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Club Selection from the Tee

I'm more than likely to just tee it high and let fly with the driver... Unless the fairway narrows greatly, there is an abundance of hazards, or there is a dogleg that would require a little more precision as to where my ball lands.
 
mward2002 said:
Tee strategy: what's the layout of the hole, and what is it to things like the widest part of the fairway, where it is to certain hazards, end of fairways, etc. If I can't reach them, hit the longest club you've got. If I can, can I blow it by them in the air? If not, how am I hitting it that day and most importantly, is the risk worth the reward? If not, lay back short of it. Also, is there a helping or hurting wind? That will dictate what type of hole this is going to be.

Take a 310yd par 4. Is it wide open? If so, blast driver as close as you can if you have the confidence to not decel the short pitch shot you'll have and hit it heavy. If not, is it a right driving hole or one with hazard definitely in play? Then take your mid iron or hybrid and put yourself in a position to have a full wedge in hand. One day I'll remember this, but how often do you see the people trying to drive greens actually make eagle or even birdie? Take that against the guy who plays to a number and gives himself a look at birdie more often than not.
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Good point. And in the hole I was talking about on Saturday, even though I hit it much shorter with a 5W, I still came away with a par (birdie putt lipped out), same score as the rest of the group.
 
I hit my 3 wood on almost every hole except par 3s (unless I am borrowing by playing partners driver to try). I don't have a driver, yet. That being said I should really practice playing to a number more than trying to hit my 3 wood because I am on the tee box.
 
Wake said:
Coolbreeze's thoughts on Par 5's bring up another interesting thought. If you are out of reach on a par 5, what do you typically hit. I will either go to 150 again if I am way out, or try to split the shot in half. Say 9 iron to 9 iron, or PW to PW. My dad always seems to grab for a FW, even if he isn't hitting them well. His 3w is around 225, and if he is 240 out he grabs it and gets as close as he can, which often times leads him to rolling it into a greenside bunker or slicing it out of bounds. I've tried to convince him to hit whatever iron will get him to a comfortable distance, but he always reaches for a wood.
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I tend to do this as well. For example on saturday the last par 5 I went driver, pitching wedge, pitching wedge. I feel more comfortable going at that beast of a green with a pitching wedge than I do a partial 54 or 58*. Of course I hit it long and had to pitch back up to the green. Though it felt better than going Driver, thinned hybrid into the junk, punch out and chip on. Taking the big number out of play when I can is a big help to stay in a round mentally for me.
 
Honestly, I really don't use Course management. I know I should, but I feel as comfortable with my driver as I do other clubs and so I just hit it off every tee. I really want to just experiment a bit and use different clubs off the tee just to see how it might help me, but I seem to be wayward with all clubs and don't have that go to shot or club anymore!!!
 
I use my driver on every non par 3 hole unless there is a water hazard in my driver distance landing area or a sharp dogleg. I would say I am of average distance but straighter than most so am comfortable with the driver. I think some have a tendancy to overanalyze the game-particularly the higher cappers. Tee it up and have fun.
 
Wake said:
We played 36 holes on saturday, and I only recall you hitting less than 3w once. That being said you were hitting your woods well enough to pull it off.
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Used less than driver a few times. 5w off one, 5i off one, 4ii off another, 3w off another. But I was driving it pretty well so the risk was outweighing the reward. Also the back 18 don't count, you almost had to hit driver on every hole in that rain haha
 
All about the yardage and layout of the hole for me. I will hit the driver on 99% of the par 5's unless there is a sharp dogleg near the tee box (200-230 yds). If it's a short par 4 and I'm not totally confident in my driver then I will hit the 3 hybrid or 4 iron off the tee. I'm not really a "grip it and rip it" type of golfer, i'd rather play a little smarter golf since I have a lot of short-comings to overcome in my game.
 
War Eagle said:
The past few months, I have been working on keeping myself in the fairway and out of trouble in effort to better my course management, whether that means going with a fairway wood or hybrid off the tee, a long iron, or even a mid iron just to set up my second shot. I started thinking about this at the Outing in Orlando a month ago, and trying to decide what factors must come in to play for me to decide which club to hit.

Lately it seems that any Par 4 under 400 yards, I have been going with my 3W or 5W depending on what distance I want my second shot to be from. During a round with the Florida THPers, a few of us were discussing course management and what makes us make certain decision. One hole in particular this came up on, and I had just hit 5W dead down the center of the fairway, leaving me a comfortable 9iron in to the pin. There was water all down the right side and I didnt want to risk flirting with my power fade and getting wet. The other two ripped driver down the fairway, well past my tee shot and made me instantly rethink my shot, even though I was in at a yardage that I knew that would work well for me. I played my next shot great, and ended up with a par. The two I was playing with ended up with a par and a bogey. The results of the hole reassured me of my decision, but still had me thinking about what leads me to make a decision on the tee.

So, I am curious to how you decide? Is it based purely off distance? Based of a hazard or water that needs to be laid up to or carried over? Or is it depending on how you are hitting driver that day?
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I liked the way you approach your game on saturday. It doesn't matter what the others hot off the tee. You gotta it what gives you the best chance at birdie or par. If I am playing well I'll hit driver on almost ever hole, like I did Saturday. I take a quick peak at what's in front of me and choose my weapon. I made 13 good choices on Saturday and one bad on the hole with a double green. I should have hit 3w and excepted a longer second.
I used to approach my game as you do much now I just feel for what I am doing at the moment. Im of the belief that if your hitting it well it doesn't matter what you it off the tee, you'll be in play.
 
Tadashi70 said:
I liked the way you approach your game on saturday. It doesn't matter what the others hot off the tee. You gotta it what gives you the best chance at birdie or par. If I am playing well I'll hit driver on almost ever hole, like I did Saturday. I take a quick peak at what's in front of me and choose my weapon. I made 13 good choices on Saturday and one bad on the hole with a double green. I should have hit 3w and excepted a longer second.
I used to approach my game as you do much now I just feel for what I am doing at the moment. Im of the belief that if your hitting it well it doesn't matter what you it off the tee, you'll be in play.
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That hole had me so confused, no idea what was going on with that one?
 
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