Water runs all the way up the left side of the par 3. Your gut says tee it up on the right side of the box and aim somewhere safe in the middle. That instinct is wrong, and it costs golfers balls every single day.
Here is why. Teeing on the right and aiming middle or left puts the water directly in your line of play. Your worst miss, the pull, goes straight into the hazard. You have aimed yourself at the trouble.
The smart play flips it. Tee the ball on the left side of the tee box, so your back is to the water, and aim at the right edge of the green. Now your worst miss goes right, away from the danger. You are playing away from the trouble instead of flirting with it. Same hole, same swing, completely different geometry.
Practice this with the Par 3 Geometry Drill. Find a par 3 with trouble on one side. Tee up on the same side as the trouble and aim at the far edge of the green. Hit 8 to 10 shots and commit to the safe side every time. No hero shots. The goal is to train yourself to choose the angle first and the swing second.
The common mistake is aiming at the pin when the pin is tucked near the trouble. Forget the flag. On a hole like this, the middle of the green or the safe edge is the play. Pros aim away from sucker pins all the time. You should too.
Simple geometry: tee on the same side as the trouble, aim at the far edge, and the danger leaves the equation.
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