Water on Right- So tee up on right?

[mahbo]

Hey Guys

Need to pick your brains on this. I have this one hole which is a nightmare for me, and it is definitely pyschological. It's a par 4, water and out of bounds on the right. The tee and fairway is set up so you are playing a fade. I keep changing my approach. Here is my sequence of thinking.

I have been generally leaning towards the advice to tee up on the same side of trouble. So in this case, I will tee up on the right side of the tee, and aim left. SoI am setting myslef up for a fade. What generally happens is I aim on the left side of the fairway, but very often when I hit the ball, it starts off on the path of the middle of the fairway, and slices right and out of bounds. What tends to happen is I get nervous and end up grippping the club to tightly and the ball sails right.

The only reason I don't set up for a draw, is due the advice of don't into trouble, if there is no guarantee the ball will turn over.

I am thinking, is the compormise to continue to aim left side of the fairway, but set up for a draw. Meaning by club face is aimed left side fairway, but my body is lined up towards the middle of the fairway. That was, if the ball decides to not come around, it shoudl still go straight?

any thoughts guys?What would you guys do?
thanks
Mahbo

[BrianW]

Re: Water on Right- So tee up on right?

The ball will take off between the direction the clubface is aimed and the direction of the swingpath but closer to the direction of the clubface. If you aim left with the clubface square and swing out to in then the ball will take off straight and fade to the right.

In the case of this hole I suggest you setup in the centre of the tee box, open your stance so that it points slightly right, square your clubface to the target. Swing slightly in to out, the ball will take off slightly right and draw back left into the centre.

[bill reed]

Re: Water on Right- So tee up on right?

hi
when i find myself on a tight hole i do was you said and set on on that side of the tee but also i look to place the ball on the fairway. to do this i swing slower and more controlled, i normaly drive about 250-260 yards with the driver but when i try and place it i swing slower and hit only about 220 yards. often playing my 1 iron off the tee on tight holes and hitting between 200 and 210 with a controld swing. not many par 4s i cant reach with a second shot. most times a 4 or 5 iron.
i think it better 220 yards on the fairway than out of bounds 260 yards away or in deep rough and having to play my second just to get on the fairway.
i use to play with and old guy in his later 60s and he would only drive most of his tee shots with a 5 iron and he would still shoot his 16 handicap most days. it not all about distance, being able to put the ball where you want! it's often better than hitting long into the deep stuff.
cheers
Bill

[mahbo]

Re: Water on Right- So tee up on right?

The ball will take off between the direction the clubface is aimed and the direction of the swingpath but closer to the direction of the clubface. If you aim left with the clubface square and swing out to in then the ball will take off straight and fade to the right.

In the case of this hole I suggest you setup in the centre of the tee box, open your stance so that it points slightly right, square your clubface to the target. Swing slightly in to out, the ball will take off slightly right and draw back left into the centre.

thanks BRian....So what you are saying, play for the draw. is that because you think, if you set up for a fade, it could turn into an out of control slice and hence end up inthe water on the right?

thanks
Mahbo

[slater170]

Re: Water on Right- So tee up on right?

Two holes on my course set up that way
i do exactly as brian says and play for the draw, trying to hit a fade would be too risky
play the percentage shot!

[KrudlerAce]

Avoid Trouble

I have a similar hole at my course but the trouble is on the left which is out of bounds and the hole shapes right to left.

I always tee up on the same side as the trouble on the tee block. In this case it is on the left side. I then pick a spot on the right centre of the fairway and focus on that spot. I always aim to make as smooth a swing as possible here and just focus on my tempo, nothing else.

Most times I find a hit a nice draw or sometimes leave it out slightly to the right. Either way it's out of trouble and I have a chance of hitting a decent second shot.

Hope that helps.

[mahbo]

Re: Water on Right- So tee up on right?

Hey Guys

thanks for your thoughts and replies. I forgot to add, this hole is only a 280 metre par four. There is a water hazzard on the right, and if you clear the water hazzard on the right , it is out of bounds.

