Seldom do you see a tee box that’s 3 feet wide.(I say this because I played in a tournament were they only had the tee box 3 feet wide) Usually they are relatively wide which means you should take advantage of them. Most golfers don’t. Next time you are playing golf pay attention to where golfers tee off. Usually they tee it up by the nearest spot, then everyone follows the first person, as if they had no other option.
Before I learned about the significance of this, I just had assumed it was the beginning of the hole, and it didn’t actually matter where I tee off. To make matters worse, I was just teeing off at the same spot where the player before me hit.
Depending on what shot you are trying to play will determine the position you should tee up your ball.
If you want to draw the ball, you need to setup on the left side of the tee box. Going to the left side will naturally cause you to aim more to the right side of the golf hole. Assuming you pull off the draw it will leave you in the fairway, if not worst case scenario you will be safe in the right rough. Playing your draw from the center or right side of the tee box could very simply put you out of bounds left. Playing a fade is the exact opposite. Teeing up your ball on the right will allow you to aim more left to prepare for the left-to-right ball flight.
This is especially critical if there is trouble off the tee. For example, if there is water right, you should tee off from the right side of the tee box. In this case, you will be taking 1 side of the golf course out of play.
Wind direction also plays a role into what side you chose. You can never control what kind of wind condition you are going to face. The wind can come at you from any different angle. (Into the wind, Down wind, Right-to-left, Left-to-right) If you experience a cross wind off the tee box, you can now use it to your advantage.
Teeing the ball up on the left side with a left to right wind will help to add a little more distance to your shot. Be mindful that it will have a harder time turning over to the left. You could also take some yardage off by playing a shot into the wind by going to the right side.(left-to-right wind)
Remember, you are also allowed to take advantage of two club lengths back from the tee markers. Use this space to get the desired lie you want. Not all tee boxes are flat. Find a lie that’s going to help you produce the shot you are trying to hit.
Remember to tee off on the correct side and score better.
