Teeing off with Irons on Par 3's

[zackr]

Over the last few years I have really worked on my game, especially on my putting and driving with my driver and woods. These improvements helped tremendously, as I have improved my  average score from the low 90's to mid to high 70's. However, what is keeping me back from improving even more is my approach on Par 3's. While I can hit irons off the deck, especially my mid-irons, when I use these on Par-3's I commonly hit the ball to far and to the right, or short and left. Most of the courses that I play, the Par 3's range from about 155 yards to 190 yards, leaving me hitting my 5 iron through 9 iron. While I can hit these well of the deck with a slight fade, off the tee I just can not do it, and this is keeping me from getting into the low 70's as I end up typically playing golf on Par 3's. What is my problem with hitting irons of the tee? What can I do to change this, as if i practice hitting similar shots at the range, I hit the ball straight and high.

[Shindig]

I periodically see people have the opposite problem with their 3-wood:  difficulty hitting off the deck, no problem off a tee.  I'm going to suggest the opposite remedy.

Do this only if it makes sense to you;  I'm simply thinking how I would attempt to solve this if I had the problem.

Go to a grass range.  Hit a few irons off the grass, just like if it were the second shot on a par-4.  From your post, I think you have this down.

Then put a tee under the ball.  All the way down, even if the lie becomes less than perfect.  Hit a few more.

Repeat until the tee is at the height you think you'd have it for the par-3.

Alternately, or at least in the meantime, there's no rule requiring use of a tee on the teeing ground (unless your club has such a rule).   I wouldn't suggest just dropping the ball, but maybe set it down as though you were playing winter rules.

EDIT:  immediately after posting, it occurs to me - how high are you teeing it for an iron shot?  And do you have difficulty hitting irons off the tee on non-par3s (if you ever do this)?

[zackr]

When teeing it off, I place the ball on a broken tee pushed all the way into the ground so that the ball is barely off the ground. There is one hole I tee off with a 5 iron and I have no problems using it then, though I use a slightly higher tee and want a little fade on the shot.

[GaijinGolfer]

Sounds like you are maybe teeing it too high for your irons.  With irons you want to tee it so that the ball is just barely off the ground.

[zackr]

That is what I do. I typically just take a broken tee, place it in the ground so that the top of the tee is nearly in the ground.

[senorchipotle]

why use a tee, then?

[zackr]

I just use it because I like the ball sitting on the solid surface.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by zackr

Over the last few years I have really worked on my game, especially on my putting and driving with my driver and woods. These improvements helped tremendously, as I have improved my  average score from the low 90's to mid to high 70's. However, what is keeping me back from improving even more is my approach on Par 3's. While I can hit irons off the deck, especially my mid-irons, when I use these on Par-3's I commonly hit the ball to far and to the right, or short and left. Most of the courses that I play, the Par 3's range from about 155 yards to 190 yards, leaving me hitting my 5 iron through 9 iron. While I can hit these well of the deck with a slight fade, off the tee I just can not do it, and this is keeping me from getting into the low 70's as I end up typically playing golf on Par 3's. What is my problem with hitting irons of the tee? What can I do to change this, as if i practice hitting similar shots at the range, I hit the ball straight and high.

First ..... if you hit in de mid to high 70's ..... update your profile handicap, should be more like 4 - 6 !!!!

Second ..... teeing up whenever you may is the best practice, but some people don't tee up when hitting irons off the deck, if the deck has a good quality it makes sense, but still I prefer to tee up, because the higher flight means more stop on the ball (or at least a better landing angle at the putting surface).

There is no need to hit 155 yds with a 9i or 190 yds with a 5i, maybe you can better hit a 4i or even a 3i for 190 and concentrate on making a perfect contact.

[zackr]

I will be updating my handicap, actually in the process of it now after coming back to the forum for the first time in a while. I'll try and use a club more next time and not take a full swing and see how that goes. This is really one of the aspects of my game keeping me back.

[Gerald]

Quote:

I will be updating my handicap, actually in the process of it now after coming back to the forum for the first time in a while. I'll try and use a club more next time and not take a full swing and see how that goes. This is really one of the aspects of my game keeping me back.

Most pro's hit something like a 3/4 swing with the irons......

[RayG]

Originally Posted by senorchipotle

why use a tee, then?

One of the pro's (I can't remember which one) would say- "Why not? the rules are GIVING you the chance for a perfect lie every time. Take advantage of every opportunity" I beat that into a friends mind every time- "nope, I hit it better without one". Usually right after he knocks his tee shot short, tops it, or skuffles it and takes a 5 or more.

[senorchipotle]

Originally Posted by RayG

One of the pro's (I can't remember which one) would say- "Why not? the rules are GIVING you the chance for a perfect lie every time. Take advantage of every opportunity" I beat that into a friends mind every time- "nope, I hit it better without one". Usually right after he knocks his tee shot short, tops it, or skuffles it and takes a 5 or more.

the pro's name is jack nicklaus. if the subject had been "whether or not to use a tee on a par three" then i'd agree with you, but the op is citing the tee as his reason for pushing shots and coming up short on par 3's. given that, and the fact that he claims to hit his irons well off the ground, the tee now becomes a liability.

