Oh No.. You’re Hitting an Iron Off the Tee!
July 5, 2023
Hitting an iron off the tee box is a bit different than hitting an iron from anywhere else on the fairway. While a 3-iron is definitely a difficult club to hit, there are longer par threes and tough par fours where you may need to plan your shots strategically. So, hitting a 3,4,5,6 or 7 iron could be the club.
For any of those shots, you don’t need to tee the ball up as high as when hitting a driver or 3-wood off the box. Moreover, you shouldn’t try to de-loft the clubface with a softer swing. When you’re hitting an iron off the tee, take a full swing to make solid contact. In fact, move the ball back in your stance to create a more descending blow.
Teeing the ball up too high can lead to a topped shot. Also, for some unknown reason, many recreational golfers try to swing harder when they have an iron in hand and are teeing off. If you do, hit the ball off the grass or tee it lower as well as make sure you follow through for added power and better driving accuracy.
Giving up distance doesn’t equate to lower scores...
When recreational golfers have a terrible warmup on the driving range, they may decide to hit 3-wood or 3-iron off the tee. Unfortunately, many higher handicappers are still following the conventional wisdom that swinging a shorter club will miraculously improve their chance of posting a lower score. A myth that using advanced technology to monitor swing results has dispelled.
Using swing analyzers and on-course GPS tracking, data has been gathered from golfers worldwide that accounts millions of balls hit off of thousands of tee boxes. Distances collected for driver vs 3-wood vs 3-iron supports the idea that any golfer who leaves their driver in the bag gives up distance with little impact on accuracy. In fact, golfers at all handicap levels give up a half stroke to stroke by clubbing down.
So What’s to be Learned from All This?
For most recreational golfers, hitting a fairway wood or 3-iron off the tee box will result in decreased distance and really doesn’t lower his or her score by producing more accuracy. When you take into account the loss of distance, it really doesn’t make sense to continue with a faulty on-course club strategy. In fact, chances are good that your first mistake was following another golfer’s faulty advice.
At Krank Golf, we understand the benefits and tradeoffs to your scoring performance and can provide club fitting advice to ensure you arrive at the first tee with the right club in your bag. In fact, we’ll explain why you may have been playing the game at a distinct disadvantage in trying to hit a driver that was designed for a golfer with entirely different swing characteristics.
Krank Can Build a Driver to Match Your Swing
If you replaced your driver with a 3-wood or 3-iron, there is a good chance you are a recreational golfer who can best benefit from a Krank custom-built Formula Fire driver that is matched to your swing speed. Every round of golf starts on the first tee box and every shot counts. The simple truth is most golfers just want to enjoy playing the game. For anyone who does, adding an extra 20 to 40 yards down the fairway is a very big deal, especially for a recreational golfer with a swing speed of 100 mph or less.
Hitting a driver with maximum-energy-transfer means you can hit it longer and straighter. Krank Golf is the only company that manufactures a custom-machined driver with a cupped face using precision forged technology. Formula Fire Krank Drivers and Fujikura Speeder X Shafts may be the perfect match for your swing. Text us today and our experts will help you pick the custom-fitted driver that matches your swing dynamics. Our HIGH-COR/HIGH CT has a mid-thickness face that provides optimal balance between power and control that’s ideal for swing speeds of 85mph to 105 mph.
If you are tired of leaving hundreds of yards in your golf bag, the right driver will allow you to hit the ball farther off the tee box and straighter down the fairway. Krank drivers increase face trampoline effect, which is especially important for the middle and slower swing speeds. To start designing the driver that is right for your swing, text us now; we can help you to stop giving away distance off every tee.
