Golf Tee Shots - Master Tips For Hitting The Golf Ball Long & Straight

Golf Tee Shots - Master Tips For Hitting The Golf Ball Long & Straight by Joe Collinsworth

The golf tee shot. This is the one shot that gets a lot of acclaim and practice.
It’s the sizzle to the steak or as they say in golf, drive for show and putt for dough.

That statement may be true, however if you can’t get off the tee whether with a driver or iron, then the round you play will be quite a challenge.

Now, I’ve seen players such as Tiger have terrible rounds off the tee, yet still be able to score well and win.

However, hitting goof golf tee shots and scoring a great round are two different topics.

Let’s dive in and master some simple tips for hitting the golf ball long and straight off the tee.

First things first, you don’t need to hit your driver 300+ yards to do well on 90% of the golf courses out there.

A solid 200-250 yard drive will set you up nicely for a mid-range to short iron that will make your second shot a breeze.

Another thing that you need to do with every tee shot is develop a routine and visualize your shot.

Most golfers have no clue how important this part is. Personally, I stand behind the ball and envision a perfect shot. What I’m doing is telling my body exactly what to do as I see that perfect swing.

I then go into a simple routine that ensures comfort and confidence to make a nice swing.

There is a lot going on throughout the golf swing, so the more you are prepared and make it a routine, the better shots you’ll hit.

Choose a way to do this and stay with it.

As you set up to the ball, be sure to go through a checklist of sorts.

How’s your grip feel? Are you wringing the club’s neck so to speak?

How is your stance? Is the ball aligned properly with to your feet. Are you aiming at the spot you plan on hitting it to?

Is your stance to narrow or wide? Are your knees bent and flexible?

Bottom line, are you comfortable that your balance is in tact?

Aside from set up here are other problems many golfers face off the tee and if you focus on double checking everything until it becomes routine, then you won’t have as many bad tee shots…

-Ball is teed too high or too low.

-The takeaway is not on line. Whether you take the swing on the inside, outside, or straight back, then you want to make sure you are bringing the club back in one plane.

-Moving back and through the ball shifting your weight smoothly - don’t turn your shoulders as you come down. Some techniques teach to stay fairly square and use your spine/axis to swing through the ball thereby creating less movement.

-Trying to “kill the ball.” This is typically a mental thing where we try to overswing and hit the ball 500 yards like Happy Gilmore instead of just swinging through the ball and letting our body and club do the work.

-Not following through properly. Signs of this include being off balance, lifting your head too soon and topping the ball, or noticing your weight on the back foot/falling backwards.

To get more distance off the tee takes practice. For me, it is a result of a big swing with more movement and velocity than most.

These are more advanced tactics and if you are having trouble being straight or controlling the ball, I recommend focusing on that before you worry about the long drives.

Personally, in the past few years, I have toned down my swing to control the ball more and hit straighter shots.

I’d rather be 250 yards in the fairway than 310 yards in the woods, wouldn’t you?

Golf is a learning process and a reason we are so drawn to it.

There are many tips and drills you can learn to master the tee shot and hit the ball longer and straighter.

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