[BallStriker]

My guess is that because you have it on a tee, you are subconsciously trying to "pick" the ball off the tee instead of hitting the ball with a descending blow like you do when the ball is in the fairway......you still need to think "descending at impact" with irons off the tee

[RayG]

Originally Posted by senorchipotle

the pro's name is jack nicklaus. if the subject had been "whether or not to use a tee on a par three" then i'd agree with you, but the op is citing the tee as his reason for pushing shots and coming up short on par 3's. given that, and the fact that he claims to hit his irons well off the ground, the tee now becomes a liability.

I was referring to the poster that asked "why use a tee, then". Not necessarily to the OP. I thought it was Jack, but I wasn't sure.

But sure, if you do tee it up too high, you can hit it off the top of the face and lose distance and accuracy.

[Flaming Moe]

Originally Posted by zackr

That is what I do. I typically just take a broken tee, place it in the ground so that the top of the tee is nearly in the ground.

I think I know what your problem is.  I used to have this problem as well.  Actually I have it again now but that's because I got irons too good for me so I'm struggling to learn them.

However, when I was hitting irons good, I too could not hit par 3's and wondered why.  And I too would always find a broken tee and use that.  And I would pretty much shank my par 3s OB.

So then one day it occurred to me: maybe its because its a BROKEN TEE and that the ball is not really as stable as it should be; and when I hit the ball, at the moment of impact, the ball is slightly off balance and my swing is hitting a ball that is moving sideways by like .001 cm, but enough to make a difference.

So what I do now is just use a regular tee as if it were a par 4/5 that I need a driver on.  So I take a strong tee, push it all the way into the ground to the the right size, just a little above the ground and my tee shots on Par 3s improved immensley.  Try using your regular tee and see what happens.  A lot of times those broken tees you find have been hit many times on par 3s as people use them over and over again and they get in pretty bad shape and have bumps/cracks on the part that holds the ball and that slight offset makes a huge difference.

[mitchl17]

Originally Posted by Flaming Moe

I think I know what your problem is.  I used to have this problem as well.  Actually I have it again now but that's because I got irons too good for me so I'm struggling to learn them.

However, when I was hitting irons good, I too could not hit par 3's and wondered why.  And I too would always find a broken tee and use that.  And I would pretty much shank my par 3s OB.

So then one day it occurred to me: maybe its because its a BROKEN TEE and that the ball is not really as stable as it should be; and when I hit the ball, at the moment of impact, the ball is slightly off balance and my swing is hitting a ball that is moving sideways by like .001 cm, but enough to make a difference.

So what I do now is just use a regular tee as if it were a par 4/5 that I need a driver on.  So I take a strong tee, push it all the way into the ground to the the right size, just a little above the ground and my tee shots on Par 3s improved immensley.  Try using your regular tee and see what happens.  A lot of times those broken tees you find have been hit many times on par 3s as people use them over and over again and they get in pretty bad shape and have bumps/cracks on the part that holds the ball and that slight offset makes a huge difference.

What are you talking about, how could the ball possibly be moving sideways.  The ball will be sitting still regardless.  Just make sure the tee isn't split down the middle so the ball falls off and it won't make a difference.  If your solution was using a new tee it was all in your head.

[senorchipotle]

Originally Posted by RayG

I was referring to the poster that asked "why use a tee, then". Not necessarily to the OP. I thought it was Jack, but I wasn't sure.

But sure, if you do tee it up too high, you can hit it off the top of the face and lose distance and accuracy.

lol... yeah, that was me who asked why he used a tee. since it is seemingly the source of his problems, omitting the tee should eliminate that. although i suspect there is something more to the story.

[sean_miller]

Not sure about the long and right or short and left problem, but here's what I'd do.

1.) get my lofts and lies checked

2.) work on taking a shallow divot from the tee - I sometimes struggle to take a nice divot off the tee on par 3s, but with the same iron in my hand on a short par 4 is no problem. I need to remind myself to tear up some of that grass. It'll grow back.

Originally Posted by zackr

Over the last few years I have really worked on my game, especially on my putting and driving with my driver and woods. These improvements helped tremendously, as I have improved my  average score from the low 90's to mid to high 70's. However, what is keeping me back from improving even more is my approach on Par 3's. While I can hit irons off the deck, especially my mid-irons, when I use these on Par-3's I commonly hit the ball to far and to the right, or short and left. Most of the courses that I play, the Par 3's range from about 155 yards to 190 yards, leaving me hitting my 5 iron through 9 iron. While I can hit these well of the deck with a slight fade, off the tee I just can not do it, and this is keeping me from getting into the low 70's as I end up typically playing golf on Par 3's. What is my problem with hitting irons of the tee? What can I do to change this, as if i practice hitting similar shots at the range, I hit the ball straight and high.