To launch your first shot in golf high and straight down the fairway, you primarily rely on a small but essential piece of equipment: the golf tee. This isn't just a simple peg, it's your biggest advantage on the hole, letting you place the ball in the perfect position for a clean strike. This guide will walk you through exactly how to use a tee, what club to pair it with, and the fundamental setup and swing thoughts that will help you send that first shot soaring into the air with confidence.
On every hole in golf, the first shot is taken from a designated area called the teeing ground or tee box. This is the one and only time during the play of a hole that you are allowed to artificially place your ball on top of a tee. Think of it as a gift from the golf gods. It lifts your ball off the ground, away from unpredictable grass, divots, or uneven lies, giving you the best possible chance to make solid contact.
Why does this help you hit the ball in the air? Simple physics. Elevating the ball:
While you might see tees made of bright pink plastic, striped hardwoods, or in novelty shapes, a standard pack of wooden or plastic tees is all you need to get started. The real skill isn't in what tee you choose, but in how you use it.
Standing on the tee, you have a bag full of options. The club you choose depends on the length of the hole and your own confidence. Let's break down the most common choices.
The driver, also known as the 1-wood, is the longest club in your bag with the biggest head and the lowest amount of loft (the angle of the clubface). It's a specialized tool designed with one primary purpose: to hit the ball as far as possible. On most par 4 and par 5 holes, the driver is the standard choice for the first shot. However, because of its long shaft and low loft, it's also the most challenging club for many beginners to control. Hitting it well is a thrill, but a mishit can send the ball way off course.
If the driver feels a bit like trying to tame a wild animal, fairway woods (like a 3-wood or 5-wood) and hybrids are your friendly and reliable companions. These clubs have shorter shafts and more loft than a driver, making them easier to control. They don't fly quite as far as a well-struck driver, but they offer a fantastic combination of distance and forgiveness. They are a great choice on shorter or narrower holes where accuracy is more important than raw power. For many new golfers, hitting a 3-wood off the tee builds confidence and gets the ball in play far more consistently.
Don't forget you can hit an iron off the tee, too. On long par 3 holes, you'll have to. But an iron can also be a strategic choice on a tight par 4. If a hole has woods on both sides and a narrow landing area, a well-struck iron into the middle of the fairway is often a smarter play than risking a lost ball with a driver. This strategy helps you avoid big-number "blow-up" holes and keeps a smile on your face.
Correctly using your tee and setting up to the ball are the foundations of a powerful, airborne shot. Follow these steps consistently, and you'll be on your way.
Tee height is not one-size-fits-all, it changes based on the club you've selected.
This is a subtle but hugely important part of the setup.
Your stance is your power station. As one coach I know says, it might feel "bizarre and so different" at first, but this athletic posture gets you ready to unleash a proper rotational swing.
Many beginners try to "help" the ball into the air by trying to scoop or lift it. This often leads to the opposite result. The golf club has loft designed to get the ball airborne for you. Your job is to deliver that loft to the ball consistently.
With an iron or hybrid off the tee, think of swinging down and through the ball, just nicking the grass after you make contact. But for a driver, the key mental image is to think of the swing as a "rounded action." The club moves in a circle around your body, powered by the turning of your hips and shoulders. Your focus should be on sweeping the ball off the tee at the bottom of that circle. Avoid a steep, up-and-down "chopping" motion, which usually results from using only your arms. Let your body rotation do the work.
When you're starting, you’ll hit some shots that don't do what you want them to. That's perfectly normal. Here are two of the most frequent tee-shot issues and what's likely causing them.
What it is: You smoke the ball... straight up into the air. It lands only about 30 yards in front of you, often with a nice "idiot mark" on the top of your driver.
Common Causes: Almost always, this happens for one of two reasons: the ball is teed up too high, or your swing is too steep. When you swing down on the ball with a driver (the "chopping" motion), the clubface goes under the ball, popping it up.
The Fix: First, lower your tee height slightly. Second, focus on the sweeping motion we talked about. Feel like your swing is shallower and more rounded. A great drill is to try and swing so you clip the tee out of the ground but don't take a divot.
What it is: You swing but only hit the top half of the ball, causing it to shoot forward along the ground instead of going into the air.
Common Causes: This is the classic result of lifting your head and chest up before or during impact. When your body straightens up from its posture, the bottom of your swing arc rises higher than the ball, causing you to catch only the top part of it.
The Fix: Focus on maintaining your posture throughout the swing. Imagine your chest stays pointing down at the golf ball a split-second after it has been hit. Feel your body rotate through the shot, rather than standing up and lifting to get it done.
Your first stroke sets the tone for the entire hole, and getting it right starts with using a tee properly. By matching your tee height to your club of choice - be it a driver, wood, or iron - and building a consistent setup routine around ball position and posture, you create the foundation for success. Remember to use a smooth, rotational body swing to sweep the ball off the tee, not chop at it, and you'll soon be watching your shots fly high and true.
As you apply these fundamentals, questions will inevitably come up on the course. You might wonder if you should risk the driver on a narrow hole or what the smart play is from an awkward lie. Our goal with Caddie AI is to give you thatexpert opinion ansecond. Caddie is your 24/7 golf coach that can help with on-course strategy or tricky situations - you can even snap a photo of any tough lie and get instant advice on how to handle it. You get answers that help you play smarter and with more confidence on every shot.
Thinking about hosting a golf tournament fundraiser is the first swing, executing it successfully is what gets the ball in the hole. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, from laying the initial groundwork months in advance to watching your happy golfers tee off. We’ll cover everything from securing sponsors and setting your budget to planning the on-course fun that makes an event unforgettable.
A golf handicap does more than just give you bragging rights (or a reason to demand strokes from your friends) - it’s the game’s great equalizer and the single best way to track your improvement. This guide breaks down what a handicap is, how the supportive math behind a handicap index a is, and exactly how you can get one for yourself. We’ll look at everything from Course Rating to Adjusted Gross Score, helping you feel confident both on the course and in the clubhouse.
The compression of a Pinnacle Rush golf ball is one of its most defining features, engineered specifically to help a huge swath of golfers get more distance and enjoyment from their game. We'll break down exactly what its low compression means, who it's for, and how you can use that knowledge to shoot lower scores.
Figuring out which spikes go into your new (or old) pair of Puma golf shoes can feel like a puzzle, but it’s much simpler than you think. The key isn't the brand of the shoe, but the type of receptacle system they use. This guide will walk you through exactly how to identify your Puma's spike system, choose the perfect replacements for your game, and change them out like a pro.
The Golf Genius app is one of the best tools for managing and participating in competitive golf events, but figuring it out for the first time can feel like reading a new set of greens. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to use the app as a player. We’ll cover everything from logging into your tournament and entering scores to checking the live leaderboard so you can enjoy the competition without any tech headaches.
Walking onto the first tee with sweaty palms, worried you’ll be a good partner to paly wtih...or even asked back again ...We’ve all been there - trust me! The real trick of feeling confortable... is about how you handle you’re ready to plsy. THIS guide explains the simple rules of the rode to show you hnow t play golf while staying calm relaxed and focused... an having much morse fun while you,',re aat it? You'll also play with confidence a dn make fiendsa while you're at i
Just ask a question or share a photo and Caddie gives personalized guidance for every shot - anytime, anywhere.
