5 MISTAKES YOU MIGHT BE MAKING IN THE TEE BOX.
What’s the best way to have a great round? Or even a great hole for that matter? Start it off right. And we’re not talking about your stance, your club selection, or swinging yourself into a pretzel… but about the other things you could be or couldn’t be doing wrong in the tee box.
1) STEPPING UP WITHOUT A STRATEGY
It’s like ordering a hot dog at the turn without a bun. It’s just kinda messy.
Where you place the ball between the markers depends on several things. Your natural shot shape. (face it, you’re not going to straighten your shape in one shot.) And what lies ahead.
If you have a natural fade, then you want to tee it up on the right side of the markers so that you have the whole left side to hit into… allowing your shot to fade back into the fairway. The same logic works when you have trouble on the right edge of the fairway. We want to tee it up on the right side of the markers, and draw to the left of any trouble.
Nobody wants to hit a great shot, and then figure out that as beautiful as it was, it started in the wrong place, and landed in the wrong place.
2) THE WRONG TEE HEIGHT
Often times the smallest adjustment can make the biggest difference. And we’re not talking about your set-up, but your tee height.
Every driver has a different sweet spot. Hitting this sweet spot is what helps give your ball backspin… backspin is what keeps your ball from side spinning and sending it flying off line. So, backspin = gooooood. Side spin = baaaaaaad.
Knowing how to optimize your ball height to interact with your club head correctly is as valuable as anything else in the tee box. Check out this guide to help you learn the best ball height for driver.
3) BEATING YOURSELF UP AFTER THE FIRST TEE
Let’s assume your first tee shot went the way of a drunken squirrel. Don’t worry about it. Resign it. True, we’re talking about starting off right, and that hasn’t changed. We’re not saying to give up, what we’re saying is that this is often the hardest shot of your round. Try as hard as we want, the first tee is just cold. We’re tense, over-thinking… not relaxed yet… and it tends to effect our swing and our drive negatively.
Forget it. Resign it. It’s done. Behind you. Know that you were cold and that the rest of this hole is to loosen up. The good news… there are 17 more tee boxes to go, and plenty of time to make up for one drunken squirrel shot.
4) LETTING YOUR TEE EFFECT YOUR FLIGHT
This is a subject we’re particularly fond of around here at Evolve Golf. The fact is that something as seemingly innocuous as a tee has a relatively dramatic effect on your ball’s flight. From friction to deflection, the wrong tee can slow your ball down or reduce back spin. Even change the shape and flight of the ball.
Teeing your ball up on a tee like the Epoch from Evolve Golf reduces the friction between the ball and the tee, reducing side spin, and letting you maximize your swing. It’s not rocket science, but it is science.
5) LEAVING MORE THAN FOOTPRINTS
One of the benefits to playing golf is the pristine, natural setting. Green grass, fresh air, towering trees, wildlife… it’s awesome, until you get to the tee box. Littered by sunflower seeds, cigar ashes, fractured tees, and whatever else the prior foursome left behind.
Not only is it ugly as heck, but it’s also bad for the box, causing fungus and other issues for the groundskeepers. With a little extra effort, to keep the seeds in your mouth, and a tee that doesn’t shatter into shards on impact… we can all do our part to keep up appearances at our favorite course.