I decided to put away my driver, use a 3 Rescue, and try to set up for a slight draw. Also my logic was even if the three rescue fades to the right, it will only trickle into the hazzard where I can take a drop. Whereas in the past my driver went right of the water hazzrd and was OB.

It worked! I will be sticking with rescue going forward!
mahbo

[Ringer]

Re: Water on Right- So tee up on right?

The most difficult aspect of avoiding trouble, is making it up in your mind you actually have to swing towards it more so than away from it.

Yes, set your aim to the left with at least your clubface. You can even move to the right side of the tee box... but DO NOW SWING LEFT of where you aimed. If you swing the left of where you aimed it will cause the ball to curve back to the right. That's the way physics dictate the ball flies. If you swing left of where the face aims at impact, the ball will curve to the right. If you swing to the right of where the face is aimed at impact, the ball will curve to the left.

[mahbo]

Re: Water on Right- So tee up on right?

The most difficult aspect of avoiding trouble, is making it up in your mind you actually have to swing towards it more so than away from it.

Yes, set your aim to the left with at least your clubface. You can even move to the right side of the tee box... but DO NOW SWING LEFT of where you aimed. If you swing the left of where you aimed it will cause the ball to curve back to the right. That's the way physics dictate the ball flies. If you swing left of where the face aims at impact, the ball will curve to the right. If you swing to the right of where the face is aimed at impact, the ball will curve to the left.

Thanks Ringer

You are a genius...you know that bit of advice, swinging to the right of where the face is aimed has really helped me with a bit of a breakthrough....

I have been ferociously trying to work out how to swing from the inside, and draw the ball consistently. And what I found would happen would be I might focus on a target on the fairway, and once i got to the top of my backswing, I would forget where I was aiming to, and would rush my downswing and pull the ball!! Very annoying.

The pump drill, pausing at the top of my backswing, lateral bump with hips, I have made that a religion...but again, if I dont know where I am tryign to swing, all the above drills go to waste, and I go to my natural tendency and pul the ball.

I know we all have different swing thoughts or reminders to help us execute what we need to do, and we all learn and execute through various reminders and drills. But what has really helped me has been to forget about picking a target on the fairway, but instead focus on the ball and an intermediate target 30 centimetres from ball, and visualize swing through that and slightly right of that( 7 oclock to 1 oclock) What I also try and do in my practice swing is to have the club at the top of my backswing crossing the line, which encourgaes me also to hit from the inside.

Liek I said, we all have different ways of executing a shot, but I have found this has been what has helped me hit a draw more often

thanks again!
mahbo

[Ian Hancock]

Re: Water on Right- So tee up on right?

Wow,

Everyone on this thread is thinking of the water or out of bounds, or where to tee up to avoid the hazard..........!!!!

Come on guys get a grip: First rule in mental training look where you want the ball to land, not where you don't want it to go.

You shouldn't even look at the water unless you like ducks, just focus on the game.

Hope this helps

Ian

[BrianW]

Re: Water on Right- So tee up on right?

Problem is Ian that just because you look at a point it does not mean the ball will go there. The best way is to understand the 'D' plane ball flight laws so that you can shape the shot with confidence. It was only when I got my head around this theory that I was able to hit controlled shaped shots.

[mahbo]

Re: Water on Right- So tee up on right?

thanks Brian

May I ask what is thie "D" plane theory, and where can I go to find out more?

cheers

Mahbo

[Carlito117]

Re: Water on Right- So tee up on right?

You shouldn't even look at the water unless you like ducks, just focus on the game.

Fantastic!

[BrianW]

Re: Water on Right- So tee up on right?

thanks Brian

May I ask what is thie "D" plane theory, and where can I go to find out more?

cheers

Mahbo

Take a look at this video, he explains the 'D' plane ball flight laws. The sound quality is not great but follow how the difference between the clubface and swing path affects ball direction.