Tee or no tee with irons on a Par 3?

[tony@CIC]

I've done it both ways and find I'm better off with a tee. I use the short tees and the ball is barely off the ground. I hit much better shots with a tee - maybe it's just psychological now.

 

 

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[J.B. TexasEx]

Always use a tee when permissible because it guarantees a perfect lie.

 

I read or heard a story about Sam Snead reprimanding a teenage Davis Love III about not using one. Wish I could find a link to that anecdote. Oh, well...take my word for it.

[siravo2282]

Majority of the time I will use a tee. He only time I'll just throw one down is if it's a really short par 3 or I feel like I'm hitting it really well that day. Long par 3s, always use one

 

 

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[Peterpc2828]

I'd use a tee on the putting green if it was allowed!

 

 

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[downlowkey]

Always use a tee. It is the one time that you can create your own lie and angle so why not take advantage of that?

#arniewould and has been quoted as such...

 

That said, I think the best answer is both a subjective approach based on each player's impact positions and even then the best approach is situational based on the specifics of the shot you are attempting to hit; high/low/draw/fade. Most of you have probably at some point been exposed to the tip about adjusting tee height with your driver to promote a fade or draw. The same holds true for most of the clubs in tour bag. Placing it on a tee gives you more options but sometimes off the deck is the right call for the situation. Do what inspires confidence and from there keep experimenting.

[DaveP043]

I'm another one who always uses a tee.  I'm a decent player, but I'm going to significantly decrease the number of fat shots if I tee the ball up a tiny bit.

The study is interesting, done by a pretty good player, and that may be the big difference.  For someone who makes consistently solid contact, the advantage from using a tee would become smaller, or maybe shift the other way.  The wind in the players face during the trial might have helped the ball to launch higher and spin more, and introduced more variability from the wind, the results might have been different with no wind.  

Last, just because Arnie or Jack did something one way doesn't really mean its right.  More and more I'm seeing statistical analyses that show that the "conventional wisdom" isn't always right.  

[PMookie]

I've always gone by the adage, "When you can use a tee, use it!" I don't tee my iron shots very high, maybe just above the level of the "dirt". Curious if the height the ball is teed matters?

 

 

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[ole gray]

Ive always used a tee on par 3 holes. This thread is interesting about teeing off the grass as I hit my hybrids better off the deck than I do off a tee. Not sure why I do however now that I've read this tid bit of info, I'll be dropping my ball on a a couple of the shorter par fours and hitting my 2 hybrid without a tee to see how this works.

[hckymeyer]

Ive always used a tee on par 3 holes. This thread is interesting about teeing off the grass as I hit my hybrids better off the deck than I do off a tee. Not sure why I do however now that I've read this tid bit of info, I'll be dropping my ball on a a couple of the shorter par fours and hitting my 2 hybrid without a tee to see how this works.

Hybrids is what I was thinking as well.  I hit them great off the deck but it seems like off a tee it brings more hook in to play.  I may give it a shot just to see how the trends work out.

[ole gray]

Hybrids is what I was thinking as well. I hit them great off the deck but it seems like off a tee it brings more hook in to play. I may give it a shot just to see how the trends work out.

Exactly !

 

 

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[cfabrice]

I always use a tee

 

In case my swing is not enough efficient, I can expect win more distance

 

Like others, sometimes with hybrids I do slice or hook but to be honest, the problem does not come from the tee.

 

It comes from my swing

[ScooterT]

I always use a tee for perfect lie and feel a little more margin of error on the swing. Plus, by adjusting height (low for full distance and higher for a bit less distance) I am able to control distance with a 'normal' swing.

 

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[Warmpancakes]

For me it all depends on the condition of the tee box. If I can't find a perfect enough lie at the angle I want then I'll tee it up.

[DawgDaddy]

I always use a tee, someone once said "if it wasn't an advantage they'd let you do it everywhere" I agree with that thought. 

[Orange Hog]

I always tee it up on a par 3, regardless what club I'm using.  Golf is already hard enough as it is.

[Putting Trent]

Always a tee for me. Give myself a perfect lie, just barely sitting on the blades o' grass. That's what those little broken tees all around the box are for.

 

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[cwojtowicz]

Always use a tee.  It is the one time that you can create your own lie and angle so why not take advantage of that?

 

I absolutely agree. Even if you aren't teeing it very high, it still makes it easier to make pure contact. 

[Sschaffer24]

I'm a no tee kind of guy. To me it's the same thing as hitting a shot from the middle of the fairway. I get to pick my lie on the tee box and can pick the best placement for my alignment, so ultimately I don't want to change any aspect of impact compared to my usual strike from the ground.

[rocketmutt]

I am not either one all of the time, for me it really depends on the conditions of the course. If possible I also like to think it it just like a 2nd shot in from the fairway. However if I do use one it is very low into the ground, almost like it isn't even there. Just enough to hold the ball.

 

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[bkelley3769]

I only use a tee if the shot is over 180 yards.

