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Tee box - where do you tee it up depending on shot?

KellyBo

KellyBo

Golf, Have Fun or Quit!
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I've been experimenting with setting up on different places on the tee box and have seen great improvement in some of my drives as a result. I'm still a little lost on where I should set up on some holes.

I hit a straight tee shot for the most part. I can hit a fade pretty easily if needed and a draw easily with my 3 wood but don't try it much with my driver. What I'm finding is if I have plenty of room to the left, I am getting through the ball nicely and hitting my drives longer. However, if I have something blocking me on the left side with plenty of room on the right, I tend to push my drives because I'm afraid I will pull it into the trouble on the left.

Here are some examples:

Tough driving hole for me to get around on the ball. I usually end up on the right side of the fairway or in the right rough but lose 20 yards because I don't finish my swing.
DSCF5239_zps3ba1f880.jpg


My best driving hole because the tee box is on the right and it's wide open. I set up on the right side of the tee box and let it rip. I always have a good finish.
DSCF5252_zps93b8725d.jpg


I usually do just fine on this one that has trouble on both sides. Use center of tee box and just aim straight.
DSCF5245_zps50399679.jpg


Easy one - I set up on right side of tee box and hit 3 wood which has a nice draw around the dog leg.
DSCF1665.jpg


So do you set up a certain way on your tee boxes depending on your shots?

Any suggestions for getting me to trust my swing and finish on those holes that have that left tree line getting in my head?
 
I generally do. I almost always tee it up on either the extreme right or extreme left side of the tee box (I make the choice based on what the shot it). I'm just weird like that though. Even on a perfectly straight shot I'm on the extreme left side of the tee.
 
If there is danger on one side I'll Tee up on hat side to keep myself from accident aiming there. That's something I was taught


Sent from my iPhone 5, using Tapatalk 2
 
KB,
I also hit a straight tee shot so depending on the hole I will either tee up in the center and aim left/right to avoid obstacles or tee up on the left/right of the tee box.

In your first example I would tee up to the right of the tee box and aim for the green topped tree centered at the far end of the fairway.
 
KellyBo said:
I've been experimenting with setting up on different places on the tee box and have seen great improvement in some of my drives as a result. I'm still a little lost on where I should set up on some holes.

So do you set up a certain way on your tee boxes depending on your shots?

Any suggestions for getting me to trust my swing and finish on those holes that have that left tree line getting in my head?
Click to expand...

I generally do it this way:

Draw - left side of the teeing area.
Fade - right side of the teeing area.
Straight - anywhere in-between the first two toward center.

For example one, I would tee it up on the left side and hit a draw.

For example two & three, I would set-up center and hit it straight.

For example four, I would tee up left-center and hit a baby draw.

I think the important thing is to be looking at your shot shape and playing the hole for what it gives you. Wind would play a factor on examples 1 & 3 for me. I always find it difficult for my sight-line to be directly at trees, water or hazards and play off of them. Sometimes it's inevitable but I like for my sight to be on the general path toward open-ness...
 
Tadashi had some good answers posted in his thread a few months back. This might help a bit?!

Linky
 
Left side for a draw is the most difficult for me to do. I end up way closed and hook the bejeezus out of the ball. I can't make my brain allow my body to line up correctly that way.
 
Hawk said:
Left side for a draw is the most difficult for me to do. I end up way closed and hook the bejeezus out of the ball. I can't make my brain allow my body to line up correctly that way.
Click to expand...

I tee up on the right but make sure I allow myself plenty of room for the draw. Seems to work better for me too, at least on the dog leg hole pictured above. That's the only hole I play a draw off the tee.
 
KellyBo said:
I tee up on the right but make sure I allow myself plenty of room for the draw. Seems to work better for me too, at least on the dog leg hole pictured above. That's the only hole I play a draw off the tee.
Click to expand...

I typically do the same, but I know I'm not supposed to.
 
I typically hit a straight drive, but if I am trying to "get after it," I tend to push/slice the ball so I will tee it up on the right side of the tee box and aim for the left side of the fairway.
 
