Tee box alignments that can play games with your head

[rollin]

I think to assume most everyone has had a tee box or two that causes struggles with alignment. You know, where the tee box itself wants to point you off the line and also perhaps the mowed grass lines are yet another direction and it just combines to make confusion with many to struggle to find that proper alignment.

Here is an example of such a hole at one of my locals. I cant begin to tell you how many people end up in those right side woods. The percentage is very high. The starters are always saying how people are constantly in there all day long and they certainly are. Just one those tees that begs for one to hit it into those woods. It also causes some to over compensate because they are so aware of the situation that they tend to sometimes hook one into the left bunkers or into those left side trees instead.

I will use my driver when i know I been hitting it well lately but usualy (being the first hole) I use a 5w because of the situation here and it has saved me from being in those right side trees many times. Headed in that direction but stayed just short and left enough to stay out of the trouble and if i do hit a good one with the 5w in the fw I still end up with a good chance at par with a 7i in since its not a real long hole so it works best for me on this hole.

Anyway, you can see how the tee box throws so many people off target here. Just begs for you to hit those right trees and quite difficult for most weekend hackers to get a comfortable and confident feeling of alignment including myself. I'm sure at least some have had such situations where the tee box itself might (mentally speaking) be the most difficult part of the hole to overcome.

 

[Hawk]

Used to struggle with this a bunch. Now I still do, but not quite as bad. Having an intermediary target helps sometimes.

 

[OITW]

Haha I struggle to hit the fairway with my driver anyway, so I think my problem runs deeper than that. I do know when I have the yardage though and I know what is out there 250-260, either clubbing down or changing my alignment helps.

 

[ATLGolfer]

Used to struggle with this a bunch. Now I still do, but not quite as bad. Having an intermediary target helps sometimes.

Lots of this.

 

[O'Carroll]

It's something I notice, but never bothered me. I'm not good enough to line up square to target anyway, so I'm used to being misaligned with the tee markers, grass pattern, and direction of the fairway.

 

[Fourputt]

I've never understood this issue. You have to line yourself up for every shot except the tee shot, so why let the course line you up for that one? When you follow a routine like I do, it's rarely a problem. I use a spot a couple of feet in front of the ball as my alignment "tool". It may be a twig or an odd blade of grass, or it may just be an imaginary spot that I keep my eye on until I've set my feet. The line formed by that spot and the ball is all I see while I'm taking my stance, so misaligned tee boxes or tee markers don't really bother me.

That doesn't mean that I wouldn't be out there on the right with all the others, but it would just be because I hit a lousy shot. I'm just about as likely to be off the fairway on the left.

 

[Sox_Fan]

Have several tee boxes that line up similar to this at my home course. Struggled with alignment from these tee boxes during my first couple of months playing the course. Was just a matter of getting comfortable through repetition of aligning shots contrary to the lay of the land.

 

[amsmith61]

I think there is at least one hole on every course that has the tee markers pointing in a direction or may be it is just the courses around me - not sure. Either way, this has gotten me in trouble before and like Hawk - I try to find an intermediary target and aim for it. Depending on the trees down the left side, I am looking to aim right at those bunkers on the left and trying to draw the ball back into the fairway.

But I was working on shot shaping before winter hit and depending on how I am hitting the driver or 3 wood on the range - this might be a perfect opportunity for me to try and hit a cut. Whether that ends up in the woods or not - well that is a different story

 

[Hawk]

The reason it's difficult for some and not like hitting from a fairway is that tee boxes often have square lines. Setting up at an angle to square lines can throw people off, even if you set up to an intermediary target.

Good example was #7 at my old club. The tee box is directly in line and angled towards the line of trees on the right, with the fairway off to the left. You have to angle yourself to the left, which if you don't do correctly can either open up or close down your shoulders, feet, etc. Result is a miss. It takes practice.

