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Handicap and tee boxes

arwin

arwin

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Given my handicap (~20), I know I'm probably supposed to from the white tees. However, with my driver, I can consistently hit it about 260-280, I can occasionally put it out there 300.

When playing from the blue tees, it's usually a Driver/short iron or wedge combo. If I play from the white tees, it's usually 4w/hybrid off the tee and should be another short iron/wedge.

The thing is, I can normally put my ball in play with my driver more than my 4w or hybrid! Some courses indicate which tee boxes you should be playing depending on your handicap, but I also saw another chart for the tee it forward program to play certain total yardages depending on your average drive.

So according to my handicap, I should play the white tees. But according to my average driver distance, I should play from the blues!
I guess I realize that I struggle more with my long irons and fw/hybrid than I do with my driver and short irons.

I played TPC Las Vegas a month ago and shot 95 from the blue tees and 2 weeks later I shot 109 from the white tees!

Would you guys keep playing from the tee boxes that work to your strengths or play from tee boxes that make you work on your weaknesses?
 
You should play where you are comfortable playing from. This game is supposed to be fun, not frustrating. If you are having more fun from the Blues, play the Blues.
 
Those are just guidelines mostly intended to help pace of play and the average golfer's enjoyment. Your info indicates you aren't an average golfer, your scoring is not negatively impacted by playing the back tees, nor (in all likelihood) is pace of play.
 
Play where you have the most fun and can keep up your pace of play with the rest of the course. Gotta have fun when you play golf.

My thoughts anyways.
 
Where are your weaknesses? I would practice from the shortest tees and play from the blues. That's just me.
 
blugold said:
Where are your weaknesses? I would practice from the shortest tees and play from the blues. That's just me.
Click to expand...

I'd say 4i-6i, hybrid and 4w. All can produce shots where I'd slice the ball OB.

There was a course called Coyote Springs in Vegas where they had a 210 yard par 3 (to the pin) with water on the right....from the whites! I tried teeing off my 4i 4 times that day (multiple rounds) and they all ended up in the water. Even with me trying to aim more left than I thought I should be....apparently I needed to be way more left. Distance was good though! LOL :act-up:
 
arwin said:
I'd say 4i-6i, hybrid and 4w. All can produce shots where I'd slice the ball OB.

There was a course called Coyote Springs in Vegas where they had a 210 yard par 3 (to the pin) with water on the right....from the whites! I tried teeing off my 4i 4 times that day (multiple rounds) and they all ended up in the water. Even with me trying to aim more left than I thought I should be....apparently I needed to be way more left. Distance was good though! LOL :act-up:
Click to expand...
How often are you hitting those clubs to blow up your card to a -20? I would honestly play the forward tips and tee off with those clubs often and force yourself to lose that slice with your mid irons.
 
If you can play them, enjoy them, and keep up pace. Very important to keep up pace.
 
as long as you and/or your group aren't slowing down pace of play i say play whatever tee boxes you want that allows you to enjoy the game and have a good time while on the course.
 
Mulligan9111 said:
Play where you have the most fun and can keep up your pace of play with the rest of the course. Gotta have fun when you play golf.

My thoughts anyways.
Click to expand...
Well said buddy!
 
arwin said:
I'd say 4i-6i, hybrid and 4w. All can produce shots where I'd slice the ball OB.

There was a course called Coyote Springs in Vegas where they had a 210 yard par 3 (to the pin) with water on the right....from the whites! I tried teeing off my 4i 4 times that day (multiple rounds) and they all ended up in the water. Even with me trying to aim more left than I thought I should be....apparently I needed to be way more left. Distance was good though! LOL :act-up:
Click to expand...

When I used to get a case of the slices my first instinct was to aim further left....usually sliced more and more the more I aimed left... then I was told to set up with my body aiming right (closed stance) but keep my target line pointed left of my stance, meaning stand aiming right but swing toward the pin... apparently that was the old thought about how to hit draws before someone figured out to swing out to rightfield with a clubface slightly closed to the swingpath.

Tinker with aiming right and swinging back left of your stance to try to cure the slices sometime.
 
If you can reach most par 4's with a mid iron on the second shot you are playing from the right tees in my opinion.
 
Something doesn't jive for me. As a 20 hdcp you say you hit it 280 with your driver. I'm assuming it's in play which would mean your irons should be pretty good. But your scores say different. What's broken?
 
arwin said:
Given my handicap (~20), I know I'm probably supposed to from the white tees. However, with my driver, I can consistently hit it about 260-280, I can occasionally put it out there 300.

When playing from the blue tees, it's usually a Driver/short iron or wedge combo. If I play from the white tees, it's usually 4w/hybrid off the tee and should be another short iron/wedge.

The thing is, I can normally put my ball in play with my driver more than my 4w or hybrid! Some courses indicate which tee boxes you should be playing depending on your handicap, but I also saw another chart for the tee it forward program to play certain total yardages depending on your average drive.

So according to my handicap, I should play the white tees. But according to my average driver distance, I should play from the blues!
I guess I realize that I struggle more with my long irons and fw/hybrid than I do with my driver and short irons.

I played TPC Las Vegas a month ago and shot 95 from the blue tees and 2 weeks later I shot 109 from the white tees!

Would you guys keep playing from the tee boxes that work to your strengths or play from tee boxes that make you work on your weaknesses?
Click to expand...

I am in a similar situation to you. My average drive is about 280 or so, but I can get it out there farther if I swing quicker. My issue is with my short game. My home course is fairly short so I rarely even pull my driver anymore. I don't play enough to be more consistent with partial iron/wedge shots so if I have anything less than a full swing, I really don't know what is going to happen.
 
I too am like Arwin & Mongo. I'm driving good this season straight and long, but irons coming up short.
 
Tadashi70 said:
Something doesn't jive for me. As a 20 hdcp you say you hit it 280 with your driver. I'm assuming it's in play which would mean your irons should be pretty good. But your scores say different. What's broken?
Click to expand...

Good question.

I think when my swing is on, then I score relatively decent (low 90's) and then there are days where my swing is completely off and my confidence just goes down the drain. When that happens, I can't do anything properly for the life of me.

This was my scorecard for the 95 at TPC Las Vegas - http://oobgolf.com/golfers/score_oobgolf.php?id=3195520
This included 5 3 putts and 2 four putts. So I know I could've scored better if I could just putt better

This was my scorecard for the 109 at TPC Las Vegas - http://oobgolf.com/golfers/score_oobgolf.php?id=3199994
As you can see, I just completely blew up the back 9. That stretch of holes, I couldn't hit anything straight which resulted in balls going into hazards, multiple shots in the sand etc.

I've had rounds in the high 80's and some other rounds in the 120+, depending on the day :banghead:

Perhaps, it's all mental and I need Hank Haney's how to avoid the big miss!
 
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