My natural ball flight with the driver is a slight draw. I set up either in the middle or towards the left tee marker. Good luck in finding your starting point!
 
Tee up on side of the trouble...then play away from it. Was taught that way too.
 
I tend to play a draw and almost always tee it up a foot or 2 off the right side marker to allow for it.
 
I always tee it up as far right as I can go. I'm normally 3" from the right tee marker. I have a nice fade/bad slice with my driver, and always aim middle/middle left/left and let it naturally just come back into the fairway. I normally get the left side/left rough out of my shot this way, and if there is trouble to the right, I just aim more left.
 
I usually tee up on the left side of the box and aim for the right side of the fairway and play my normal little draw.
 
I will usually line up left for draw, right for fade. But With dog legs I usually tend to line up on the opposite side as the turn, that way a straight ball has the biggest chance of success. It gives me the straightest angle in, and the most room to elevate above the trees if I am cutting the corner.
 
Hi Kelly.

I normally play straight or a baby fade with the driver. I can draw it but as it is not a natural shot with that club I am not certain how much it will draw. However, like you I am able to draw the 3w no prob.

With that first hole, if you are not confident at putting a good swing on it and going straight, I would suggest tee up on the left side and spank the 3w aiming to set it out down toward the right third of the fairway and let it come back left with a draw. By doing this you are playing a 'confident' shot rather than trying to manufacture something. If I am in a situation like this I would usually take the 3w and play for a draw as it will almost certainly be a safe shot and most times will end up being longer than a bad fade or block to the right.

When faced with trouble on the course, like others have said as well, I tend to tee up on the side of the trouble. Not so that I am able to play more away from it but more so that it concentrates my mind a bit more on the shot in hand.
 
As mentioned a couple of times already, I tend to tee it up on whichever side the trouble is on so that I am aiming away from it

If it is down both sides I will usually tee it on the left and aim towards the middle as I have developed a slight draw with my 3w off the tee so that usually helps to get it in the fairway
 
Kelly I really like where your golfing mind has been S of late.

I would line up on the far right hand side in the first photo and play a hard cut out over the left hand trees. Lining up left brings the block into play. It looks to me like if it stays straight you have some room to punch up close to the green or out.

I know staying committed is easier said then done. But you pick your line and stay with it, chances are you will pull off the shot an don't hit a weak push.
 
Thanks so much for all the advice and comments. I haven't thought of playing a draw with my 3 wood or getting on the right and playing a fade on that first hole. I will definitely give it a try. I know a lot of people struggle with that tee shot, including Ole Gray. I'll have to get out there and experiment and let you know how it works out.
 
Right side unless that causes me to align toward trouble.
 
Since I tend to draw the ball most of the time now, most of the time I set up on the far left of the tee box and aim just inside the far right side of the fairway. My reasoning is if I draw the ball I am in the dead center or just left of center, if I hit it straight then it's still in the right hand side of the fairway.
 
Mr. Satchmo said:
If there is danger on one side I'll Tee up on hat side to keep myself from accident aiming there. That's something I was taught


Sent from my iPhone 5, using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

Same here, I was taught to tee up on the side the trouble is on so you can aim away from it.
 
I usually tee up on the right side. I'm not sure why...just don't want the tee markers getting in the way? xD
 
Hawk said:
Left side for a draw is the most difficult for me to do. I end up way closed and hook the bejeezus out of the ball. I can't make my brain allow my body to line up correctly that way.
Click to expand...

Same thing here buddy! I was taught to tee it up on the side of trouble however if I'm not careful watch out for the duck to howl :beat-up:!

KellyBo said:
Thanks so much for all the advice and comments. I haven't thought of playing a draw with my 3 wood or getting on the right and playing a fade on that first hole. I will definitely give it a try. I know a lot of people struggle with that tee shot, including Ole Gray. I'll have to get out there and experiment and let you know how it works out.
Click to expand...

Yup. All too often I'll get on the left side of the first hole pictured and do a "Hawk" move on it :D
 
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