You can learn more about your swing by checking the tee markings on the driver.
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Welcome to “Play Smart,” GOLF.com’s regular game-improvement column that will help you become a smarter, better golfer.
The golf offseason is officially here as winter weather and cold weather greet much of the country. While this may not be welcome news to most, it does represent an opportunity for improvement.
If you practice smart, you can become a better golfer in the winter. No, you may not be able to practice these skills off the court, but you can improve your game by practicing them indoors.
Using a launch monitor and simulator will give you a lot of feedback on your swing and give you an idea of what to do. But even without the help of technology, you can learn a lot about the club’s path and shot pattern by looking at the launch marks on the club. Top 100 Golf Teacher Jonathan Yarwood explains more in the video below.
Understand your swing by looking at the tee marks
After using a driver (or other wood) for a while, you will start to notice some marks on the face and sole where the tee meets the club. But before you wash those marks off, take note of the patterns you see.
“You can tell a lot about the path of a golf club from the tee markings underneath it,” Yarwood said.
In the video above, Yarwood points out that the launch mark on his driver cuts across from the upper left corner of the sole to the lower right corner. From this pattern, he can immediately tell that his club path is from the inside out through the impact zone. If his swing path was from outside to inside, the marks would move in the opposite direction, from the top right to the bottom left of the sole.
You can also tell where the hitting surface is by looking at these tee marks. If the tee mark is mostly in the center of the clubface, you’re doing it right. However, if these marks are spread across your face, you need to work on improving your shot quality.
“[The tee marks] Tell the story,” Yarwood said.
For those of you who don’t have access to a launch monitor, this is a smart way to understand your swing and see where you need to improve.
