Golf alignment can fool the camera: why parallel lines may look wrong

Place two straight alignment sticks parallel on the ground and look along them. They appear to draw closer together in the distance, although their separation does not change. The same perspective effect operates in golf videos. Making two lines look precisely parallel on a phone screen can accidentally encourage a golfer to rotate their stance away from the intended setup.

THE COACHING SOURCE On October 24, 2026, instructor Adam Young published The Alignment Myth That 70% Get Wrong. His explanation compares overhead views with down-the-line camera angles to examine the traditional instruction to stand 'parallel left' of the target. This is a coach's geometry-based explanation, not a controlled trial proving that an intervention improves scoring.

Young also surveyed his social-media audience about which photograph showed the correct alignment. The percentages he reports describe that self-selected poll; they are not reliable estimates for the entire golfing population.

BALL LINE VERSUS FOOT LINE The ball-target line connects the ball to the selected target. The foot line is the imaginary line running along the player's stance. In a conventional parallel-left arrangement for a right-handed golfer, the feet are slightly left of the ball-target line, but the two lines point in the same direction. The setup is mirrored for left-handed golfers. Parallel lines retain the same separation all the way to the target. If the feet are roughly one metre to one side of the ball line, the foot line passes roughly one metre to that side of the distant target—not tens of metres away.

Two lines that are parallel on the turf will usually appear to converge in a down-the-line image. Camera height and horizontal position further change their apparent angles. Thus, a foot line appearing to point at the flag is not proof of poor alignment; lines that look parallel in a recording may not be physically parallel.

A SIMPLE TWO-STICK CHECK On a practice range, choose a distinct target. Position two alignment rods on the ground, safely clear of the ball and club path. Use one to indicate the intended target direction and the other to represent the stance line. Check the distance between the sticks at both the near and far ends. Similar separation means they are physically parallel, regardless of how a camera renders them. Film the unchanged arrangement from two safe positions to notice how perspective changes its appearance.

AN 18-BALL SELF-CHECK Choose a familiar mid-iron and keep the same target. Hit six balls in your normal setup, six after checking your alignment with the rods, and six with the rods removed. Choose an intermediate aiming point before every shot. Record the initial start direction, curvature, strike quality and whether the setup feels comfortable. Compare the groups rather than celebrating a single exceptional strike; repeat on another day before considering a lasting change.

WHAT THIS DOES NOT ESTABLISH Parallel alignment is a reference geometry, not a mandatory prescription for all shots. A planned draw or fade, uneven lie or an individual's mobility can justify another stance direction. The foot line is also not the same thing as the club's actual path or face angle at impact. This exercise helps reveal a measurement illusion, but does not promise straighter shots or lower scores.

Source: Adam Young Golf, The Alignment Myth That 70% Get Wrong, October 24, 2026: https://www.adamyounggolf.com/the-alignment-myth-that-70-get-wrong/