To Tee or Not To Tee (with Irons) ?

[motius]

When using an iron for a tee shot, especially the short and mid irons - do you use a tee?

I have tried both with and without a tee, but my swing isn't really consistent enough to be able to to tell if one way is better than the other. I know that when using a tee, I don't get the nice "click" sound I get when the ball is just on the ground and I hit down on it properly, but otherwise I can't notice much difference.

How do you all decide when to use or not use a tee, and what effect does using a tee have vs. no tee (only talking iron shots here).

[twomey7]

I always use a tee. Not confident enough not to..

[philipy]

I always use a broken tee I find somewhere around the tee box and tee it up very low - just at top of grass level.

[CG031]

I just look at it like this:

If you have the chance to give yourself a better lie, why not do it?

So yes, I tee it everytime.

[Gregormendel]

I just look at it like this:

That is exactly how I see it. I tee it low enough that you cant even notice the ball is on a tee. But as ^ said, with a tee you can give yourself a consistantly perfect lie.

[Lbob]

This is a no brainer. Always use a tee. You get a perfect lie every time. I think it was Nichlaus who said that air has a lot less resistance than grass. Use the tee.

[outrider2288]

i use a tee 99.9% of the time mainly for the reasons everyone else has mentioned. The only time i dont use a tee is if im hitting a wedge or low iron and need to take a little bit off of the shot.
For instance if i have a 130 yd par 3 and i hit my PW 140 yds, i sometimes dont tee it up.
Other than that i tee it up.

[motius]

I should have also asked how high you tee the ball, I have been teeing it very low aswell (just about the grass), when using a tee.

Are you still supposed to hit down on the ball when it is on a tee, or should it be more of a hit through like a wood shot ?

[sboardz006]

I just look at it like this:

that's my thought aswell.

[tigerwoo]

I agree with all the previous posts on teeing it up for reasons of giving yourself a better lie.

In addition to that a tee'd up ball will also give you a chance when your swing was not perfect... i.e. you didn't quite get down enough on the shot and thus might have hit it thin if the was ball tee-less. That fraction of lift off the ground can help an imperfect swing produce an almost perfect result.

Are you still supposed to hit down on the ball when it is on a tee, or should it be more of a hit through like a wood shot ?

Yes, play the shot as per normal with an iron. Hitting down on the ball will allow you to make more solid contact

[Matt P]

I tee it up, but very low, so the head of the tee is just above the ground with the ball resting just above the grass. I think you should always tee it up if given the chance.

[bornfishy]

Am I the only one that tees the ball up very high?

I'm a beginner, so I like teeing the ball up high - it stops me fatting the shot quite as much. Typically I'll play the ball teed up so a quarter of it (or more) is above the head of my 5 iron.

I don't tee up wedge shots on short par 3's, though.

andy.

[tigerwoo]

Am I the only one that tees the ball up very high?

Teeing the ball up high will help you build confidence in hitting the ball, but if you want to get better and increase your iron distances, you'll want to start hitting down on the ball rather than sweeping it off a tee. Teeing it low is really the only way to be able to hit down on the ball with precision at least from my experience.

[iacas]

I always use a tee when I'm allowed. I vary the height with my driver, 3W, hybrid, and irons. If I'm between clubs, for example, I'll take the stronger lofted club and tee the ball up higher. I'll catch it higher on the face and the ball will spin a bit less, and go a little shorter. Same with the 3W and hybrid off the tee, though there it's more about clearing trees or wanting to hit a draw (easier if it's teed up a tad higher).

[GolfnGriff]

No tee for me... I just throw the ball down on a good spot and swing away. I know it's better to use a tee for all the reasons listed but I haven't used a tee in years and it just feels more comfortable "for me" not to use a tee.

[lamebums]

When using an iron for a tee shot, especially the short and mid irons - do you use a tee?

Always tee it up. If the rules allow you to get a perfect lie (putting the ball on a peg), put the damn ball on a peg.

It reminds me of what Jack Nicklaus once said - he found out a long time ago that air offers less resistance than dirt.

[Shindig]

When using an iron for a tee shot, especially the short and mid irons - do you use a tee?

If you could guarantee yourself a perfect lie for 18 shots a round, would you take it or not?

Your swing isn't consistent enough to NOT give yourself every legal advantage under the rules. Using a tee properly, you get a perfect lie for 18 shots out of your round. Some of those are iron shots.

[motius]

Thanks everyone for the advice!! Clearly the overwhealming concensus is that a tee should most definitely be used... advice which I will be using!

Thanks!