 

 

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[JohnSmalls]

For me I think it is more of a mental comfort using a tee. I almost know I absolutely will not hit my shot fat. However, with the right data, I can be convinced to play a few rounds with no tee on the par 3's.

 

 

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[Shankster]

Just enough to get the bottom of the ball even with the top of the grass. 2-6 iron, a touch lower than that with 7-W.

 

 

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[HeathS16]

I once heard from someone or saw it on TV, the rules are giving you the option to give yourself a perfect lie by using a tee, why would you not take advantage of it? I have used a tee on every par 3 since I heard that.  Cool topic! 

[Shankster]

I once heard from someone or saw it on TV, the rules are giving you the option to give yourself a perfect lie by using a tee, why would you not take advantage of it? I have used a tee on every par 3 since I heard that. Cool topic!

what he said.

 

 

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[TSauer]

Always a tee for me. I'm going to give myself all the advantages I can. Haha.

[BigtazzGolf]

Depends on the turf. If it's soft then probably no tee. If it's hard or compact then I'll probably use a tee.

 

Tazz

Grip n Rip it

[jlew2144]

I have a "stupid" tee that I use on all par 3's. I call it the stupid tee because it allows me an out for when I shank it in the water/Sand trap/or sail the green. Found it beginning of last year and will scour the tee box to ensure it goes back in my pocket after every shot.

 

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[Peaksy68]

I've just started not using a tee. I'm finding improved focus, and better contact. My tempo feels better for some reason, so while the tee boxes are in great condition I'll keep going with it.

[dru_]

If you are reading this via the app there is a poll attached to this thread.

 

Saw a very interesting blog over on Flightscope today about using a tee on a par 3.  It's a great read and I'd highly encourage you guys to read it here.

 

http://flightscope.com/par-3-test-tee-no-tee/

 

Here's the breakdown of it though.  Should you use a tee with an iron on a par 3?  I'm guessing most of us do and most of us have never really thought about it.  The author, Jon Sherman, questions if there is a benefit.  He finds that for himself he has a wider dispersion when using a tee.  Basically a shot going left on grass will go lefter off a tee and vice versa.  So he did a small sample test using Flightscope to measure the results.  10 shots with a tee and 10 shots without.  He gained less than 2 yards of distance by using a tee, but his shots were 6 yards farther off line when using a tee.

 

He by no means is saying that nobody should use a tee on a par 3, but it's more just something to think about and also to experiment with proper tee height.  It's definitely go me thinking about my game and there are a couple par 3's on my course with shorter irons where I might start trying this and see what happens.

 

Thoughts?

 

So...  Uh... I need another answer:  It depends.

 

Upon what?

I tee a bull up with my irons, not to gain distance, but to trade distance for loft.

 

For example, home course, hole #6 is a 165-175 to the middle hole.  The front right is guarded be a slightly elevated bunker, if you are long, your chances of being in the hazard marked woods across a cart path are high. You can safely miss left or right if you land short of the middle.  

 

An 8i off the deck will usually get to the front, but it puts that bunker into play, and it really isn't a friendly bunker to get out of.  A 7i on the other hand is going to be long, and tend to release more, and that it potentially worse.

 

The solution ( for me at least ), is a tee. By teeing that shot up by about .25 of a inch, I give up about 5 yards, but get the effective loft between the 7 and 8, but since I'm still trapping down on the ball, the spin increases as well, enough that this ball usually lands softer and stops after a short release.

 

On the flip side, #8 is a 185 hole that plays a full club longer than it measures, at about 195-200. The problem here is that a 4i tends to release off the back, while a 5i tends to release onto the front half of the green, if I get it there, which is where that tee works against me, so there, no tee, off the deck, and play to my natural miss (a push that will play into a hill and release toward the green).

[Kor.A.Door]

So... Uh... I need another answer: It depends.

 

Upon what?

I tee a bull up with my irons, not to gain distance, but to trade distance for loft.

 

For example, home course, hole #6 is a 165-175 to the middle hole. The front right is guarded be a slightly elevated bunker, if you are long, your chances of being in the hazard marked woods across a cart path are high. You can safely miss left or right if you land short of the middle.

 

An 8i off the deck will usually get to the front, but it puts that bunker into play, and it really isn't a friendly bunker to get out of. A 7i on the other hand is going to be long, and tend to release more, and that it potentially worse.

 

The solution ( for me at least ), is a tee. By teeing that shot up by about .25 of a inch, I give up about 5 yards, but get the effective loft between the 7 and 8, but since I'm still trapping down on the ball, the spin increases as well, enough that this ball usually lands softer and stops after a short release.

 

On the flip side, #8 is a 185 hole that plays a full club longer than it measures, at about 195-200. The problem here is that a 4i tends to release off the back, while a 5i tends to release onto the front half of the green, if I get it there, which is where that tee works against me, so there, no tee, off the deck, and play to my natural miss (a push that will play into a hill and release toward the green).

Is it difficult to get the "BULL" on the tee? Is it alive or do you kill it first😂