Curve the Golf Ball on Scary Tee Shots
From Michael Breed On March 15, 2021
The 18th hole at TPC Sawgrass is an extreme but great example of a challenge that many courses present. What do you do when there's nothing but trouble on one side of the hole? As Titleist staff member... Michael Breed explains, there are two main approaches – aim at the trouble and work the ball away from trouble or aim away from trouble and work the ball towards it.
Both solutions involve purposely curving the golf ball. Why not just hit a straight shot? The answer lies in playing the odds. By aiming at one side of the hole and knowing that your ball WILL curve away from that side, you can essentially double the safe landing area for your shot. Even a bad miss, a ball that over-curves will still be playable, in the rough at worst.
In contrast, if you aim down the middle of the fairway and play a straight shot (the hardest shot to hit, by the way), a small miss left or right could put you in the rough. A big miss playing a straight shot at Sawgrass No. 18 will put you in jail or in the drink.
In this video, Michael shares the finer points in set-up, body alignment and club selection for both strategies when you face big trouble on one side of the hole. Which solution is right for your game? Try them both, but you'll probably find that one shape (left-to-right or right-to-left) is easier to pull off, especially under pressure. The big key is to practice that shot-shape until it's bullet-proof. Once you're able to eliminate any chance of a double-cross (a fade when you're trying to draw it or a draw when you're trying to fade it) you'll know that you can remove the fear factor on almost any tee shot.
Both solutions involve purposely curving the golf ball. Why not just hit a straight shot? The answer lies in playing the odds. By aiming at one side of the hole and knowing that your ball WILL curve away from that side, you can essentially double the safe landing area for your shot. Even a bad miss, a ball that over-curves will still be playable, in the rough at worst.
In contrast, if you aim down the middle of the fairway and play a straight shot (the hardest shot to hit, by the way), a small miss left or right could put you in the rough. A big miss playing a straight shot at Sawgrass No. 18 will put you in jail or in the drink.
In this video, Michael shares the finer points in set-up, body alignment and club selection for both strategies when you face big trouble on one side of the hole. Which solution is right for your game? Try them both, but you'll probably find that one shape (left-to-right or right-to-left) is easier to pull off, especially under pressure. The big key is to practice that shot-shape until it's bullet-proof. Once you're able to eliminate any chance of a double-cross (a fade when you're trying to draw it or a draw when you're trying to fade it) you'll know that you can remove the fear factor on almost any tee shot.
The 18th hole at TPC Sawgrass is an extreme but great example of a challenge that
...
many courses present. What do you do when there's nothing but trouble on one side of the hole? As Titleist staff member Michael Breed explains, there are two main approaches – aim at the trouble and work the ball away from trouble or aim away from trouble and work the ball towards it.
Both solutions involve purposely curving the golf ball. Why not just hit a straight shot? The answer lies in playing the odds. By aiming at one side of the hole and knowing that your ball WILL curve away from that side, you can essentially double the safe landing area for your shot. Even a bad miss, a ball that over-curves will still be playable, in the rough at worst.
In contrast, if you aim down the middle of the fairway and play a straight shot (the hardest shot to hit, by the way), a small miss left or right could put you in the rough. A big miss playing a straight shot at Sawgrass No. 18 will put you in jail or in the drink.
In this video, Michael shares the finer points in set-up, body alignment and club selection for both strategies when you face big trouble on one side of the hole. Which solution is right for your game? Try them both, but you'll probably find that one shape (left-to-right or right-to-left) is easier to pull off, especially under pressure. The big key is to practice that shot-shape until it's bullet-proof. Once you're able to eliminate any chance of a double-cross (a fade when you're trying to draw it or a draw when you're trying to fade it) you'll know that you can remove the fear factor on almost any tee shot.
Both solutions involve purposely curving the golf ball. Why not just hit a straight shot? The answer lies in playing the odds. By aiming at one side of the hole and knowing that your ball WILL curve away from that side, you can essentially double the safe landing area for your shot. Even a bad miss, a ball that over-curves will still be playable, in the rough at worst.
In contrast, if you aim down the middle of the fairway and play a straight shot (the hardest shot to hit, by the way), a small miss left or right could put you in the rough. A big miss playing a straight shot at Sawgrass No. 18 will put you in jail or in the drink.
In this video, Michael shares the finer points in set-up, body alignment and club selection for both strategies when you face big trouble on one side of the hole. Which solution is right for your game? Try them both, but you'll probably find that one shape (left-to-right or right-to-left) is easier to pull off, especially under pressure. The big key is to practice that shot-shape until it's bullet-proof. Once you're able to eliminate any chance of a double-cross (a fade when you're trying to draw it or a draw when you're trying to fade it) you'll know that you can remove the fear factor on almost any tee shot.
414
Videos
Filter:
- Alex Buckner
- Brad Faxon
- Dan Whittaker
- Dr. Mo Pickens
- Matt Leach
- Matthew Johns
- Sophie Walker
- Cameron McCormick
- James Sieckmann
- Mark Blackburn
- Michael Breed
- Trillium Rose
- Jonathan Yarwood
- Dave Phillips
- Brandon Stooksbury
- Justin Parsons
- Layne Savoie
- Dr. Rob Neal
- Dr. Greg Rose
- Skip Guss
- Jason Baile
- John Kostis
- Jennifer Hudson
- Ryan Hager
- Corey Lundberg
- Tom Patri
- Driver
- Fairway
- Hybrid
- Utility Iron
- Iron
- Wedge
- Putter
- Fundamentals
- Shot Shaping
- Anti-hook
- Anti-slice
- Alignment
- Tight Lie
- Long Rough
- Bunker Play
- Consistency
- Distance Control
- Trajectory
Why Your Pre-Shot Routine Must be Adaptable
From Justin Parsons On December 02, 2024
In this video, Titleist staff member Justin Parsons discusses the importance of...
Course Management vs. Strategy in Golf
From Justin Parsons On November 18, 2024
In this video, Titleist staff member Justin Parsons discusses the difference...
How to Select the Right Club for Your Tee Shots
From Justin Parsons On November 14, 2024
In this video, Titleist staff member Justin Parsons shares some of his keys to...
Dial In Your Chipping and Short Game Distance Control
From Michael Breed On October 09, 2024
Titleist staff members Michael Breed and Greg Ducharme are here to help you take...
Fine Tune Your Short Game Strategy
From Michael Breed On October 09, 2024
In this video, Titleist staff member Michael Breed shares some of his keys to...
Pressure and Your Pre-Shot Routine
From Justin Parsons On October 09, 2024
In golf, to perform under pressure you need to think clearly and in this video,...
No results
Titleist Instruction Newsletter
Titleist Tips: Make the Most of Your Golf Practice Time
One of the coolest things about the game of golf is the fact that we play the same game as the pros. Most of us will never take batting practice in...
Morgan Hoffmann: #ProvingIt
On Dec. 4, 2017, Morgan Hoffmann penned an article for The Players' Tribune, an online media platform that provides first-person content written by...
Iron Selector Tool
This iron selection tool starts the fitting process by suggesting a recommended and alternative iron set. The next step is to experience a...
