Hitting the Ball Well Off the Tee

/ The Grateful Golfer

As you walk up to the tee and prepare for an awesome round of golf, small niggling thoughts run through your head. You start to think about your first shot and all the things that could go right or wrong. Personally, I am a glass half full guy and focus on making a perfect shot, exactly as intended.

We all realize that tee shots set up a hole and after listening to my compatriots talk at the 19th hole, many seem to struggle with the big stick. They hit the ball left, right, short and well, all over the place. They lament about their challenges and wish they could solve their conundrum.

After taking a quick poll, I think that there is a disconnect between what some have reported and the stories I have heard. Here is what our readers say:

This means that 70% of players keep the ball in play off the tee. That is a very high number and when compared to the PGA, the responses from my little poll are even more surprising. Only 20 PGA professionals hit the fairway 70% of the time. I realize my question does not really talk accuracy, but my deducing skills indicate that by hitting the ball straight or as designed can be directly associated with driving accuracy.

This entire conversation is what I call “going down the rabbit hole”. It is a nonsensical discussion that takes the focus of the real importance of my poll. The point of my question was to determine if most players are confident on the tee and can execute on demand. 70% of the respondents say they can and personally, I think that is outstanding.

Their response provides hope and direction for many of us! It points out that hitting the ball straight or intended off the tee is more common that we thought. Interestingly, this type of stat should correlate to the lower golf scores and great golf. Brian, a consistent reader of the Grateful Golfer, suggests that he thinks starting strong is the key to setting up his round and hitting the ball well off the tee is fundamental to his thinking. After seeing the results of my poll, I would suggest that hitting the ball well off the tee is the first step to consistent golf!

What do you think? Is there a connection to hitting the ball well off the tee and consistent golf?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

6 thoughts on “Hitting the Ball Well Off the Tee”

  1. Jim I don’t have any stats at this juncture so I can only give you anecdotal evidence. It’s my perception that if you start off well on the first tee then it leads to more success. It has a physical aspect – you can score better from middle of the fairway than from under a tree. It also has a mental aspect. It is extreme frustrating and aggravating when you have to re-tee from an OB or punch out from under the trees. It can take a toll mentally.

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  2. Jim, hitting it straight and solid off the tee with boring regularity is what I strive for. Of course you can play successfully with a wild driver, but approaching from long rough or recovering out from under trees puts too much pressure on your short game (even if it is good). The odds will catch up to you eventually. I know, “there are no pictures on the scorecard,” but the game is much more satisfying for me with good ball striking.

    Thanks,

    Brian

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  3. Morning GG

    I will 90% of the time play my high % shots with the caveat of being unorthodox if im scrambling however my game will fluctuate depending on the game type, Stableford , Matchplay , Waltz or yellow peril…depending on the game type and my position in the game my shot choice will vary but a Medals day off the whites will always get my ABC golf game.

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