Control Your Shots by Playing with Arbitrary Out of Bounds

Arbitrary out of bounds is a simple practice game that teaches you to take one side of the course away on command. Instead of mindlessly hitting shots, you create pressure by declaring one side “OB” before every swing. That forces you to shape the ball, manage your start line, and commit to a pattern that avoids your worst miss. It is especially useful if you struggle on tight courses, on holes with trouble on one side, or anytime you need to play more precise target golf.

How the Drill Works

Before each shot, you choose one side of the hole to be arbitrary out of bounds. That side does not have to match the course markings. You are creating an imaginary penalty area to challenge your control.

For example, on a tee shot you might decide that the entire left rough is OB. On the next shot into the green, you might switch and make the right side OB. If your ball finishes in that chosen zone, you treat it like real out of bounds: stroke and distance. That means you count the penalty, drop another ball, and continue as if you had to replay the shot.

The key is to choose the side that would produce the worst result for your next shot. If missing left leaves you blocked by trees, in deep rough, or with no angle to the green, make left the forbidden side. If your stock miss is a hook, declaring the left side OB immediately raises the demand on your swing and your decision-making.

This drill applies on every shot until you reach the green. Once you are on the putting surface, finish the hole normally. On a par 4, you would use it on the tee shot and approach. On a par 5, you would use it on the tee shot, layup, and approach.

If you practice with a partner, you can make it even better by having each player choose the OB side for the other. That adds strategy and exposes patterns you may normally avoid confronting.

Step-by-Step

Pick a hole or create a practice-hole scenario. You can do this on the course, during a casual round, or even while playing a solo practice round.
Choose one side to eliminate. Before each full swing, declare either the left or right side as arbitrary OB.
Make the smart choice, not the easy one. Pick the side that would create the biggest problem if you missed there. This is what makes the drill valuable.
Plan the shot shape. Decide how you want the ball to start and curve so it stays away from the OB side. If left is OB, you may choose a push-draw that starts right of center. If right is OB, you may prefer a hold-off fade.
Commit to the picture. See the shot, pick a start line, and make a confident swing. The point is not to steer the ball, but to organize your swing around a clear intention.
Apply the penalty if you miss. If the ball finishes in your declared OB zone, count it as out of bounds. Add the penalty and replay or drop according to stroke-and-distance logic.
Reset on the next shot. Once you move to your next position, choose a new arbitrary OB side based on the new situation.
Continue until you reach the green. Then putt out normally.

What You Should Feel

This drill should make you feel like you are playing away from trouble with intention, not just hoping your swing behaves. You are learning to match your mechanics to a task.

Clear commitment before the swing

You should feel that each shot has a defined purpose. There is a side you cannot miss, a start line you trust, and a curve you are trying to produce.

Control over your stock pattern

You are not trying to hit miracle shots. You are learning how to adjust your stock swing enough to favor one side. That may mean holding the face off a little more, feeling a slightly different path, or simply choosing a smarter target that lets your normal curve work for you.

Pressure without panic

Because there is a penalty attached, the drill creates consequences. That is good. You should feel some pressure, but you still want to stay composed. The goal is to improve your ability to execute while under a little stress.

Awareness of your worst miss

This game quickly shows you whether you can actually take one side out of play. If you cannot, that is valuable feedback. It tells you what pattern needs more work in your swing and in your pre-shot decisions.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Always picking the safe side as OB. If you choose the side you rarely miss, the drill loses its value.
Trying to force a huge curve. You only need enough shape and start-line control to avoid the danger side.
Steering the ball. A tentative swing usually makes control worse, not better.
Ignoring the penalty. If you do not honestly apply stroke and distance, you remove the pressure that makes the drill effective.
Using it only on tee shots. The drill is just as useful on layups and approaches, where one-sided misses often matter even more.
Getting frustrated after a miss. The point is to expose your tendencies and train better responses, not to prove perfection.
Thinking only about curve and not start line. Many big misses begin with poor initial direction, even before the ball curves.

How This Fits Your Swing

Arbitrary OB is more than a game. It connects directly to how you score on the course. Most golfers do not need every shot shape on demand, but they do need the ability to remove one side of the course. That is a huge part of smart golf.

If your stock swing tends to draw too much, this drill teaches you how to organize your setup, target, and release so the left side becomes less dangerous. If you tend to leave the face open and block or fade the ball too much, the drill helps you learn how to start the ball in a safer window and control the amount of curve.

It also builds a better practice strategy. Instead of beating balls with no consequence, you are training the exact skill that matters under pressure: choosing a pattern, committing to it, and accepting the result. Over time, that improves both your ball striking and your decision-making.

Perhaps most importantly, this drill helps your mindset. When you do hit your common miss into the declared OB, you have to respond, reset, and keep playing. That develops patience and emotional control, which are just as important as mechanics when the course gets tight.

Use this game when you want your practice to feel more like real golf. It will sharpen your shot shaping, make your stock swing more dependable, and teach you how to play with discipline when one side absolutely has to disappear.