Tee shots
The Fundamentals of Tee Shots
Choose and hit first shots that match the hole, your pattern, and the day’s conditions.
Start with the hole, not the club
A good tee shot begins before the ball is pegged. Look at where the fairway is widest, where the penalty areas sit, and which side gives the best angle into the green. Then choose the club that lets your normal shot finish in the biggest safe window.
Driver is often correct. Sometimes a 3-wood, hybrid, or long iron is the braver choice because it removes the double bogey side.
Build a tee-shot plan
- Shot shape: play your stock curve unless the hole gives you a strong reason not to.
- Start line: aim at something specific in the distance, not “down the middle.”
- Tee height: higher for a sweeping driver, lower when controlling flight.
- Finish: hold your balance until the ball lands.
Good target: “Start it at the right bunker and let it fall back” beats “Don’t hit it right.”
Contact matters more than violence
Most amateurs lose more strokes from offline tee balls than from being ten yards shorter. A centered strike with a controlled finish will usually beat the fastest swing you cannot repeat.