Hitting an iron off a tee

[Curls]

That is completely untrue.

I stand corrected. Just looked it up and it’s not for the reason I thought. You do lose distance hitting it up the face (above centre) but it’s because the weight is in the bottom of the face, not because of spin. So when you tee it too high you risk that.

When playing pitch shots the pros want the ball rolling up the face keeping contact with it for as long as possible, to impart spin. I thought that’s why you lose distance off the tee with a hit out of the top of the face. I was wrong. Good to know!

 

[JustOne]

Can i ask why? And with what degree of loft do you often use? I think i am a much better iron playing than a wood player and often use 4 iron off the tee and thinking a lot about getting a driving iron

Do you think that you don't need a driver / 3 wood off the tee? Or don't have, or don't like it?

He's a monster that's why.

He will out-hit most forumers drivers by using his 6-iron but he can barely control any club longer than that because he's like a newborn giraffe that smells of top scotch!! Most fairways would need to be as wide as an airport carpark for him to keep it in play but he is without doubt a mega ball striker and the best 22 h/capper I've ever seen

 

[brendy]

I use a broken wooden tee pressed well into the ground leaving maybe a cm or less showing, if you tee it too high I think it encourages hitting up on the ball which is grand with a driver, not so good with an iron.

 

[Captainron]

He's a monster that's why.

He will out-hit most forumers drivers by using his 6-iron but he can barely control any club longer than that because he's like a newborn giraffe that smells of top scotch!! Most fairways would need to be as wide as an airport carpark for him to keep it in play but he is without doubt a mega ball striker and the best 22 h/capper I've ever seen

Damn right!! My 10.2 index is not my friend!

 

[Foxholer]

I use a broken wooden tee pressed well into the ground leaving maybe a cm or less showing, if you tee it too high I think it encourages hitting up on the ball which is grand with a driver, not so good with an iron.

I remember when I first started playing golf that I used the Yellow Castle tees and hit slightly 'on the up' for irons, but quite quickly went to wooden tees pressed into the turf with ball a smidgeon above the ground. Hitting 'on the up' didn't seem to compress the ball as well as hitting at (or ever so slightly before) the bottom of the swing. or irons, the tee is simply to provide a 'perfect' lie - with a divot taken that starts forward of where the ball was tee-ed.

 

[jim8flog]

Hitting with an iron for me is the same stroke whether it is on the teeing area or on the fairway.

The stroke is intended to be ball then turf ( not always achieved because I often hit ball and turf at the same time). My tee height is always no more than the equivalent of a really good lie.

 

[jim8flog]

When we are on mats I go to the 25mm lime or orange tees that give ball height of about 5mm.

 

[Mockba]

As a 'newbie' to the game this is something that's always confused me. In relation to high handicappers, I can see the benefit in teeing higher (red tee length) if you have an issue getting weight forward on the downswing but surely if your strike is better you'll strike the club face a lot higher?

Is the ideal height not the orange tees as that's a 'perfect' lie, so to speak?

 

[clubchamp98]

I make a small mound for short irons with back of the club or heel of my shoe.
Tee it up any thing over 7 iron.

Gets you used to playing it off the fairway.

 

[RichA]

I'm a recent returner to golf, after a 10 year break. I was never a serious golfer or club member before.
During lockdown, I bought a winter fairway may, like the one pictured, to avoid taking chunks out of my lawn.
Having always suffered a little excessive turf interaction prior to ball contact, it occurred to me that they would be really useful for non "players" confidence using an iron from the tee box, without having to tee up, as the club skims it, rather than bouncing.

 

[clubchamp98]

I'm a recent returner to golf, after a 10 year break. I was never a serious golfer or club member before.
During lockdown, I bought a winter fairway may, like the one pictured, to avoid taking chunks out of my lawn.
Having always suffered a little excessive turf interaction prior to ball contact, it occurred to me that they would be really useful for non "players" confidence using an iron from the tee box, without having to tee up, as the club skims it, rather than bouncing.View attachment 34887

Yes that’s perfect for winter as it helps save the tees.
Not sure it’s legal in comps. Local Rule maybe.
Don’t forget the mat raises the ball height so some compensation will have to be made when you go back to playing off the turf.
This is why some people practice at home great but struggle on the course.
Get a similar mat thickness to stand on will help.

 

[patricks148]

I use a broken wooden tee pressed well into the ground leaving maybe a cm or less showing, if you tee it too high I think it encourages hitting up on the ball which is grand with a driver, not so good with an iron.

same here

 

[jim8flog]

As a 'newbie' to the game this is something that's always confused me. In relation to high handicappers, I can see the benefit in teeing higher (red tee length) if you have an issue getting weight forward on the downswing but surely if your strike is better you'll strike the club face a lot higher?

Is the ideal height not the orange tees as that's a 'perfect' lie, so to speak?

Yes (they also come in lime green). Personally I go slightly lower on a grass tee and like others I just use the top end of a broken long wooden tee.

 

[RichA]

Yes that’s perfect for winter as it helps save the tees.
Not sure it’s legal in comps. Local Rule maybe.
Don’t forget the mat raises the ball height so some compensation will have to be made when you go back to playing off the turf.
This is why some people practice at home great but struggle on the course.
Get a similar mat thickness to stand on will help.

I'm not at a point where I have to worry too much about competition play.
The one I have is pretty flat, but I totally get your point.
Just to stay sane, I've mostly just been practicing my swing without worrying about the presence of a ball - swinging to scuff the brushes, which are about 10mm long, without nailing the base.
In theory, I'm a better golfer now than before lockdown. Haven't lost a ball since 3rd January.

 

[Paulienash]

Hi,

Let's clear up one thing, whilst it might feel that you are compressing the ball into the turf or mat, you absolutely are not and it's a bit of a silly old cliché that people shouldn't use as it will confuse new players.
Think about it logically, if we really did push the ball into the turf it would just plug underground. So actually, the ball always flies up in the air as soon as you hit it.

Off the tee, as you get better you can experiment with different ball positions to change the angle of attack but the swing is the same. So simple answer for now, it's the same feeling of hitting down onto the ball.

Thanks,

I'm concentrating on the 'compression' thing as initially I tended to to go really round like a baseball swing (a lot of topping & slicing), so just thinking about hitting it on that downswing (rather than scooping) seems to help keep my club in a reasonable path (butt of the club, facing at the target, then the ball etc, rather than right of the target, etc), still doesn't feel natural but it's the future.

 

[Paulienash]

tee it slightly off the ground, not a lot, and hit it like a normal iron shot

Thanks, yes that's what I'll try, I tried the Red double ones (as everyone else was using) couldn't get it off the tee so reverted to a wood or even an easy driver on the long 3s. I can get it down there but it's a long way from being accurate. I also assumed you had to use a tee, off the tee, apparently not.

 

[SaintHacker]

THink it was Jack Nicklaus who gave to famous quote when asked why he always uses a tee 'in my experience air gives less resistance than grass'. If its good enough for Jack...

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I don’t try to hit down on the ball if using a long iron, unless trying to hit a “stinger”.
I try to sweep it off the tee.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Lessons are for chumps

I hit iron off the tee and it puts me up with or past most peoples drivers.

I can vouch for this ?

 

[Jimaroid]

touch unpredictable

Laugh of the day.