Tee Box Position

[MikeLowry5]

So I thought I've heard on a few occasions that you start on the side of the tee box that you want your ball to finish. I have been fading the ball (slice with driver) in this early season and I have been starting on the left side (im left handed) and aim for the right to right center of the fairway putting me at a huge angle each time I set up.

Wouldn't it make more sense to start on the side you want your ball to start to cut down on the angles?

[Mrd19abhs]

I always start on the side of the tee box that gives me the widest fairway. cause if the fairway is cutting then ill go to the left side so i have more area to aim at and visa versa

[Jay-Bird]

I prefer to play a draw, so I usually tee it up on the left side of the box. If I'm playing a cut I'll move to the right side. But it all depends on the layout of the fairway, trees, trouble, wind direction, where the pin is (angle for approach shot), and so on...

[shortstop20]

Draw out a golf hole on a piece of paper and you'll quickly see why playing your fade/slice stands a greater chance of hitting the fairway when you tee up on the left side of the tee box.

It in effect makes the fairway wider at the angle of which your ball lands in the fairway.

[srjorion]

I always tee it up on the side trouble is on and hit away from it.

[Gibby]

  shortstop20 said:

Draw out a golf hole on a piece of paper and you'll quickly see why playing your fade/slice stands a greater chance of hitting the fairway when you tee up on the left side of the tee box.

Errr...most people set up on the right for a cut and on the left for a draw...so i have no idea where you're coming from. Plus I don't know if you were just saying stuff to sound smart, or if you actually tried to draw it out...either way, your geometry is incorrect. Plus it's not an exact science because it's not a direct correlation. Technically if you hit into a fairway at 90* it would give you the widest landing area...but you would have no room for distance control. No one can draw the line at what angle is the best to come into a fairway. Anyway, there are a lot of other factors that you have to take into account when deciding where to tee it up. But when it really comes down to it, your only changing you postion by a couple of yards, so it's not that big a difference. The difference in angle of attack is minimal because you're htting the ball so far compared to only a yard of movement sideways. Usually I just look for the flattest part of the teebox to tee it up on. -Gibby

[Kcas77]

  Gibby said:

Errr...most people set up on the right for a cut and on the left for a draw...so i have no idea where you're coming from. Plus I don't know if you were just saying stuff to sound smart, or if you actually tried to draw it out...either way, your geometry is incorrect. Plus it's not an exact science because it's not a direct correlation. Technically if you hit into a fairway at 90* it would give you the widest landing area...but you would have no room for distance control. No one can draw the line at what angle is the best to come into a fairway.

He is saying the same thing as you the OP is a lefty so he changed to fit him.

[Zeph]

I usually hit it straight, so I'll set up with the widest fairway view. If I hit a draw, I'll set up on the left side to give me space to work with. Hitting a fade, I set up on the right side, hitting across the hole and hoping it will cut back over. Those few yards doesn't make that much a difference anyways, my primary concern is finding something on the ground I can aim the ball through.

[saevel25]

Depends on the hole.

Dog legs, i like to tee up on the side opposite the direction in which the dogleg beds, to give my self the best shot at the corner.
I like to tee up on side of the tee boxes that give me the best angle to the pin, on par 3's.
If there is water, i tend to tee up on the side in which the trouble is, then i can play more away from it.
If its pretty simple hole, no trouble. I will hit from the left side of the tee box with a draw, and the right side of the tee box for a fade. This way i am taking the ball out over the fairway and back in. If it doesn't cut or draw as much i will be on the edge of the fairway.

[shortstop20]

  Kcas77 said:

He is saying the same thing as you the OP is a lefty so he changed to fit him.

Correct. : )

[burnabao]

  srjorion said:

I always tee it up on the side trouble is on and hit away from it.

+1 here. Amen to that.

[sean_miller]

You folks must play some pretty big tee boxes. I agree there's a psychological reason to move 10 feet over for a better angle, but I honestly just look for the area that's most level and is the least chewed up.

[MikeLowry5]

  shortstop20 said:

Draw out a golf hole on a piece of paper and you'll quickly see why playing your fade/slice stands a greater chance of hitting the fairway when you tee up on the left side of the tee box.

Well for me I realized that lining up angled to the right of the fairway accentuates a slice. My body and club face are aligned to the right edge of the fairway however I have trouble still swinging down the line of the middle causing a push fade when I do that.

Any tips to correct that?

[shortstop20]

  MikeLowry5 said:

Well for me I realized that lining up angled to the right of the fairway accentuates a slice. My body and club face are aligned to the right edge of the fairway however I have trouble still swinging down the line of the middle causing a push fade when I do that.

Check your grip, you could maybe benefit from a stronger grip. Also check to make sure you're not opening the club up on the takeaway.

[sean_miller]

  MikeLowry5 said:

Any tips to correct that?

Post a video, get a lesson, read the ball flight laws from the main page (pure gold!).

[MikeLowry5]

  shortstop20 said:

Check your grip, you could maybe benefit from a stronger grip. Also check to make sure you're not opening the club up on the takeaway.

Well I'm 99% sure it is just getting the club stuck on the way down. My main flaw when going bad is whipping the club in back way too far inside and tend to swing out rather than to the target. This is magnafied 10 fold when I have to set up at a sharp angle.

I do have a neutral to weak grip which I adopted after many of low duck hooks with the stronger grip. I get a more consistent flight with this grip and would like to avoid strengthening the grip again.

[shortstop20]

Then you need to work on your swingpath I'd say. Video would be most beneficial.

[DavidFehertysBike]

  MikeLowry5 said:

So I thought I've heard on a few occasions that you start on the side of the tee box that you want your ball to finish. I have been fading the ball (slice with driver) in this early season and I have been starting on the left side (im left handed) and aim for the right to right center of the fairway putting me at a huge angle each time I set up.

Nah. You want to give the ball as much room as you can to move around. The only shot shape i will play off the tee is a fade or cut, and to do that i pretty much go as far right in the box as i can without a strait shot ending up in the trees or something. If i overcook the cut, it will still probably be ok starting from the right. If i were to stand on the left side of the box and try to hit a cut, i would practically have to block the ball to get it to where i want.