Irons from the tee box — Tee or no tee?

[DannyG]

Since hitting with an iron is a downward pinching motion does using a tee with an iron help or hinder the shot? I'm thinking the tee would make the shot a little slippery and exaggerate any mishits. Do you use a tee with your irons?

[sean_miller]

Since hitting with an iron is a downward pinching motion does using a tee with an iron help or hinder the shot? I'm thinking the tee would make the shot a little slippery and exaggerate any mishits. Do you use a tee with your irons?

I always use a tee, even if you can't tell by looking at the ball that it's on a tee - it allows me to place the ball at exactly the right depth in the grass, and I know it won't shift mid-swing. Maybe it comes from playing so many scrappy courses over the years.

I pick up broken tees (or hang onto ones busted after hitting the driver) for use on par 3s. By the end of a round I'm always left with a coulple broken tees in my pocket.

[Zeph]

Use a tee with everything from driver to wedge. You of course tee it quite low, but you should always do it.

The ball doesn't care if it is sitting on a tee or not, your job is to hit the ball first and then the ground, teeing it up makes that job easier. In distance, there should be little or no difference when hitting off a tee compared to off the deck.

[Woters]

Even Tiger says use a tee on every box regardless of club choice or distance to go. Take every edge you can get in this game.

[SpringBokVol]

Yes, use a tee.

A broken tee is my preferred choice. I place mine so that the ball is touching the blades of grass but is above the soil.

Hitting off a tee gives you an extra 5-10 yards as well.

[rhodes81]

I do not use a tee with my irons. I have just had better luck over the years with out one. I play some pretty cheap courses but I have never had a problem finding a decent spot to put my ball down on a tee box. There is just something that bothers me about the tee potentially being between by club and the ground. To each his own, I guess.

[goblue107501]

I will use a tee for any club other than a wedge. If I am using a wedge it is most likely a feel type shot and I don't want any additional variables to change the outcome of the swing.

[dave1269]

Always use a tee, simply tee it lower for a higher lofted club.

[Zeph]

Hitting short irons off a tee is good pratice for making a descending blow on the ball. If you get under it, you'll launch it sky high, that's why we often see high handicappers hit high, but somewhat decent shots off the tee, but really struggle when the ball is on the ground and they have no room to get under it.

[zeg]

Like the others, I always tee it up, but really with just the head of the tee above ground. It helps me to be sure to get the ball up and ensure that I don't chunk it, and that's pretty important for a tee shot.

I don't practice much with irons teed up, but I find if I'm hitting fat, hitting 2 or 3 at the range off a tee helps me recover the feel of clean contact. It also puts a couple clean hits in my memory and that helps with confidence.