Course Management · Lesson
Choose Your Spot on the Tee, Then Check Your Lie
Part of our course management programs for picking targets. Build a program with it
Most golfers walk to the middle of the tee and then look for a target. That's backward. First, look at the hole from the left, middle and right of the tee. Picture your normal shot, its start line and its curve. Then tee up where that whole shot has the most room. Don't invent a shape you never practice. And keep reading the ground in the fairway too. A ball above or below your feet changes how it starts and curves.
Step by step
- View the hole from both sides of the tee.
- Picture your normal shot shape.
- Tee up where it has the most room.
- Skip shots you rarely practice.
- Check the slope even in the fairway.
Why it works
Your normal shot has a start line and a curve. If you tee up on the side where that path has the most room, a small miss still ends in play. Hazards on the far side of the curve matter less when you start from the side that keeps them away from the ball's path. On slopes, a ball above your feet tends to curve left for a right-hander and a ball below your feet tends to curve right, so reading the lie lets you aim for the real curve.
Common mistakes
- You walk to the middle of the tee and then pick a target.Look at the hole from the left, middle and right first, then choose where to tee up.
- You plan a shape you rarely hit, such as a fade when you normally draw.Plan only the shot you hit most often and set up so that shot has room.
- You ignore the slope once you are in the fairway and aim as if the lie were flat.Check whether the ball is above or below your feet and adjust your aim for the start line and curve it will cause.
How you'll know it's working
- Your normal miss finishes in play more often because the tee spot gives the shot room.
- Your ball starts on the line you pictured and curves the amount you expected.
- On sloped lies, you stop being surprised by where the ball finishes.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Practice on a hole with one clear hazard on one side, so the best tee spot is easy to see.
Harder: Play a hole with hazards on both sides and pick your tee spot and aim before every shot, including from sloped lies.
Common questions
Which side of the tee should I tee up on?
Tee up on the side that gives your normal shot the most room. If you hit a draw, that usually means the side where the trouble is on the right is farthest from your start line, but check the hole from each side.
How does a sloped lie change the shot?
For a right-hander, a ball above your feet usually starts and curves left, and a ball below your feet usually starts and curves right. Aim to allow for that before you swing.
