Course Management · Tip
Use the Tee to Give Your Misses Room
Part of our course management programs for big numbers, picking targets, wind and weather. Build a program with it
Where you tee up changes how much room you have to miss. On a straight hole, tee up on the side that matches your curve. Draw players on the left, fade players on the right. Then you're hitting across the fairway. On holes with trouble on one side, tee up on that side and aim away from it. That angle gives a crooked shot more room. Over 250 yards, even a small angle adds up to many yards. Allow for wind too.
Step by step
- Find the trouble.
- Tee up on that side.
- Aim away from it.
- On straight holes, tee on your curve side.
- Allow for wind.
Why it works
Your ball curves in a fairly predictable way, and a tee position lets you aim so the curve works across the fairway rather than toward the edge. Teeing on the trouble side and aiming away from it gives you the full width of the hole to use. Over 250 yards, a small change in start angle becomes a large change in where the ball ends up, so a small move on the tee box matters.
Common mistakes
- You tee up on the trouble side but still aim at the trouble.Pick a target on the far side of the fairway and align your feet and clubface to it before you swing.
- You move across the tee box but do not change your aim, so the angle does nothing.After you tee up, walk behind the ball and pick a new line from the new spot.
- You ignore wind and aim as if the air were still.Check which way the wind pushes the ball and shift your start line against it so the wind does not carry the ball into the trouble.
How you'll know it's working
- Your misses finish in the short grass or light rough, not in the trouble you were avoiding.
- Your normal shot starts toward the far side of the fairway and curves back toward the middle.
- You can say before each tee shot which side you are avoiding and where your target is.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Practice on a wide, open hole with trouble on only one side so the right tee spot is easy to see.
Harder: Use it on a tight hole with trouble on both sides and a crosswind, and pick the tee spot and line before you swing.
Common questions
Which side of the tee box should I tee up on if I hook the ball?
Tee up on the side where the trouble is, which is usually the left for a right-hander who hooks. Aim away from the trouble so the hook brings the ball back toward the fairway.
Does where I tee up really make a difference?
Yes. Moving across the tee box changes the angle of your line to the fairway, and over a long shot that angle adds up to many yards of extra room for a miss.
