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Iron Off The Tee vs. Iron In The Fairway

RealPretendPsychic

RealPretendPsychic

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Albatross 2024 Club
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Almost nothing frustrates me more than playing it safe and taking a 5i off the tee only to get myself in trouble. What gives?! I have a huge target and I still can’t hit it! It’s like I’m hitting a completely different club than a 5i from the fairway.
 
Don't use a tee, when hitting an iron off the tee :)
 
Yep, I know the feeling. Perfect lie and everything and the ball doesn't go where I want it to.😢
 
JimBetts said:
Don't use a tee, when hitting an iron off the tee :)
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If say the same, but Nicklaus always said you're given a chance for a perfect lie, penalty free, only 18 times each round and you should take advantage of it.

I'd say tee it up low to the ground. Get the perfect lie, but create the same shot as from the fairway.
 
If the goal off the tee is just too get it into play safely and not hitting a specified yardage, why not take driver and choke down a couple inches? The shorter length will be easier to control, the big face gives plenty of help, and a controlled swing will likely travel as far as a full long iron with much less punishment on a miss.
 
Pick a small target when using an iron off the tee. Too often I think many people just wail away with irons off the tee without really picking a target. Make sure to pick an exact target when hitting an iron off the tee just like you would hitting at a green.

Regarding the tee I generally tee it very low right down at grass level but just make sure I have a perfect lie.
 
Back off the right side tee marker, tee it low, and pick a target.


edit: I type slow on meds @Chef23 got to it first. (y)
 
JohnSinVA said:
If the goal off the tee is just too get it into play safely and not hitting a specified yardage, why not take driver and choke down a couple inches? The shorter length will be easier to control, the big face gives plenty of help, and a controlled swing will likely travel as far as a full long iron with much less punishment on a miss.
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I will 100% admit I have never considered or attempted this! Looks like I have some practicing to do!
 
OGputtnfool said:
If say the same, but Nicklaus always said you're given a chance for a perfect lie, penalty free, only 18 times each round and you should take advantage of it.
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Other pro's will also tell you that you're already solid hitting irons on the fairway, teeing up a ball for an iron 'may' change the result; why risk it.
 
I hit iron off the tee and when it goes wrong it is a way left snap hook. I think to myself, well I sure could have done that w/ driver too. Cant be perfect, but does hurt a little when trying to play it smart.
 
Nothing pisses me off worse than playing the Smart/Safe shot, and screwin' it up with a bad swing.

Sent from my HD1905 using Tapatalk
 
JimBetts said:
Other pro's will also tell you that you're already solid hitting irons on the fairway, teeing up a ball for an iron 'may' change the result; why risk it.
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I figure Nicklaus knows more about the game, and has likely forgotten more about the game, than all but a select few people on the planet. I'd trust just about anything he told me about golf. Nicklaus is to golf what Jesus is to gettin' into Heaven, I'd say.
 
Good iron players still take a divot in front of the tee'd up ball.

I'm not a good iron striker, just adequate for my handicap. Except for some wedge shots, I don't take divots with my irons. I just give the turf a hair cut.

I use a tee for irons when I can. I even practice with tee'd up balls with my irons. Thing is, I tee the balls up really low, just barely off the turf. I do this because I hit my full swing irons on the thin side, no matter what the lie is.
 
It's a tee box. Tee the thing up. I do. Sure, when I'm using a short iron for a par 3, the tee may be flush with the ground and the ball just barely above ground but it's still teed up. It works for me.

Sometimes.:ROFLMAO:
 
I struggle hitting irons off tees, and woods off grass. If I tee up an iron on a par 3, the tee is pretty much all the way in the ground...I'm just looking to get the best lie I can get with that tiny little nub of a tee keeping just at the top of the tee box grass.
 
Very demoralizing to try and play it safe and smart only to smother hook one into the junk. Used to happen to me way too frequently but I've been getting better with it. Biggest help for me was visualizing a small green complete with tight bunkering out at my desired landing area. Better focus, smaller misses. Part of it is trying to stick that imaginary green at a specific distance keeps me from trying to add a 'little extra' half way through my downswing.

As for Jack, it's really interesting to see how much higher than normal he tees his irons up on par 3s. Looks to be about 5/8" off the ground which has the bottom of his ball more than 1/4" higher than the tee box grass. Works for Jack because he knows what he's doing and does what he he's trying to do. When I tried to copy him I was even more prone to flippy little hooks than normal, or else I'd seem to hit it well but still come up a little short.
 
I know that feeling well RPP! I have “laid” up out bounds multiple times this year!
 
JohnSinVA said:
If the goal off the tee is just too get it into play safely and not hitting a specified yardage, why not take driver and choke down a couple inches? The shorter length will be easier to control, the big face gives plenty of help, and a controlled swing will likely travel as far as a full long iron with much less punishment on a miss.
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May I request a video demonstration? Please include the audio portion as well.... that way I can hear the cursing if you slice it :ROFLMAO:
 
I admire and appreciate Jack as much as anyone. But just because something works for him does not mean it works for everyone.

He implies his logic but its just an opinion and never written in stone.

I agree wiyh the idea to give yourself a lie when you can. But i use it low just barely above the ground.

I was never a high tee player even with driver. There is no way im teeing an iron any higher than just above the ground. The idea imo is to just have a nice lie.
 
So every par 3 you hit a 5 iron you knock it on the green? I find and I'm an 8 handicap...that my ball striking is maybe better with a driver than with a 5 iron. And my misses with my driver are 70 yards further down the fairway/rough than my missed 5 iron. My suggestion would be don't overthink and just hit more club. If I'm laying up I can't imagine giving up so much yardage as hitting 5 iron.
 
What typically happens is the ball is teed to high, so your catching 1/2 the ball or 3/4 of the ball. In return a solid impact isn’t had and the shot feels and sounds weird and short.
 
GolfTravelDude said:
So every par 3 you hit a 5 iron you knock it on the green? I find and I'm an 8 handicap...that my ball striking is maybe better with a driver than with a 5 iron. And my misses with my driver are 70 yards further down the fairway/rough than my missed 5 iron. My suggestion would be don't overthink and just hit more club. If I'm laying up I can't imagine giving up so much yardage as hitting 5 iron.
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My 5i off the tee is 220-230 (when it cooperates) so it’s definitely the safe play on shorter holes when it takes trouble out of play. But I’m not talking just missing the fairway, we’re talking missed fairways by a mile and finding the trees. I don’t take my 3h or 4h often because they generally have a vendetta against me and refuse to go straight.
 
RealPretendPsychic said:
My 5i off the tee is 220-230 (when it cooperates) so it’s definitely the safe play on shorter holes when it takes trouble out of play. But I’m not talking just missing the fairway, we’re talking missed fairways by a mile and finding the trees. I don’t take my 3h or 4h often because they generally have a vendetta against me and refuse to go straight.
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You see here...My driver is 225 to 240. And my 5 iron is my 165 club. But if I analyze my results with each my misses are just as bad with a 5 iron as with a Driver. Even when I busted it I have never hit a 5 iron that far. Way back when I carried a 1 iron and I hit that as well as my wedge. carried it 210 and would get 240/250 out of it. I'd hit that more than my driver. You need to hit a range and develop a stinger...A controlled swing straight bullet...Slightly choked down 3wood would be my best guess for you..
 
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