 

[rollin]

I've never understood this issue. You have to line yourself up for every shot except the tee shot, so why let the course line you up for that one? When you follow a routine like I do, it's rarely a problem. I use a spot a couple of feet in front of the ball as my alignment "tool". It may be a twig or an odd blade of grass, or it may just be an imaginary spot that I keep my eye on until I've set my feet. The line formed by that spot and the ball is all I see while I'm taking my stance, so misaligned tee boxes or tee markers don't really bother me.

That doesn't mean that I wouldn't be out there on the right with all the others, but it would just be because I hit a lousy shot. I'm just about as likely to be off the fairway on the left.

What you say makes sense but truth is that it happens to very many. Its strange to say this but I would find it easier to line up without any straight edges around vs near a straight edge that points you in an incorrect target path. Offset tee markers, along with off set tee box and then throw in lawnmower lines and it can get hard to do for many people. Especially when most of those things are all pretty much usualy in line. I guess many sort of (right or wrong) come to count on them for guidance by default simply because they are there often enough and take advantage of them. So when they are not there in the usual form it then can throw us off.

 

[drp3434]

This definitely used to bother me and affect my shots. I've worked around it with picking a target line and choosing something a couple feet in front of me to aim at. Now it doesn't get to me so much. It definitely takes some practice and getting used to to not allow it to bother you. Rollin's pic and Hawk's pic are great examples.

 

[rollin]

The reason it's difficult for some and not like hitting from a fairway is that tee boxes often have square lines. Setting up at an angle to square lines can throw people off, even if you set up to an intermediary target.

Good example was #7 at my old club. The tee box is directly in line and angled towards the line of trees on the right, with the fairway off to the left. You have to angle yourself to the left, which if you don't do correctly can either open up or close down your shoulders, feet, etc. Result is a miss. It takes practice.

Agree with what you say. And BTW thats a pretty looking (dog leg i think) hole at least in this picture. And looks like a tight fw.

 

[Hawk]

Agree with what you say. And BTW thats a pretty looking (dog leg i think) hole at least in this picture. And looks like a tight fw.

Yea, it doglegs right at 230 or so. It's a tough hole, made worse if you miss off the tee. One of my least favorite on that course and much of that was due to the tee shot. Just messed with my eyes.

 

[Wicked Cool Bearded Man]

This can mess me up as well. Sometimes it can help you too though. Usually at my home course if the tee box is lined up a certain way on two or three holes it completely changes my club selection.

 

[rollin]

I guess one way to practice this is to do what has been mentioned and try to ignore it and use other means for linning up. But this means to do that on the other holes too. Unfortunately it just becomes easy to use the tee box and markers on those other holes and probably why most dont get to practice it enough. We wont become better at it by simply practicing this logic on only the one or two holes where we need it.

Another way may be to opractice it at the range where one can turn the hitting mat on an angle and try to ignore it. Many people including myself will use the straight edges of a mat. I do ocasionaly move it purposely for this reason but I dont do it nearly enough.

 

[Paladin]

The 15th at my home course has this. The tee box is offset from the fairway by about 30 degrees. as a dogleg right, but there's nothing but a big waste area actually blocking you from flying the ball out onto the fairway about 80 or 90 yards from the green. But the tee markers are actually pointed to the start of the fairway, only 130 yards away. When I used to hit a long, looping fade, I had no problems. I'd aim along with the tee markers, and the ball rolls straight down the fairway. My little pull is another story, as I really don't have any intermediary aiming points, aiming right over the waste area and keeping the ball in the fairway as it cuts across. It's a fun hole, probably some of the best accuracy golf on the course.

 

[Hawk]

I guess one way to practice this is to do what has been mentioned and try to ignore it and use other means for linning up. But this means to do that on the other holes too. Unfortunately it just becomes easy to use the tee box and markers on those other holes and probably why most dont get to practice it enough. We wont become better at it by simply practicing this logic on only the one or two holes where we need it.

