Why You Need This: In this video, you get a golf strategy lesson...

...that'll teach you how to eliminate one side of the golf course.

This will really come in handy to help cut down on penalty strokes.

You'll learn how to avoid the danger and protect your score.

In the video, you'll see how you should block off one side of the course.

(Usually the side that's out of bounds or maybe there's some other obstacle you need to avoid.)

It's almost like you're putting up a giant brick wall on that side.

Let's say you need to avoid the right side of a hole.

What you want to do is aim a bit to the left then cut the ball in.

Remember, the point is to avoid the out of bounds at all costs.

So even if you hit the ball a little bit too left...

That's way better than having to take a penalty.

But by shaping the ball flight, your goal is to still hit the ball in the fairway.

You're just playing it safe.

The same logic applies if the out of bounds is on the left side.

You'd aim a bit to the right and bring the ball back to hit the fairway.

Check out this video now to get a golf strategy lesson...

To avoid the bad stuff (and the penalty strokes) and keep your handicap down.

Let's get started!

Golf Pros Featured:

Instructors Featured: Clay Ballard    

Video Duration: 4:43

Video Transcription:

Hi guys, and welcome back. In today’s video we’re going to talk about how to eliminate those penalty strokes when we’re hitting off the tee.

We’re on a typical par 5, and this is a pretty common scenario that you’re faced with all the time on a golf course. On the right, there’s a little bit of trees, and then to the right of that is out of bounds. So I definitely don’t want to go out of bounds.

To the left, there’s also trees, but there’s no out of bounds, it’s just rough over there. Even if I hit it left I’m going to be all right.

Now, my general rule of thumb if you want to make sure that you eliminate as many penalty strokes as possible, is we’re always going to start the ball away from the trouble.

the big trouble is on the right, I’m going to give that my top priority. Big trouble on the right. I want to start away from that trouble.

So here, this shot, this hole would be perfect for a small cut. So I can line up just down the left edge of the fairway, about where I want my ball to start. I’m going to have my left foot turned open a little bit, that’s going to help me to open up and to get a little bit more of a cut.

So as I turn my left heel out, that’s going to allow my hip to open up and allow me to play a cut a little bit easier. I’m going to place that ball a little bit farther up in my stance.

If I’m going to play a cut, as I start to get the ball farther and farther up in my stance, your swing is naturally going to happen on an arc. So as I’m swinging down the club is moving slightly out to the right. As I’m swinging back up, the club is moving slightly to the left.

By putting that ball a little farther forward in my stance, now I’m promoting a little bit more of a left upward swing which is going to get me some pretty good distance on that ball. Then I’m going to make sure that I don’t want to roll that face over.

I’m going to feel like I’m swinging a little bit more to the left, lining up down the left edge of the fairway, left foot open, swinging a little more to the left. I don’t want my face to turn on over to get a draw. I’m going to feel like I hold just a little bit open with the face to get that nice fade.

Then second, I’ll switch this around and show you the draw side. If I do this properly, I’m going to visualize before I ever hit my shot -- I’m going to step back here -- I’m going to visualize a giant brick wall kind of going down the right center of the fairway.

Now I never want to let my ball cross that brick wall. So if I’m going to play a cut, I’m going to eliminate the right side of the course. I’m going to start away from the trouble, and I want to get that ball to fade back in, but it’s never going to fade across that brick wall.

If I do that, that’s going to be a big penalty stroke. By visualizing that giant wall, let’s imagine it 200-foot tall, all the way down that side of the fairway, that mentally helps me to eliminate that side of the course and makes things a lot easier.

Let’s go ahead and try one out. Again, I’m going to line up a little bit to the left, open my front foot, put the ball a little bit farther up in my stance, and then I’m going to feel like the face is just slightly open as I’m coming through to help me to get that ball to turn over left to right.

I’m always going to make sure, whether I’m hitting a draw or a fade, to come to a good, full finish. Let’s give it a whirl.

There we go, that ball started right down the left edge of the fairway, turned back over into the center of the fairway, perfect shot, exactly what we’re looking for. Let’s go ahead and try the same thing out for the draw side.

All right guys, now we’re going to do the exact opposite thing. We’re going to pretend the big trouble’s on the left, and now I’m going to be playing away from that.

I’m going to put my wall going down the left side of the fairway, I’m going to visualize that, just blocking out the entire left side of the fairway. I’m going to go ahead and start by lining up a little bit to the right.

One thing I didn’t mention in the fade side, I’m going to scoot my ball if I’m going to play a draw onto this side of the tee box, that way I’m hitting out away from the trouble. If I’m playing a fade, I’m going to be on that side of the tee box, and again hitting out away from the trouble that way.

So I’m going to go ahead and start, line up here. I’m going to line up with my feet down the right side. I’m going to feel like my shoulders are a little bit more closed, it’s going to help me come a bit more to the inside of the ball.

I’m going to feel like my hands really get to turn on over and get to the outside of the ball. So as I’m coming down, I want to feel like my face is starting to close, and if you can imagine the back of this ball is six o’clock, and that’s the direction I want the ball to start.

I’m going to feel like I get to the outside of that to really get that to turn over a little bit. Then from there, I’m going to let my hands roll on around and get that nice draw swing. So again, I’m going to line up on the left side of the tee box, putting the wall up the left side of the course.

I’m going to hit away from the trouble, getting that ball a little bit farther back in my stance, really going to release that face and just like we did with the fade, I’m going to make sure that I get a nice, full follow through and take a good, aggressive swing away from the trouble.

There we go, started that one right down the right center, really nice shot. It’s going to get away from the trouble, it’s keeping me away from that left side, playing that draw, and that’s going to keep you away from those big numbers.

So good luck to you guys, work hard, I’ll see you all soon.