Swing thoughts and the tee shot

[Leftie]

I've got a theory so please feel free to shoot me down if you wish.

How many of us can hit reasonable shots towards the green but our drives off the tee are unpredictable?

The drive off the tee is usually one of the few shots in golf where you are not aiming to hit a specific point at a specific distance as you would for the second/third shot to the pin. All we are usually trying to do is hit the ball as far as we can hopefully somewhere on the fairway. No wonder the final result is often not what we would wish.

A few years ago on one particular hole at the club there was a patch of grass about 210yds away on the fairway that was markedly different in colour to the surrounding fairway grass. By imagining that I was aiming at the green, I reckon that I would hit this patch 7 out of 10 times with the rest not too far off. Unfortunately the patch eventually reverted to the surrounding colour and my driving reverted to the usual cr*p.

Perhaps we should be concentrating not so much on swing thoughts but on aiming at a specific target - direction and distance and letting muscle memory take over.

 

[medwayjon]

My pro has said that the problem with drives lies at feet of aim.

He says that a lot of amateurs aim at a target area (the fairway) and that this causes the problem.

He basically said to take stock of a specific point and line everything up based on that. I have to say that it helps in my case.

You are completely correct with your thoughts on this Roger.

 

[USER1999]

If you align with a mark on the ground 12" in front of the ball, then swing at it, then what can go wrong?

On another note, I was playing with a mate years ago, and he had a similar theory. He said he was aiming at the 200 yard marker on the fairway, a yellow concrete disc slap bang in the middle. A nice swing later, and boom, off the disc and got another 50 yards the lucky so and so.

 

[Leftie]

On another note, I was playing with a mate years ago, and he had a similar theory. He said he was aiming at the 200 yard marker on the fairway, a yellow concrete disc slap bang in the middle. A nice swing later, and boom, off the disc and got another 50 yards the lucky so and so.

QED ??

 

[RGuk]

If you align with a mark on the ground 12" in front of the ball, then swing at it, then what can go wrong?

I choose a side of the fairway and use the above technique.

It's not really difficult though to explain why drives are more wayward than irons into greens??? If you don't take "dead aim" with your drives, they'll always be crap, so I guess I agree with your theory.....how many players just aim in a general direction?.....not many good ones, I suspect.