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Shorter distance when using a tee, why is that?

Zeph

By Zeph,
in Instruction and Playing Tips

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Note: This thread is 5434 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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Zeph Incredible Member

Zeph

Firstly, I'd like to point out that I've been coming over the top and pre-releasing for some time, so earlier, I couldn't even hit the ball if it wasn't tee'd up. A result of trying to lift the ball into the air. This has improved, but I think I still do something different when the ball is on a tee.

Anyways, I want to adress the distance you get when using a tee and when not using one. On my local course I know all the distances and what club to use. On par 3's I might use a 6 iron on one hole and a 5 iron on the next. I also know that I can reach the green with a 6 iron off the deck or a 5 iron tee'd up. Or a 5 iron off the deck or a 4 iron tee'd up.

How much difference, if any, should there be in distance when you tee it up and when you don't, using the same club? Does the height of the tee matter? I usually tee it with only the top of the tee above ground for short irons and a bit higher for the longer ones.

I play with someone at hcp 10 which hit the ball much more solid than me, and they agree that the ball will fly further if it's hit off the deck.

If the ball fly shorter, why is that? I've read about the ball being pinched between the ground and the club, but from what I've seen of swing vision at Youtube, the ball always roll up the clubface and take off into the air. It is never pinched on the ground and popped out. It may feel like this happens, but it does not look that way. I've seen SV of anything from a 2 iron to a wedge, the ball are never pinched. Anyone agree with this? How could a ball then fly a shorter distance if the club hits it exactly the same way and the ball never have contact with anything except the club?

Ogio Grom | Callaway X Hot Pro | Callaway X-Utility 3i | Mizuno MX-700 23º | Titleist Vokey SM 52.08, 58.12 | Mizuno MX-700 15º | Titleist 910 D2 9,5º | Scotty Cameron Newport 2 | Titleist Pro V1x and Taylormade Penta | Leupold GX-1

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jlin453 Newbie

jlin453

Just an idea, but are you teeing it a little bit too high? Doing so would result in ball contact higher up on the club face and loss of distance.
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pittpanther Dedicated Member

pittpanther

Lets assume that your swing is completely identical when the ball is on the turf or on a tee...

When your ball is struck by a club, there are two forces at work - one moving in a forward (toward the green) direction, the other in an upward (toward the sky) direction. My guess would be that when hitting off a tee, there is a very slight increase in friction between the ball and the tee, as opposed to the ball and grass. That very small increase in friction works against the force in the forward direction, and translates into the loss of distance.

This is the reason you see those "zero-friction" tees for sale...

If however your swings are different, then of course that will make a larger difference than tee friction.

HiBore 10.5 driver
GT-500 3- and 5-woods
Bazooka JMax 4 Iron Wood
Big Bertha 2008 irons (4 and 5 i-brids, 6i-9i,PW)
Tom Watson 56 SW Two-Ball putter

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David in FL Incredible Member

David in FL

Lets assume that your swing is completely identical when the ball is on the turf or on a tee...

Please tell me that you're kidding and are just messin' with the poor guy!

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw
Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

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jorruss Well Established Member

jorruss

Even when you tee it up with an iron, you don't want much daylight showing under the ball. You just want to tee it high enough to promote solid contact without getting any grass from the tee box in the way. Irons are meant to be struck with a slightly descending blow. If you tee it up too much you'll have to make a different swing to hit up at it, leading to inconsistent contact.

Having said that, in most cases a teed up iron will fly higher and slightly further than one struck off the ground. For this reason, I seldom tee up my shots on Par 3s, unless I need a few more yards or a higher ball flight.

In my Srixon staff bag:

Driver: Titleist 909D2 8.5 - Grafalloy Epic X
Fairway: Adams RPM LP 13 degree - Grafalloy Epic X
Hybrids: Adams Idea Pro 18 degree - DGSL X100Irons: MacGregor 1025M 3-PW - DG X100SW: Titleist Vokey Spin Milled 54 - DG X100LW: Titleist Vokey Spin Milled 58 - DG X100Putter...

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mruseless Well Established Member

mruseless

When hitting an iron off the tee, I set the tee height at the top of the grass (which isn't very high) or maybe a couple millimeters higher. I get about 5 extra yards when hitting off a tee.

--------------------------
"There are only 3 kinds of people in this world -- Those who can count, and those who can't."

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pittpanther Dedicated Member

pittpanther

Please tell me that you're kidding and are just messin' with the poor guy!

You have to admit, I really made it sound convincing, didn't I?

HiBore 10.5 driver
GT-500 3- and 5-woods
Bazooka JMax 4 Iron Wood
Big Bertha 2008 irons (4 and 5 i-brids, 6i-9i,PW)
Tom Watson 56 SW Two-Ball putter

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right handed phil mickelson Great Member

right handed phil mickelson

You have to admit, I really made it sound convincing, didn't I?

Yes but the point of The Sand Trap is for people to get help and true advice. Keep that up and people won't know what to believe.

Driver: Callaway Big Bertha Diablo 9º
2 Hybrid: Callaway Big Bertha Heavenwood
Irons: Nike Slingshot OSS 6-3 iron
          Taylormade Tour Preferred PW-7 iron
Wedges: Cleveland CG14 50º, 54º
              Taylormade RAC 58º
Putter: Ping Darby 32" shaft


 

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Leftygolfer Great Member

Leftygolfer

There is no reason it would fly shorter that is for sure. Something else must cause the difference. Maybe you tee it up too high but I know that I hit is a bit further off of a tee.

Brian

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klaymon Dedicated Member

klaymon

Teeing up may be making you subconciously want to hit up. If you happen to hit up on the ball when it's on a tee, you are effectively adding loft to the club. As you already know, higher-lofted clubs go shorter distances.
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mikelaw Well Established Member

mikelaw

Just an idea, but are you teeing it a little bit too high? Doing so would result in ball contact higher up on the club face and loss of distance.

bingo

+1 teeing it up AT ALL will result in contact higher on the face then normal.
G5,9
F-50,13.5
MP33(2-9)
200,48.06
SM,54.11MP-T,60.05Anser 2
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Zeph Incredible Member

Zeph

  • Author
That sounds reasonable, but like mruseless wrote, he even hit's is a bit further. In that case, I conclude with this: You won't hit it shorter if the tee is low enough and you make the same descending stroke on the ball. The most common reason for the ball going shorter would be that you subconsiously are trying to help it into the air and add loft.

Why does a hit higher up on the clubface equal a shorter shot? The loft is the same, only difference I see is the sweet spot. This is normally on the centre of the clubs, which would be easier to find with the ball tee'd up a bit.

Ogio Grom | Callaway X Hot Pro | Callaway X-Utility 3i | Mizuno MX-700 23º | Titleist Vokey SM 52.08, 58.12 | Mizuno MX-700 15º | Titleist 910 D2 9,5º | Scotty Cameron Newport 2 | Titleist Pro V1x and Taylormade Penta | Leupold GX-1

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Note: This thread is 5434 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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