Full Answer
What is the best club to use off the tee?
There are plenty of holes that call for a fairway wood, hybrid, or iron off the tee, but overall the driver is the best club off the tee. The following two tabs change content below.
What can I use instead of a driver in golf?
Try These Golf Clubs Instead Of Your Driver. 1 Fairway Wood. Fairway woods have long been a popular alternative to the driver when it comes to tee shots. You have probably seen one of your playing ... 2 Hybrid. 3 Driving/Utility Iron.
Is it better to hit a driver or 3-wood off the tee?
Driver VS. 3-Wood Off the Tee: What’s the Right Decision? When faced with a difficult hole, golfers often decide between hitting their driver or 3-wood. The conventional wisdom is that taking a shorter club will result in more accuracy and give you a better chance of posting a lower score.
Should you use a driver or fairway wood off the tee?
Some players will be more comfortable with a driver off the tee, and others more comfortable with a fairway wood. A lot of it depends on club-fitting, too, but here are a few things to consider, according to Briand. The driver has a bigger face and a bigger sweet spot, so shots hit off-center won’t be as penal with the driver.
What club can I use instead of driver?
Fairway woods have long been a popular alternative to the driver when it comes to tee shots. You have probably seen one of your playing partners use their 3 wood or 5 wood when they need some extra control off the tee. There are two benefits to using a fairway wood club off the tee.
What clubs should you use a tee for?
1:252:34A Guide To Tee Up With Different Clubs - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipContact. Three irons with ions you should tear your ball up very low just above the ground someMoreContact. Three irons with ions you should tear your ball up very low just above the ground some golfers even prefer to play their ions with no tea at all.
Do you hit a 3 wood off the tee like a driver?
First, a 3 wood is designed to hit the ball off the ground. So don't tee it up like you would a driver. That should go without saying but I've seen plenty of golfers teeing up a 3 wood an inch off the ground and then popping it straight up in the air. Don't hit it like a driver.
Should I use a driving iron instead of a driver?
Driving irons are aimed at hitting long, low penetrating shots and are easier for some to hit accurate, straight shots than their drivers. High handicap golfers will be better off making use of a hybrid rather than employing a driving iron, off the deck but also possibly for some off the tee.
Can you use a hybrid club off the tee?
Arguably the most versatile clubs in the bag, hybrids are perfectly suited to hitting off the tee. Think about how often you hit the driver during a normal round, given that most courses feature 10 par 4s and four par 5s.
What club do you use at the tee to hit for distance?
DRIVER. This will often be the first club you reach for during a round of golf. Drivers are specifically designed to give you distance off the tee.
Why does my 5 wood go as far as my driver?
1. Players who hit their 3- or 5-wood as far or longer than their driver are typically using too little loft with the driver for their clubhead speed. You know, it's a funny thing with the driver and its loft compared to the other clubs in the bag.
Should a high handicapper use a driver?
The driver is the most intriguing club in the bag for beginners but also the most difficult to perfect and come to terms with. That leads many golfers to question whether they should even use a driver or swap it out for another club instead. The truth is that, high handicappers should definitely be using a driver.
Why do I slice my driver but not my 3 wood?
There are many reasons for it, but the most frequent problem is that your clubface is not lined up on the target line and your swing path is from out-to-in. Your driver swing differs vastly from other clubs and you aim to hit the ball on the up. The arc is also much wider, and the swing builds up more speed.
Why can I hit a driving iron but not a driver?
Most drivers will have a loft around 10.5 degrees while the driving iron is usually going to be around 18 degrees of loft. This extra loft helps golfers to hit down and through their shots with the iron and get the distance they need with this club.
When should you not use a driver in golf?
Here are four instances where you should think twice about hitting driver.There's a forced carry. ... The fairway squeezes. ... Driver leaves an awkward shot. ... Your opponent is out of bounds.
Can you play golf without a driver?
You do not require a driver to play golf. Many golf instructors recommend that beginners start with a 3-wood for swinging off the tee. The longer shaft and lower loft of the driver are often difficult for beginners to handle. The lack of control may cause the ball to land far off the fairway or green.
Where is Matt from Plugged In Golf?
He's worked in nearly every job in the golf industry from club fitting to instruction to writing and speaking. Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
Is hitting fairways the same as a 5I?
Hitting fairways is important, but it’s not on the same level as having a pitching wedge as opposed to a 5I on your approach. Just like Myth #1, this is absolutely busted. In fact, we found that, at least for some golfers, the driver is significantly more accurate.
Is there consistency advantage to short clubs?
In sum, there is no clear consistency advantage to shorter clubs. While the results are mixed, the onus is on the distance-challenged short clubs to prove their worth off the tee, and they failed to make their case. This is a myth that doesn’t lend itself to being busted or confirmed because it’s too ambiguous.
Is hitting driver on every hole a meat head?
It turns out that the guy who hits driver on every hole isn’t a meat head after all…at least not when it comes to club selection. Our testing found that hitting driver off the tee results in longer, more consistent, and more accurate shots than any other club.
How much more likely is a golfer to hit the green?
Looking at the above GIR by club statistic, it means that golfers are 12-15% more likely to hit the green, if they hit a Driver off the tee, instead of a 3 wood. If golfers are hitting more greens in regulation, they must also start hitting it closer…. The image below takes a look at approaches average proximity by club.
