Cathy Kim

Learn To Master Your Tee Shots

Ted Odorico July 4, 2026

Instruction

Are you choosing the correct side of the tee box for your swing?

If you’re guilty of trying to make a driver swing change in the middle of your round like most, you’ve probably realized that it isn’t the greatest way to play. Instead of trying to make mechanical changes, try playing with the shot that you have for that day and take advantage of your surroundings instead. Most tee boxes are wide enough to set up in a variety of locations, so let’s figure out which side is the correct side for you. In general, whatever side you fear hitting to, you will go to that side of the box.

Scenario 1

Let’s say that you are a player who absolutely hates missing the shot to the left. I would suggest that you set up on that side of the tee box to eliminate the left side. If you tee it up on that side, you will open up more of the right side of the hole.

To help avoid the left side of the fairway. Tee it up on the left.

Scenario 2

If the right side of the hole makes your blood boil, try teeing it up on the right side of the tee box, so you’ll be more inclined to aim out toward the left side.

Golfer who typically fade or slice the ball, you should tee it up on the right side.

Scenario 3

The middle of the tee box works best if your miss is minimal both ways and if you’re teeing off with a shorter club.

If you hit pretty straight then you are generally safe to tee it up in the middle.

Bonus Tip:

Did you know that you can set up with your feet outside of the tee markers? As long as the ball itself is teed up within the parameters of the markers, it is completely legal. As extreme as this may be, it comes in handy if the teeing ground is uneven or if there are divots all over.

As long as the ball itself is teed up within the parameters of the markers, then this is completely legal.

Summary:

Instead of making mechanical swing changes during a round, golfers should use tee box positioning to manage their ball flight and fear of hazards. Align on the side of the tee box that corresponds to the side you fear missing on, or use the center for minimal misses, notes instructor Cathy Kim

Tip provided by: Cathy Kim, PGA/LPGA Professional & Top 25 Instructor

How’s Your Finish?

Ted Odorico May 17, 2025

Instruction

It’s that time of year to dust off those cobwebs and pay your local range a visit. With golf season fast approaching, it’ll be critical for your golf sanity to get back into your peak golf form as quickly as possible. One of the most commonly forgotten pieces to a good golf swing is proper weight transfer to produce a good finish. Let’s review this concept.

Evaluating your finish is one of the easiest ways to figure out whether you’ve shifted your weight. If your trail foot is still planted well after you’ve completed your swing, you will need to work on this to improve your strike.

Poor finish leaves a gap between the inner thighs and knees

A poor finish can also cause you to fall back on your trail leg

A proper weight transfer results in a nice balanced finish

Club Drop Drill

You can take rehearsal swings or hit balls for this drill. Take your sand wedge and place the club (face up) under your trail heel. The shaft should point away and behind you. Take your swings with your normal swing speed and practice dropping the club to the ground. If your weight doesn’t transfer to the lead side, the club will not drop.

Club fails to drop with poor weight transfer

In this image you can see I transferred my weight correctly, so the club dropped

Cup Drill

Practice the proper finish by placing a tumbler or water bottle next to your lead foot. The goal is to finish your swing at full speed without moving or knocking it over. Practicing this will help with completing the hip turn and a stable lead leg.

Place a tumbler or water bottle next to your lead foot

A good weight shift keeps the tumbler in place

Fall back and you knock over the tumbler as in this picture

Close The Gap

The feeling of turning your trail knee into your lead knee as you take your downswing will help with transferring weight at the proper time. At the finish, you shouldn’t be able to see a gap between your inner thighs. This will also help with a full hip turn, along with a completed weight transfer.