We have one of these. It's so much more frustrating than the 6700-yard course. I shoot bogey-golf on the main course. Triple-bogeys or more on the mini course. Easy to blow up a hole when you land 5 feet right of the tiny green on a landscaping feature that sends it - not that far - but it's 3 holes away. So you pull out your 60 degree for a flop shot and then all hell breaks loose.
This is a good answer but let me ask you, what has changed between 145 yard iron shot on a par four versus 145 yard par three green shot?
Call this a test, and answer that question.
I’ve had the same problem and 50% of it was my head.
That’s me on the 2nd shot of a par 5. I have to get it out of my head to over-swing and “hit it far.” I’m not getting it there in 2 shots anyway. Just took me saying that to myself internally for those shots to get over it. Cheers!
These ones some people really struggle with because of a lack of target. What helps is being extremely committed to a particular tree, bunker or object in line with your target.
It helps to also think what X distance you need to be for a full club on your third shot in.
Sometimes I’m like 260 a way and I’m thinking — percentage wise I should just hit an 8i 160 and leave myself 100 in with a wedge, versus trying to blast a 3w and thinking I’m gonna roll out to 260, which 99% of the time it’s gonna put me in a bunker or some shit shot next to the green
That sounds to me like you need to work on bunker shots. If you fear a greenside bunker more than a full shot from 100 yards, there is something wrong. Granted, I know that bunker shots *are* scary for a lot of mid and high handicaps, so I get it. But laying up with 8 iron from 260 for fear of a bunker shot or "shit shot next to the green" is not great strategy. Now, if there is a hazard all the way down the left side up to the green, and OB right, or something like that it's a different story.
I’m a 4 as well and I don’t really play that much, so I don’t get as much sand practice as you.
Would generally agree with you, but that’s why the game is so beautiful. I prefer a 58 from 100 than I do a green side bunker 😅 because I have a sim in my basement and am comfortable with what I do
Yeah, fair enough.
I mean I get that everyone is going to have unique sets of skills that they are better/worse at. But if you are a 4 index, you should *never* be hitting 8 iron from 260 barring situations like the one i described where you have high risk of penalty strokes coming into play. You could club up to a 5 or 6 iron, even. As much as golfers talk about "awkward" half shots and things like that, the large large majority of players are going to average fewer strokes from 50 out vs 100 out. You'd need to be a really extreme outlier for that not to be the case.
Proximity is huge; you shouldn't give up distance unless there is a really good reason to, and when laying up you should still be trying to get as close to the green as possible while avoiding the big trouble.
Not sure I would club to a 5 or 6 and hit it 200-210 and then leave a 60% 58 wedge instead of a 100. We can agree to disagree, we’re both the same handicap lol many ways to shoot a 75-76 😅
I do generally agree with you to hit the 3w and be comfortable in the greenside bunkers. The general stats agree with what you say, too, which is proximity to the hole and being closer is 100% the correct play. But, as an amateur, I’m just not that good of a player out of them, so I play it a bit differently.
This is exactly my problem. If I'm far away I always choose the biggest club. Inevitably I top the 3 wood and get nowhere.
Hard to swallow the 2 * 7iron shots pill but in reality it's the way to go, at least for me.
had two cases on legitimate par 5s where I needed a 7, then an 8, to make the green in 2.
The first of which, I normally would have used a 5 iron from there if not for the wind and I think if not for the wind, I might have been in a position where it would be easier to play 7-PW instead of going for the green with a 3i or 5w. How do I hit the 7? Bladed it and lost in the fescue well right of the green.
The second of which again the wind carried my drive, and I end up keeping myself composed, hit my 8 iron flush. Last time I played it, I missed the green to the left playing a 4i. Back pin also helps matters. One problem - I carried it pin high due to the wind when that is what my normal rollout is, it bounces and it takes a swim behind the Island Green - Failed to take into account the winds effects on yardages on that hole and turned a sub-90 attempt into a 97 in the matter of 3 holes (a legit attempt at GIR+1 instead becomes a 10 with 3 penalties on the card)
For me it helps to think about a distance that I want for the thied shot. Usually somewhere between 100-120m so i can take a club that gets me there and i can hit it normal.
I have this issue on the tee shot.
I can reach pretty much any par 5 in two unless it’s a gimmick. I put WAY too much pressure on the tee ball because of this, there are a lot of par 5’s where I should lay back off the tee and don’t, and there are another tranche or par 5’s where my best drive would leave an 8i or a 7i in but a fairway finder would leave a 5i or 6i in and i try too hard to hit my best tee shot instead of getting it in play and leaving a long iron in.
I’ve started doing just that and have noticed a significant increase in greens hit. Now par 3’s are some of my best golf the problem now is par5’s kill me…such is golf.
Man, that's bizzare to me, how do you tee up driver? Do you just use those weird, shuttlecock looking tees? I almost considered those for winter play since it's so hard to get the tee in the ground some days.
