What happens is a product of subconscious psychology.  Consider for example standing on the tee with water along the right side of the fairway.  You aim down the middle, but then when you swing to hit the ball, you compensate for the water on the right by swinging the club a little more toward the left - better to be on the left side of the fairway then in the water on the right.

The problem with this is that bringing the club across the ball from right to left creates spin that causes the ball to curve to the right.  The more the swing is oriented toward the left in order to avoid the water on the right, the greater the spin that is applied to the ball that makes it curve right toward the water.  The subliminal compensation to the swing in order to not hit the ball somewhere is counterproductive.  Better would be to confidently aim at a location on the fairway and hit the ball to it without allowing the presence of the water to affect the shot.

An adjustment to the swing that only changes the club's direction, and not the face orientation, causes the ball to start out straight and then curve - into the water.  Another error would be to allow the club head to rotate away from the intimidating direction and then hit the ball into the woods or out of bounds on the opposite side of the fairway from the water.  Altering the clubface's angle to avoid trouble can just create a different trouble.  Altering the club's direction away from a hazard influences the ball to curve toward the hazard.  Fear is self-defeating.  It would be safer to swing the club more toward the water, as scary as that seems, because that would influence the ball to curve away from the water.

To avoid a hazard or trouble, identify and hit the ball toward someplace good using your normal swing and alignment.  Demonstrate the same confidence whether there is water around or not.