Tough tee shot to start

[nickolasjt]

Hey guys,

I'm a freshman at University of Illinois at Springfield and have been having some trouble.  Hit it great in the fall regularly scoring in the 70's, and this fall, I've shot 90 twice, and 93 once.  3 rounds in the 80's, and yet to break the 70's. Tomorrow, I have a tough tee shot to start the day, just wondering what you guys do to get over this hurdle.  I'm a great player, but just have been playing rough lately.  Yes it's cold, and hard to practice, but it's time to play.

Just to note, a 90's round at a college tournament isn't what you think a 90 at your local muni.  They have these courses tipped out, pins in the toughest spots, and greens running.

[David in FL]

Hit your opening tee shot, exactly as you want to play it with your last 5 drives on the practice range before your tee time.

I'll actually play the entire first two holes as my final 4 or 5 practice balls....

[nickolasjt]

Thanks David, I have done that as a younger kid, just kind of forgot about it recently.  Also, also just believing in myself that I belong.  Posting high numbers gets to your head...

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by David in FL

Hit your opening tee shot, exactly as you want to play it with your last 5 drives on the practice range before your tee time.

I'll actually play the entire first two holes as my final 4 or 5 practice balls....

I would do exactly this.

Further, if we're talking about a particularly tough tee shot; OB, hazards, what have you, then I would also consider playing it safe with a fairway wood or iron until you get back out of the rough patch.

Even if its a 450 yard par 4 we're talking about, you can play an iron off the tee just to get it into play.  So you (virtually) take birdie out of the equation but you also take 6 or higher out as well.

If you're like me, you still let the first couple of holes define your round way more than you should, in which case you're better off just making sure you get through that first hole without making a giant number.  Then you can settle down and relax from there on out.

Good luck.

[nickolasjt]

Tee shot is a shot where you cannot go right, because you will hit trees immediatly, but 5 yards off the left side is water the whole way to the green.  A fade is the best shot but my primary shot shape is a draw, especially in pressure situations.  I hit a driver in the practice round today and got really lucky that I didn't hit trees, missing one by 1 foot and was perfect 100 yards out.  My drive goes 280, so If i hit 3 iron, I will have around 150 left, which is very doable.  Teeing up on the left side of the teebox, aiming right, and using the little fairway that I have.

[nickolasjt]

By the way, this is the toughest tee shot on the course lol

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by nickolasjt

Tee shot is a shot where you cannot go right, because you will hit trees immediatly, but 5 yards off the left side is water the whole way to the green.  A fade is the best shot but my primary shot shape is a draw, especially in pressure situations.  I hit a driver in the practice round today and got really lucky that I didn't hit trees, missing one by 1 foot and was perfect 100 yards out.  My drive goes 280, so If i hit 3 iron, I will have around 150 left, which is very doable.  Teeing up on the left side of the teebox, aiming right, and using the little fairway that I have.

That sounds like its only about a 380 yard hole then??  If that is the case, then I'd definitely go with the 3 iron option, if it was me. :)  Then you still have, what, an 8 iron at most, perhaps even a 9, into the green?

[nickolasjt]

I'd have a 9 to the green if I had 150 which would be great... The shot is just very intimidating, especially to start the day..  I will practice the shot on the range as prescribed above.

1) practice tee shot on range

2) pick a target in the fairway, particularly a very precise one

3) swing away and trust it.

[David in FL]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickolasjt

Tee shot is a shot where you cannot go right, because you will hit trees immediately, but 5 yards off the left side is water the whole way to the green.  A fade is the best shot but my primary shot shape is a draw, especially in pressure situations.  I hit a driver in the practice round today and got really lucky that I didn't hit trees, missing one by 1 foot and was perfect 100 yards out.  My drive goes 280, so If i hit 3 iron, I will have around 150 left, which is very doable.  Teeing up on the left side of the teebox, aiming right, and using the little fairway that I have.

That sounds like its only about a 380 yard hole then??  If that is the case, then I'd definitely go with the 3 iron option, if it was me. :)  Then you still have, what, an 8 iron at most, perhaps even a 9, into the green?

You can't win it on the first hole, but you can lose it!  Agreed.  Don't try so hard for that birdie that you bring double into play on a short hole.  There's nothing wrong with a routine 2-putt par to start the day......and sometimes that first putt goes in anyways.

[dennyjones]

I heard from my golf instructor today that thinking on the tee box is fatal.  Usually the brain can only muster one thought process at a time.   Do your thinking before you set up and then walk to the tee and rely on your swing, the thing you've done many times in practice.

Take a look at Zen Golf by Joseph Parent

[nickolasjt]

I will do that.  Thanks for the help guys.  I tried, but hurried my swing and hooked it in the water... then hit my second in the water... I psyched myself out and started with a triple....

I then proceded to make a bogey on the next hole THEN triple the next hole.  And to shoot 6 over on that side I was pretty satisfied after that start...

I'm going to read some books and get my head straight.  We have two weeks off now.  I'm also going to head home this coming weekend, because I haven't been there for 5 weeks.  I haven't played this bad in quite some time.  It's quite frustrating considering how much time I put into my game.  I get to nervous due to previous rounds and try to place the ball instead of swinging through it.