The face matches the far stick. The feet match the near stick.
Film again.
5 full mid-irons, down-the-line, club in the frame. Share the best. The next look is only this idea.
Down-the-line at Address the face and the feet match the intended line. Takeaway and Impact start from that line, not from a secret aim off to one side.
- Watch Mike Malaska 2:12–4:10
- Watch Athletic Motion Golf 4:03–5:14
- Face-then-rails: 10 rehearsals, then 10 balls
- Film 5 down-the-line mid-irons with the club visible and share the best
Watch these clips.
Official YouTube. Start times are the bit that teaches this idea, not the whole channel.
He lays a stick at the flag, aims the face, then sets the body parallel to that start line. Watch that order. Skip the earlier grip talk.
They name the course miss: you think you are down the middle and you are set up well off it. Watch that down-the-line walk-in. The earlier ball-position bit is a different card.