Tee shots
How Tee Shots Affects Ball Flight and Scoring
Understand why the first shot of the hole has such a large influence on the rest of it.
Ball flight is your strategy report
A tee shot that starts on line and curves predictably gives you options. A ball that starts at trouble and curves farther toward it gives the hole control. Watch the full flight: start direction, curve, peak height, landing, and bounce.
- High spinny slice: face open to path, often with too much tension.
- Low pull-hook: face closed early or path too far from the inside.
- Pop-up: steep contact or tee too high for the delivery.
- Low heel cut: standing too close, losing posture, or cutting across it.
Scoring is about the next shot
A 285-yard drive in the trees is not automatically better than a 235-yard ball in the fairway. Tee-shot value depends on penalties avoided, approach angle, lie, and whether you can attack or must recover.
| Hole feature | Tee-shot priority |
|---|---|
| Out of bounds on one side | Start away from it, curve away if possible |
| Wide landing area | Driver can be worth the risk |
| Tight neck at driver distance | Lay back to the wider section |
| Firm fairway | Plan for bounce and roll, not just carry |
A confident tee shot is aggressive when the hole allows it and disciplined when the miss is expensive.