Every round starts with an opening tee shot. While the first tee can be a daunting prospect on some courses, the clubhouse will overlook the tee so you’ll usually have people watching and there’s nothing worse than topping it in that situation.
Whether you are a beginner or a long-time player, we are certain some of these tips might help you out with your first tee:
Tee-Off Tips for Opening Shot Success
Here are our top tips for teeing off:
Concentrate
Try to focus on what you are doing rather than what’s going on around you or other factors like where your ball may go.
If you’re playing with others, ask someone to watch where your ball goes so you can focus on what you are doing.
Don’t Rush
Take a few seconds to make sure you’ve got your setup right, and trust your golf swing and training. Rushing usually leads to a top or a slice into the rough.
If you’re feeling nervous, swing less than 100% and try to get the opening tee shot in play. This will not only help you get the round off to a good start but also help your confidence for the remainder of the round.
Select the Right Club
Closely observe your course map to determine which club to use on the first tee for a positive start to your round.
When hitting your ball, check for hazards in your landing area. If there is anything there, use a club with less distance and aim to land before the hazard. The first and most essential step is to get the ball into play.
Teeing Off with a Driver
1. Teeing up
For the modern driver, you need to tee the ball nice and high. A good height promotes a good connection with the club in the sweet spot that the larger more modern drivers have. If you’re hitting under the ball, swing level and around your body to create a sweeping driver arc.
Get your tee to the desired height and then mark it with a sharpie where it comes out of the ground. Then mark a few other tees the same way and keep them as your driver tees. This takes the guesswork out of teeing up your driver and will mean fewer mistakes.
2. Stance
When hitting a driver, or 3-wood, the ball should be in line with your front foot. Getting the setup right is crucial for the club.
For the driver, you need to have a wider stance and position the ball more forward in your stance, so that you can hit it with a powerful upward strike. Proper setup with the driver will ensure that you get the most from the club and hopefully achieve more distance when needed.
Every time you address the ball for a tee shot you should make sure your stance and ball position is correct for the club you have.
This will help you connect with the ball at the best point in your swing to gain added distance and reduce spin. Generally, you don’t want to be putting backspin on your drives, you want them hot and running on the fairway as far as possible. Every time you address the ball for a tee shot you should make sure your stance and ball position is correct for the club you have.
3. The swing
Use your natural swing and try to swing through the ball to a full finish. Don’t try to hit the ball. The ball should simply get in the way of a full swing and connect with the driver at the most optimal moment.
3 Wood Tee Shots
There may come a time when you need to hit a 3 wood off the tee instead of your driver. This can give you more loft or help you lay up short of a hazard.
It’s also a good option if you’re struggling with your driver and need to get a couple of tee shots in play. Also, a 3 wood can be beneficial in heavy wind conditions as its higher flight may carry the shot even further than a driver.
To achieve the right tee height for your 3 wood, you should lower the tee by about 1/4 of an inch.
However, make sure not to set the tee height to be the same as your driver’s. In case your 3 wood has a smaller head size, lower the height by half an inch. Adjust the tee height accordingly, if you find it to be too high.
Teeing Off with Irons
Your stance will need to vary depending on the iron. For a longer iron (1-3) you will have a wide stance, for a mid-iron (4-6) an average stance and for short irons a tight stance (which helps to get more spin)
Teeing up: Unlike the driver, your iron tees should only be around 1/4 of an inch above the ground- basically, just the head of the tee showing.
Teeing Off with a Hybrid
While hybrids initially started as more of a recovery club for use in the light rough, these clubs are becoming more and more common as tee shot clubs. Some people love them, like me, but some traditionalists still think they shouldn’t be allowed in golf.
These are a good option for teetering off when you need a mid-distance carry or aren’t confident enough to be hitting the driver from that specific tee.
Your tee should be at a medium height, around 3/4 of an inch above the ground, nowhere near the height of a driver or 3 wood but still above an iron tee.
When you’re preparing to hit your golf ball with a hybrid club, it’s important to position the ball roughly halfway up the club face.
Since the height of hybrid clubs can vary, it’s challenging to determine an exact height. However, if you begin by placing the ball halfway up the face and make adjustments as needed, you’ll eventually find the perfect tee height for your club.
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