How to use an alignment rod to improve your game, per a top teacher

A 2026 FM Championship practice-range walk highlights the popularity of alignment rods as training aids among top players. Golf Top 100 teacher Kellie Stenzel says the rods deliver immediate feedback on aim and alignment, but using them well requires avoiding two common errors. First, the rod should be parallel to the target line, not pointed directly at the target; Stenzel advises aiming it at a spot about five yards left or right of the intended target. Second, set the clubface first: make it perpendicular to the alignment stick using the leading edge, then build the stance so the toe line runs parallel to the rod. Finally, train your eyes—look at the target, return to the ball, and repeat.