Teeing Irons

[mitchl17]

Hey guys,

I was wondering about your opinions about using a tee on the tee decks with irons.  I've found in the past that I don't compress the ball as well when I use a tee and my shots tend to be less consistent.  Maybe I was just teeing it up too high.

Anyway, interested in your guys' thoughts.

Mitch

[golf4fun12]

I always tee it up. not to high. just off the deck. it is an advantage. why wouldn't you use it.

[The Recreational Golfer]

With an iron, only as high as you need to give yourself a good lie.

[tanktwo2]

just tee it real low...its like you get to hit your shot off a mat but better

[Johnnyooze]

Yup, give yourself the PERFECT lie!

[Mattplusness]

Like jack nicklaus said, why not give yourself the advantage of having less of a variable?

[Zeph]

There can be a mental or subconscious difference. Hitting a ball sitting on a tee can make you try getting under it and hitting up, not compressing the ball as well. You can hit the ball equally well from off a tee, it's just a matter of making the same swing as you do when it is sitting on the grass. There might be a small difference in ball flight if you catch it a groove or two higher on the clubface, but it shouldn't be a problem.

I recommend teeing it up with every club when you are allowed to.

[Tomboys]

Originally Posted by mitchl17

Hey guys,

I was wondering about your opinions about using a tee on the tee decks with irons.  I've found in the past that I don't compress the ball as well when I use a tee and my shots tend to be less consistent.  Maybe I was just teeing it up too high.

Anyway, interested in your guys' thoughts.

Mitch

When I had a severe flip in my swing, I found teeing the ball higher helped because it reduced all those fat shots I would hit.  Sure, my results were inconsistent (as Zeph pointed out) because sometimes I would catch it higher on the face and sometimes not.  But, overall that was better than chunking it 10 yards out of the tee box.  Now that my swing is relatively better, I've found that I have to tee the ball lower to where the bottom of the ball just touches the top of the turf in order to make good contact.

[Zeph]

Originally Posted by Tomboys

When I had a severe flip in my swing, I found teeing the ball higher helped because it reduced all those fat shots I would hit.  Sure, my results were inconsistent (as Zeph pointed out) because sometimes I would catch it higher on the face and sometimes not.  But, overall that was better than chunking it 10 yards out of the tee box.  Now that my swing is relatively better, I've found that I have to tee the ball lower to where the bottom of the ball just touches the top of the turf in order to make good contact.

The problem with teeing it high and flipping is that you won't learn. Hitting it off the grass might be better for someone with such a pronounced flip. Teeing it high will only feed your flaws.

[saevel25]

It takes a bit of time to get use to, because you do feel like you want to hit it like a driver..

Buti rather do that than place the ball on the ground. I tee it really low, close to flush with the ground. I just want it there so i know that it sitting on something consistant. You don't know if your ball will end up againts something, or on a mound.

[jamo]

If you tee it up and don't compress the ball, you can be pretty sure that you are flipping.

[ghalfaire]

I agree with MATPLUSNESS.  If it Jack thought it a good thing it probably is.  I always tee it up in the tee box regardless of what I am hitting.

[Steel]

I'm going against the flow here, the only irons I will tee up an iron is if I am using it to drive the ball, 2 or 3 iron.  On par 3's I never use a tee.  I like to compress the ball against the turf and take a divot.  2 reason's 1 - more spin, 2- prevents me from trying to pick the ball, I like to attack it from a steep angle especially with the short to mid irons

[B-Con]

For irons/hybrids, I tee up about 1/8 of an inch. Basically I put the entire tee but the head into the ground. I try to use my normal swing and hit down on the ball. Teeing it up very little mentally makes it feel like the ball is on the ground but practically gives me a slight bit of extra buffer. From YouTube videos I've seen, I think the pros tee it up higher than that, on average. But if I tee it up too high, I try to swing harder and more around, and flipping happens as well as a lazy shoulder plane turn.

[Stretch]

Originally Posted by Steel

On par 3's I never use a tee.  I like to compress the ball against the turf and take a divot.

You know that that never actually happens unless you flat-out top it, right?

[Zeph]

Originally Posted by Steel

I'm going against the flow here, the only irons I will tee up an iron is if I am using it to drive the ball, 2 or 3 iron.  On par 3's I never use a tee.  I like to compress the ball against the turf and take a divot.  2 reason's 1 - more spin, 2- prevents me from trying to pick the ball, I like to attack it from a steep angle especially with the short to mid irons

1: You don't press the ball against the turf.

2: You can spin it just as well from a tee.

3: You can take a divot when hitting off a tee.

For irons, we don't talk about teeing it an inch up, the ball sits barely above the ground.

[GaijinGolfer]

I always use a tee when I can.  Its allows you to give yourself a perfect lie, so why not?

The key to teeing up the ball for an iron shot is to make it so that the ball is just barely off the ground.

[clubchamp]

I use a tee all the time nothing better than a perfect lie...