Another way may be to opractice it at the range where one can turn the hitting mat on an angle and try to ignore it. Many people including myself will use the straight edges of a mat. I do ocasionaly move it purposely for this reason but I dont do it nearly enough.

Best way I've found to help me with alignment is to lay two sticks on the ground parallel to each other lined up at the target and practice hitting the ball 'through' them at angles you're not comfortable with. You can also stick them in the ground and hit through the opening.

 

[Castor Hades]

On my home course there's a couple of looong par 5's that have tee boxes from he**. After many years I still struggle on those.

 

[mikedean441]

When they are right, and trouble is right its an instant snap hook for me

 

[rollin]

Yea, it doglegs right at 230 or so. It's a tough hole, made worse if you miss off the tee. One of my least favorite on that course and much of that was due to the tee shot. Just messed with my eyes.

Yopur least fav but i'll bet also makes you feel most great on those times you par it.

This can mess me up as well. Sometimes it can help you too though. Usually at my home course if the tee box is lined up a certain way on two or three holes it completely changes my club selection.

agreed as with using my mentioned 5w. But just a way to help us deal with it rather than learn to get better at it I guess. Although that can also in a way be considered a good management decision.

 

[drp3434]

I guess one way to practice this is to do what has been mentioned and try to ignore it and use other means for linning up. But this means to do that on the other holes too. Unfortunately it just becomes easy to use the tee box and markers on those other holes and probably why most dont get to practice it enough. We wont become better at it by simply practicing this logic on only the one or two holes where we need it.

Another way may be to opractice it at the range where one can turn the hitting mat on an angle and try to ignore it. Many people including myself will use the straight edges of a mat. I do ocasionaly move it purposely for this reason but I dont do it nearly enough.

I think stepping behind your ball and picking a line and short target to aim at is a good thing to do on every shot. But almost everyone I see on the course does not do it, or any version of it. So you're probably right with most amateurs using the tee box to line them up.

 

[rollin]

I think stepping behind your ball and picking a line and short target to aim at is a good thing to do on every shot. But almost everyone I see on the course does not do it, or any version of it. So you're probably right with most amateurs using the tee box to line them up.

I am not usualy one to step back for the alignment but i do ocasionally and i will do it on this hole. But its still becomes hard to trust it when you step up to the ball because even after looking from behimd you still dont feel right while at the ball. You m,ay line up correctly but then still swing the wrong way. This is what can also lead to that second (lesser miss) i mentioned. You line up correctly but then still swing with the box (in to out but too much) and hook one to the left. lol

It is certainly fixable but requires the effort to practice it. But i think with most amateurs/wekend hackers we have too many other things to work on and by defauklt this simply doeasnt pop up enough times to put on the top of the list. Thats no exuse but it is what it is and probably why many would struggle with this.

 

[IceyShanks]

Used to struggle with this a bunch. Now I still do, but not quite as bad. Having an intermediary target helps sometimes.

Yeah, picking something in between is all I focus on now, the angle of the tees obviously for where I place the ball, but then I don't even look at the box or the markers, I just align with my target and something in between!

 

[captaincaution]

Lots of people, myself included, use a line on their ball to help with alignment on putts. I also like to use the line on my ball to line up my tee shots. I pick an intermediate target close to the tee to aim at, and point the line on the ball down that line. This makes it really easy to ignore the alignment of the tee box and the tee's mowing pattern.

There are two shots where you can align your ball as you wish; just take advantage of those opportunities!

 

[Agent Jay]

I've seen a lot of holes that had done with golfers, including myself. I learned a long time ago to not let the tee box aim for me, either said than done. Playing new courses makes it more difficult. Usually, for me, it's all about standing at the back of the tee box and figuring out my player before pulling a club. Usually, if I do this, then I SEE that the tee box is not aimed well. OR sometime the tee box will aim your straight, but the grounds guy accidently (or did he?) aligned the tee markers off just a little, especially when they are really close together.