Master Teeing Off With an Iron Thread

[Charles]

I need some help from veterans, when teeing off with an iron how high do you have it set up?

This should help you m8

http://247golfer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=25

[gsu_paintballer]

Do you do it? I always grab a wooden tee (I typically use ZFs) and get about 3/8s of an inch out of the ground so I can get up under the ball good for a drop and stop.

I ask because of this story. As he was driving me along, we came up to the par-3 17th. I teed up as usual, and the guy in the cart proceeded to tell me how tees weren't required on this box. I said "I know, it just helps me to get some air under the shot". He seemed amazed that I would even consider this.

Hence my question

[Smallville]

I will tee it up on a par 3 but I'll use a broken tee that's already on the tee box. A lot of people I see will place their ball on the ground, but not on a tee but why not get a perfect lie when you have a freebie?

[sacm3bill]

You know, I think there are two issues here. One is, "Should you use a tee to get a perfect lie, but still have the ball sitting right at ground level?" The other is "Should you use a tee to put the ball up *above* ground level?"

I won't address the first one other than to say it probably can't hurt. But the second one is interesting to me. My first year of golfing I tended to top my irons more often than not, and found that teeing the ball up a bit (about 3/8" as described here) helped guarantee that I wouldn't top it.

However, recently I've started putting the ball right on the grass on the par 3 tee boxes to more closely simulate fairway lies, since I've been focusing more on hitting it solidly than getting good scores. (I figure if I can do the former, the latter will follow). I found that the ball flight changed dramatically. I'm sure this is something most <30 handicappers already realize, but compressing the ball against the ground - as ordinarily happens with iron shots from the fairway - is what gives the ball that nice rising trajectory with lots of backspin.

So while not teeing it up does make it easier to mishit the ball (for a high capper like me anyway), when hit correctly it flies much better than if it's not teed.

I get more length if I don't tee as well. Teed up my PW goes 110, w/out a tee it goes 130. That may be simply because I'm forced to properly hit down on the ball instead of getting away with a scoop, but that's yet another reason to *not* tee it up if you want to improve. My 2 cents anyway.

- Bill

[ks8829]

I always use a tee on a par 3 tee box. My buddy never does, but I don't say anything because we are playing match play.

Play within the rules and take all the advantage you can, why make the game harder.

[Lange]

Always use a tee on par 3's, it's not against the rules so i don't see why not right. I usually just use a broken tee thats on a tee box as well.

[jrode]

I never used a tee up until recently when I discovered that when I teed it up and gave myself a perfect lie, I started playing Par 3's a heck of a lot better.

Almost all the pros tee it up on Par 3's, why shouldn't I?

[gsu_paintballer]

I never used a tee up until recently when I discovered that when I teed it up and gave myself a perfect lie, I started playing Par 3's a heck of a lot better.

Almost all the pros make putts, why shouldn't I?

[CG031]

I always tee it up...doesn't really make sense not to.

[GaijinGolfer]

Whether or not I use a tee really depends upon which club Im hitting with. If the hole is over 200 yards, I will likely use a 3-wood, so then I would tee it up so that 3/4 of the ball is above the clubface. That way, even if I come up a little bit on the shot, I still make decent contact.
However, if Im using a mid or short iron, I will tee the ball very low. That way I can hit down on the ball, compress it and make it spin. That way, when it hits the green it will take 2 hops and stop.
When I first started playing, I use to tee it up really high on all shots, but I found that my iron shots didnt really stop all that well on the green. I started teeing it lower and they started to hold the greens much better.

[jrode]

Whether or not I use a tee really depends upon which club Im hitting with. If the hole is over 200 yards, I will likely use a 3-wood, so then I would tee it up so that 3/4 of the ball is above the clubface. That way, even if I come up a little bit on the shot, I still make decent contact.

Yep, same here.

I never tee my irons high at all. I tee them as low as possible so there's hardly any room between the ball and the ground. A long time ago I would tee up my irons high and I'd just end up getting under them and hitting them like 100 yards.

[iacas]

Unless the hole is 115 yards or less, I always tee it up. And there are not many par threes of 115 yards or less...

[MrKadash]

Have always teed up on the shorty's.

[alf174]

150yd and less not usually.

[bogeyhitter25]

Every time. Even if the tee looks like it's virtually on the ground. I just like the feeling way better than off of the ground.

[King Cobra II]

I never tee up par 3's anymore. All to often when I wanted to get "air" under the shot I hit to much underneath the ball and hit it 30 yards. If your hitting a 7 iron or less you don't need any help with height. Thus I'll never use a tee again.

[polodinks]

yup i tee it up on par 3's i have 2 at my country club one is 155yds and the other is 160yds from the whites and i tee it up low and hit a 7 iron

[Stacey_E]

I always use a broken tee. If I can't find one, I break one off. I hate the feel of a full tee, even a short one, on that tee shot. I can actually feel a full tee causing some resistence on the club face. I still hit down on the ball, I don't want to tee it so high as to scoop it and add loft.