Is it worth hitting a 3 wood instead of a driver?
To settle the Driver or 3 wood debate: the consequences of the 20-30 yard distance sacrifice are simply not worth it. The statistics have proven that there is no real benefit to hitting a 3 wood instead of a Driver off the tee.
Should you hit Driver or 3 Wood?
The overall conclusion on the Driver or 3 wood debate is that you should hit Driver wherever it is reasonable to do so. Do this and you will reap the rewards without changing or having to improve your game drastically.
Can fairway woods hit a driver?
Fairway woods can be difficult to hit correctly, they often have a similar length of shaft to a driver but a much smaller clubhead. This means you have to stand about the same distance away from the ball as with a Driver, but have a much smaller area to strike the ball with.
How long is a see driver shaft?
With the world focussing on distance more and more it is not uncommon the see drivers with shaft lengths of 46” and 47” nowadays and 3 Woods a bit longer as well.
Why is a shorter shaft better?
With the shorter shaft it is going to reduce the flaws in your swing and lead to better performance . In other words, the driver will highlight the flaws in you swing a lot more.
Is the shaft length shorter on a 3 wood?
The shaft length is generally shorter on a 3 Wood and that ensures that you have a little bit more control over your swing, which can lead to more hits on the sweet spot and more straight shots.
What Clubs Can You Tee Off With?
To give you a better idea of what clubs are allowed to be used to tee off, I put together this table. This is a better visualization to show you that you are allowed to tee off with every club.
Why Can You Use Any Club Off The Tee?
You may be wondering why the USGA doesn’t ban clubs like a putter to tee off with. There is a very simple reason why there is no restriction on clubs you can tee off with. The answer is that each player is different, so they may need to use a certain club off of the tee.
Can You Tee Off From Anywhere Within The Markers?
If you are teeing off, and don’t like the position of the markers, you may wonder if you can tee off behind the markers or in front of the markings. But is teeing off outside of the markers legal to do in golf? In other words, what is considered legal in the teeing area?
Why are fairway woods not designed for tee shots?
One of the reasons is that fairway woods are not designed to be exclusively used off the tee. When they fit golfers, their primary goal is to have a fairway wood that performs effectively when used on approach shots, which is what the club is mostly designed to do.
Does hitting a fairway wood off the tee make more accuracy?
Hitting a fairway wood off the tee does not seem to produce more accuracy , and combined with the loss of distance, it doesn’t seem like the right strategic play. You have to take into account the loss of distance and weigh that against your left-to-right dispersion. However, every golfer is unique.
How to do a three wood golf test?
Mark the golf balls from one of the sleeves with a special marking to denote your three-wood shots. Select three different holes for the test: a dogleg left, a dogleg right, and a straight hole. Then, hit six tee shots on each of the holes; three shots with your driver and three with your fairway wood. Bring a notepad with you to write down the ...
Should you hit a three wood straight or a wild slice?
If you tend to hit a wild slice with your driver, but you hit your three-wood straight every time, then three-wood is the obvious choice to hit more often.
Do you hit a 3 wood or a driver?
It should be noted, however, that some slower speed swingers may hit the three-wood as far, or farther than, a driver. A three-wood imparts significantly more backspin, which will help with accuracy most ...
Is hitting fairway wood more accurate?
Those who support hitting driver argue that getting closer to the hole, over time, will lead to lower scores. Those who support the three-wood, on the other hand, side with caution and say that hitting fairway wood is more accurate, and it will keep you away from trouble and penalty shots.
Is golf a game of proximity?
Modern statistical analysis has proven this to be true. Of course, there are exceptions when you take small sample sizes, but in the long run, it’s almost impossible to avoid.
Is a tee shot too conservative?
Don’t fall victim to thinking that it’s fairway or bust. A tee-shot plan that is way too conservative can be just as costly as one that is too aggressive. When it comes to choosing an iron versus a driver off the tee, start taking those thoughts into consideration.
The Big Decision
The Myths
- For this test, we examined five myths relating to the distance, accuracy, and consistency of tee shots. Myth #1 – 3 Wood is more accurate than driver Myth #2 – Driver is less consistent than shorter clubs Myth #3 – Accuracy off the tee is more important than distance Myth #4 – Shorter, more lofted cubs are always more accurate Myth #5 – Taking “les...
How We Tested
- For this test, we recruited three above-average golfers. Each brought in their driver, 3W, longest hybrid, and longest iron. Each player hit 10 shots with each club. No shots were deleted, and each golfer hit the clubs in a different order. The data can be found at the bottom of this post. All testing was done at Club Champion.
The Results
- This myth is 100% busted. In both absolute and relative terms, each of our testers hit their driver more accurately than their 3W. We looked at accuracy three different ways. First, we looked at how far each shot was from the center line. Ourtesters hit their drivers an avergage of 8 yards closer to the center line. Next, we looked at degrees offline. This is an important number t…
Conclusion
- It turns out that the guy who hits driver on every hole isn’t a meat head after all…at least not when it comes to club selection. Our testing found that hitting driver off the tee results in longer, more consistent, and more accurate shots than any other club. This doesn’t mean that you should snap your 3W in half. The smart play on any given hole takes into account a lot of things: your person…