Hitting accurate tee shots

[TaylorMadeTaylor]

I can't seem to get the ball where I want it to go off the tee anymore.

Last month I seemed to gain all of my skill back after a 2 year break and this month I got my index into the high single digits. But since about a week ago I started spraying the ball off the tee, going back into shooting in the mid to high 80's.

I am a very good ballstriker and often go 2-3 rounds without missing the sweet spot on my irons. My short game is strong and I am a pretty long hitter. However, I SPRAY the ball off the tee. I usually miss left, but I also slice and push it sometimes. I am missing fairways more often than not, and never hitting GIR so I am having to scramble to save par all the time.

I really want to get my game back in shape. Maybe someone here on the forums can give me some tips and feedback?

Thanks.

[delav]

Make sure you are extending your left arm at the top of your backswing, without allowing it to break down. Even a bit of laziness here can throw things out of sorts for me. Often times tightening up my position at the top with longer clubs helps take some variability out of the swing when things get loose.

[TaylorMadeTaylor]

Come to think of it I have been letting my left arm get a bit lazy. I'll definitely try that.

[CalBoomer]

When you say "Off the tee," I'm presuming you mean your driving. IMO there is no one simple tweak or tip that can solve this problem. I would make a different suggestion. You have to decide whether your basic and most consistent shot is a fade or a draw. Then you have to look at what your most common miss is. Then you have to work on adjustments to minimize that type of miss. For example, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus initially hit a draw as their basic shot. Their most serious miss was an uncontrolled hook. Both made changes to their swing and grip to prevent a hook and eventually wound up hitting a power fade. I'm paraphrasing, but Nicklaus allegedly said something to the effect that "I changed my set-up and grip so that even if I tried to hit a hook, I couldn't." That is the essence of the power fade. And since their tendency was to draw the ball, they also couldn't hit an extreme fade or slice. The bottom line is you have to figure out how to eliminate half of the fairway as a potential miss. This not simple or easy. The pros work on it all the time.

[wrx_junki]

2-3 rounds without missing the sweet spot on the iron and only a 10 with a solid short game on top of that.

Video your driver swing or whatever you are using to come off the tee. Instead of having people throw advice without knowing the cause of your misses. Even a video from a decent phone will do the job better than nothing.

[Shorty]

I am a very good ballstriker and often go 2-3 rounds without missing the sweet spot on my irons. (snip)

The term "ballstriking", as commonly understood, relates to a combination of fairways hit and greens in regulation.

By your own admission, you are actually a poor ballstriker. :-0

[TaylorMadeTaylor]

When I say ballstriking I meant hitting the sweet spot. That may not be the correct use of the word but I couldn't find another word to use.

[James_Black]

Post a vid or maybe get your driver cut down.

I hit my 2 wood if my driver isn't working or it gets windy. The shaft is a lot shorter than my cobra and is easier to control

[TaylorMadeTaylor]

It was probably just my game being out of whack for a few rounds. Went to the range then I played 9 today and remembered keeping the left arm straighter and hit every single fairway. And, as a result of my driving I hit all but one GIR. I can almost always hit GIR if I have a good drive because my irons are pretty precise. I ended up with a 38 !

I'll see how the next few rounds and range sessions go but I think the problem might be solved.

[Valleygolfer]

I would say you are not getting your hips started first but it would be a guess since we can't see your swing. If my hips do not turn I push the ball right or slice it as well.

[The Recreational Golfer]

Here's a technical maybe: are your shoulders parallel to the rest of your body when you set up with your driver? If not, it can cause you to play Army golf.
Mental thought: worried about the landing area? Look up in the sky and see the path you want the ball to take while it is airborne. (Takes your eyes off trees, bunkers, water, OB, etc.) Think that if you hit it along that path, it will be all right when it comes down.

[WUTiger]

Make sure you're not overswinging on your takeaway.

[TourSpoon]

I think the key with the tee shot is to stay relaxed and make a good turn. When I think too much my swing changes (tempo, lifting instead of turning, etc) and becomes tentative. You need to have confidence on the tee, and when I do I set my myself up for having the best mental condition possible to hit the fairway.

[keiko]

I pause just a bit at the top to allow my lower body to get ahead then I just allow the right elbow to drop down to the hip.
No unusual effort

[Danattherock]

I can't seem to get the ball where I want it to go off the tee anymore.

Tee the ball lower. Just now reading in Andrew Rice's "It's All About Impact" he says most pros tee the ball much lower than amateurs. They also hit the ball with a slightly descending blow, unlike most of us who read in golf magazines to hit it on the upswing. Sure, you get a few more yards, but at the cost of accuracy. He said to have the top of the ball even with the top of the driver when the driver is on the ground at address. Most of what I have heard was to have half the ball above the driver, using taller tees, etc.. But all this was for hitting the ball on an upswing. Trackman stats from Andrew's book said the average PGA player has a downward (1.3 degree) hit on the long ball. Give it a try and see if you don't find more short grass. -Dan

[Chas]

I would say you are not getting your hips started first but it would be a guess since we can't see your swing. If my hips do not turn I push the ball right or slice it as well.

Interesting you should say that because I've just discovered it about my own driving. I've been working on "hip bump" since reading some posts by Erik a while ago, with the irons mostly. Today I only hit driver on the range at Torrey after work. I started the downswing with a more athletic, sort of sharper move - bigger hip bump and more sudden weight shift while maintaining spine angle. It felt like my right hand was dropping down closer to my right pocket and I was coming more from the inside, protecting against the big fade or slice. I do this normally with the irons (coming from inside) but it's harder with driver for some reason.

I've never been as accurate off the tee as today (estimated 70% on imaginary fairway), more solid hits than usual with better finish position. The big push is my nemesis off the tee on the course but I felt quite confident today it wasn't going to happen on the range at least - nice. Trajectory still varied too much, some being too low, but I can live with that for now. I only hit one big hook and maybe 3 or 4 pushes or slices out of 50. This is progress. I'll see this weekend if it holds up.

[jerrywilkin]

I resemble that remark! I have a decent game from 180 yds in! trouble is; it's hard to to break 80 when you miss most fairways! I have noticed that teeing the ball lower helps hitting the fairway alot. It goes against about everything you read or hear about driving the ball,but it works 4 me.

[TourSpoon]

One other thing...don't look up to soon to see that beautiful ball flight!