Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you play smarter, better golf.
There’s always those moments on a tee box when golfers make small talk and crack some jokes about the round. But did you know there’s a better way to spend time while waiting to hit your shot?
While most players go through a pre-shot routine to help them lock in and commit to their tee shot, GOLF Top 100 Teacher Brian Mogg says there’s an additional trick to check your alignment and clubface angle: using the cut line between the tee box and rough.
In the video below, Mogg shows you why ditching the small talk and using the dimensions of the tee box can help shore up your swing fundamentals.
How using the tee box can help with your alignment and clubface angle
As the video above shows, Mogg stands on the border of the tee box, using the cut line of the rough to double-check a number of different areas of the upcoming tee shot.
“Where it’s a very clearly defined area, use it,” explains Mogg. “I can check my ball position. I can check my alignment.”
Whether you’re a player who struggles with where to aim, or someone who can’t quite square the clubface at impact (leading to a hook or a slice), Mogg says that using this area between the tee box and the rough provides you with a straight line to practice with.
It’s almost as if you’ve got a natural alignment stick (available here) during a round!
Many amateurs don’t ‘release’ the club, so try this for more distance
“You got a lot of golfers that end up with, sometimes, too much wrist angle coming into the ball,” adds Mogg. “Now I can use it [the tee box line] to get the shaft back into neutral.”
Regardless of what checkpoints you need to work on prior to hitting your tee shot, this little tee box trick is a great way to gather your pre-swing thoughts, quickly process your swing fundamentals, and then lock into your strategy as you address the golf ball.
“Whether it’s letting the club release, or whether it’s just a couple of good setup basics, use where you can see definition here,” says Mogg. “It’s very easy to check good points in your golf swing.”
Sure, it’s fun to chat with your playing partners before hitting your tee shot. But using this tip from Mogg will better prepare both for the mental and physical aspects of the golf swing — giving you the confidence to hit the shot you want.
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