Ask any tour player what he thinks about while playing, and most will likely say "nothing." Ask what his concerns are during the round and the answer will be grip, ball position and alignment.

Have you ever wondered why you can't take your game from the practice range to the course? The biggest reasons are grip, ball position and alignment.

Here's an easy routine to use to ensure you're taking care of these issues each time you go to hit a shot.

Grip: The knuckles of the left hand should be showing as you look down at your grip. The club should be in your fingers, not your lifeline. On the right hand, the palm is the same as the clubface. The shaft should rest on the index finger, just like you are pulling a trigger on a gun.

Ball position: For the driver, the ball should be off your left instep. All other clubs just forward of middle, just off your left ear. Ball position determines shoulder position. With the ball just forward of middle, you will notice your shoulders, hips, knees and feet are all parallel to the target line.

Alignment: You're looking for parallel lines. Your body line should be parallel to your target line, like railroad tracks. Many players mistakenly look at the target for their body line. Instead, align your club with the target, then look left about 10 feet to find body line.

On the practice tee, lay the club down pointing just left of the target. Work on a routine that helps you get into your address position the same way every time and with your feet parallel to the club on the ground.

Take this routine for grip, ball position and alignment and you will find a path to better ball striking.