Playing the back tee's, when to move

[Ctp722]

Hey guys

I am starting to hit the ball further and further off the tee (about 300), I still need a ton of work with shorter irons and putting. I am just wondering from a learning and not scoring standpoint when should I play consistently from the furthest tee's.

I am seeing an instructor about once a week and he is definitely helping me improve my game in all area's but this new distance is a bit new to me. I have played the tips on occasion when playing with low scoring playing partners and it's do-able but of course makes for new challenges.

When did you switch? When should I?

Thanks

Chris

[anthony]

You can switch whenever you want imo. Personally, I won't be playing the back tee's until I'm playing to at least single digit handicap. I'm like you and am pretty long off the tee compared to most of my playing partners. But, until the scores come down, I'll be playing from the standard men's tee's.

[Ctp722]

I think I feel exactly the same way, but I'm just a little unsure

[Chief Broom]

Playing longer tees is certainly educational for any aspiring golfer but I advise that as you get used to the increased distance and difficulty to only do it when the course is uncrowded or when you know you can maintain the pace of play.

[Zeph]

I play both. Started playing more back tees this year since my home course is a bit short from the normal ones. I don't get to hit enough driver and 3 wood. Play the course from the tees that match your game I suppose, but I like to change things up a bit to get som variety and challenge. There is not defined time when you "switch". If you don't hit it very far, you might not switch at all. Try a few rounds and see what happens. One thing is to hit the driver far, but you'll also have more long irons into the greens, which can be a challenge if you are used to 7i to wedges.

[dak4n6]

I play whites in winter no matter what.  About this time of year is when I usually migrate to blues, but it is contingent on two things: I need to be shooting low 80s, and I need to see my long irons and short game performing well.

[Ctp722]

Thanks guys, I guess these were about the answers I was expecting.

I'd like to make it a point to be confident with longer irons, but at the same time I still have plenty of room for improvement from 7iron and up!

[abraxas]

i started playing from the back tees late last season and early this season

distance isn't the issue for me... it's more an issue of consistency

so i'll play from the back when it's quiet and i can play longer shots

most times i play the middle tees

[Jimdangles]

I have only been playing for less than a year but i have always played from blues. I have never thought it really made a difference. if your ball is gonna slice your ball is gonna slice. I can go up 10 yards but even on a 500 yard par 4 its just as difficult as a 490 yard par 4. obviously it makes a difference but not enough for me to care. Do whatever you feel comfortable with but playing the course as harder only makes it better practice. if im playing for skins im not gonna be the only one going off the blue but if its for fun then why not?

[rustyredcab]

I moved UP last year when my regular group all wanted to move up. We have the forward tees plus four more sets. We were playing the second longest and we moved up one set. The five par three holes really matter. From the tips they all play near or over 200 yards. From our current tees, they play much shorter and more fun. As said earlier, the five par fives don't matter that much for the other three guys -- I play longer and can now sometimes reach three of them in two. Our handicaps range from 25 to 8. We do not have any 500 yard par fours even from the tips.

It is fun playing the correct tees for the group. We spend less time hunting for balls in part because guys don't need to hit 3-woods into every green. Fairway bunkers are in play for everyone instead of being to long for everyone but me. Par threes play like par threes and can range from 130 to 200 yards but at least they are all reachable for everyone.

When should you move? When the guys you play with are playing the back tees and you are in mid-season form.

[M2R]

I like to use GIR percentage as the measure.  At about 60% GIR I feel I'm on the right tees.  Under 60% move up, over 65% "consider" possibly moving back.  If you can't make 60% GIR regardless of tees used, then play any tee you are "comfortable" with until things come together.

The "low 80s" and "single digit HCP" are virtually the same answer as score is closely correlated to GIR (I think).  However, I also feel that using GIR is slightly more accurate.  Take for example if you three putt 7 times and 4 putt twice in one round to shoot 91, in that case you could be on the correct tees but need better putting.  For me this was especially true when first transitioning from "just" missing greens to "just" hitting greens.  My putting wasn't "suddenly" worse it was just that I never had to face those 35 to 60 foot putts when chipping onto virtually every green.

[gordo865]

I noticed that I played better from the tips actually. I'm about the same length off the tee and I felt that I didn't have to shape my shots as much when hitting from the tips as well as I didn't have to worry as much about control. I can just open it up and let it rip. The fairway usually narrows a lot the closer to the green you get at most of the courses I play so playing from the back tees really helped me actually play better.

[tristanhilton85]

Originally Posted by gordo865

I noticed that I played better from the tips actually. I'm about the same length off the tee and I felt that I didn't have to shape my shots as much when hitting from the tips as well as I didn't have to worry as much about control. I can just open it up and let it rip. The fairway usually narrows a lot the closer to the green you get at most of the courses I play so playing from the back tees really helped me actually play better.

I see what you are saying and am in a similar situation.  My course has 4 sets of tees: red (women), white (regular), yellow ("championship"), and black ("professional").  I never play the blacks as they are way too long for my game but I nearly always play the yellow unless I get put with a threesome where they are all playing the white then I'll move up with them for the perceived convenience (I know it really doesn't save time but some people seem to think it does so what the hell).  The thing is that I don't play any better at all from the whites as I'm usually left less than full shots to the green and more hazards are in play.  I also think that part of it is that I play those tees so rarely that I really haven't learned the course from there like I should.

[rustyredcab]

Originally Posted by tristanhilton85

... The thing is that I don't play any better at all from the whites as I'm usually left less than full shots to the green and more hazards are in play.  I also think that part of it is that I play those tees so rarely that I really haven't learned the course from there like I should.

I agree that it about familiarity. After my group moved up last year, my scores went up for a few weeks. Once I learned what clubs to hit off the tees, they went down even more than the course rates and slopes would have suggested. If you are playing worse from shorter tees, then your strategy is the issue. Shorter tees can sucker you in to a lot of bad decisions.

[gordo865]

The thing is that I used to play the closer tees until a friend of mine kept egging me on to play from the tips so we did for the first time an I played awesome.

[rustyredcab]

One thing about the "back" tees is that most courses were designed with the back tees in mind. The angles are different -- sometimes better sometimes way harder. On my former home course, the first hole was a short per 4 with water on the right and OB on the left. The back tees were way back and on the right side. The was a visually much better landing area for your drive. On another hole, exactly the opposite was true. From the tips it looked like you had to land the ball on a postage stamp.

[x129]

You mean your allowed to hit a club other than driver over the tee on Par 4s and 5s? At the basic level you should play whichever tee box makes you happy. To really improve your golf game you should play all of them.  Playing a 5400 yard course can be just as fun as a 7200 one and will expose different parts of your game.

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

I agree that it about familiarity. After my group moved up last year, my scores went up for a few weeks. Once I learned what clubs to hit off the tees, they went down even more than the course rates and slopes would have suggested. If you are playing worse from shorter tees, then your strategy is the issue. Shorter tees can sucker you in to a lot of bad decisions.

[Avocado]

I have also notice on older courses, there isn't a big difference between the front and the back.  When I am hitting a few yards back of the reds, I am way too close.  I agree with X129, one of my favorite round was from the whites on a short par 72 course.  I typically play from the blues, most the guys I play with can really move the ball... but accuracy is always the great equalizer.  One thing I hate is following someone playing from the tips, black/gold that have no business playing there.  I makes for a long round and it is painful to watch.