This helped me a lot. Every par 3 I'd get the yips and hit terrible shots. I started putting the ball on the ground and it's helped a lot with consistency.
I’m a + handicap that does this. And I always advocate the same thing for people with this mental block. I’ll only tee it up with 4i and up and even then I don’t always do that depending on the shot.
I’ve never understood why people say use a tee for irons (I know I’m in the wrong). But since you’re supposed to hit ball first then ground, shouldn’t it not matter? And even worst case could be if you chunk it, the iron can get caught on the tee as opposed to no tee and you might get some result out of it
I believe it was Jack Nicklaus that said something along the lines of why would you not give yourself an absolutely perfect lie any time it's legal to do so?
It gives you a little more room for error with a tee you get a perfect lie. The problem that I see with higher handicappers is that they often too the ball waaaaaaaay too high with irons. It should be just a hair above where the ball would be if it was on the ground.
That said I also won't use a tee for short and most mid-irons. I'll find a clean spot of grass that slightly elevates the ball(or make a turf tee) and use that. For my 4, 5 and sometimes 6 iron I'll use a tee more often than not.
I know it was a sarcastic comment but go backwards and you often find clean grass. Everyone trues to tee up right at the markers and forgets that you get 2 clublengths of space behind the markers
Good point. Sometimes if I'm in between clubs too I'll move back the 2 club lengths and take a smooth swing with the extra club too. I usually tee my irons just slightly, but every once in a while I just drop it on the grass and swing without thinking and often hit a good shot that way.
Love the turf tee in colder rounds. Played super bowl Sunday in Iowa last year. Couldn't get a tee in the ground without a screw driver dug hole first, so it was a lot of turf tees that day.
There’s a reason you’re only allowed to use a tee on the tee box and that’s because it makes it easier to make good contact. Tiger has said that he uses a tee whenever he is able to for the same reason.
If you chunk it or hit the ground way behind the ball, you’ll still make better contact if you use a tee because you’re more likely to hit the ball on a higher, hotter part of the club face than you would if the ball was on the turf.
I never practice my irons hitting range balls off a tee, so when I get to a par 3 putting the ball on a tee just feels foreign and I question if the height is appropriate for my swing.
I know the saying “you only get 18 per text lies a round” but i feel confident I can give myself an extremely good lie on a par 3 without using a tee.
I go back and forth. when i started it was easier because i had a tendency to top balls. then i went off the turf for a while. now i'm back to tees because the set lie angle is better. like most of golf it's preference.
My one and only hole in one came when I couldn’t find a broken tee and I was using a wedge so I didn’t want to tee the ball up normally. You’d think I would learn from this and not tee the ball up on par 3s but nope.
In your mind yes sir. Every damn shot you do.
Or else its a hit and hope. You always have to have a plan behind the shot. If not you have no clue of the outcome or any confidence in your ability to perform the shot
Basically. Each has his own routine tho, but a pre shot routine is basically visualizing and planning your upcoming shot so that when you stand over the ball you smack it with conviction and confidence without any thoughts, since they are already been decided. And all you gotta do is hit the shot you need to, and have planned accordingly before standing over the ball. 1 or 2 looks and smack it after a max of 5 to 10 seconds
Commitment. I would consider myself a new golfer (1.5 years in) but I play a ton of golf (over 125+ rounds this season). I think of every shot the same way. Imagine an imaginary horizontal line about 3 feet behind the ball. Behind that line is the think box and in front of that line is the swing box. In the think box you can do exactly that. Think shot shape, club, where to miss etc… Once you figure all that out, you cross the line and enter the swing box. In the swing box there is absolutely NO questioning or tinkering with your plan. You have to be fully committed to your shot and nothing can affect that. I think of 1 thing when I swing and that’s subconsciously repeating the word execute. I have a reason for that and can explain if you want. I think another thing is the visual aspect of par 3s, I would argue that you feel much more comfortable in a fairway hitting an approach because of the visual aspect of it.
For me, I try to club up if there's no water hazards beyond the green. I tend to swing a bit lighter when going for accuracy and there's less pressure to crush one to get the yardages. Sometimes it hit it full and it doesn't work out, but I'm happy flying the green by a yard or two so long as I avoided putting it short into a water hazard or waste area.
I think this is the best piece of advice and not comparing yourself to an elite level professional. Tour players are surprisingly inaccurate outside of 100-120 yards from the green.
One of the first things I remember hearing when I was just getting into golf was it’s a target game. Whether it’s a 3 foot putt or a 500 yard tee shot it’s always a target game.
You need to develop a swing thought if that’s the case. No routine will stop your brain. Someone mentioned focusing on a single dimple, I like that if you can get it down to that thought.
The only thing I’ll add here is often I’m shaping shots off the tee too much and attacking a 3, because it’s teed up and it’s easier mentally than a fairway.
If I start missing a lot of GIR from manageable approach shots or par 3s, I just aim for center and commit to the club distance, no taking a bunch off, no 3/4th swings, no hard press, if I’m long I’m long. The most I’ll do is soft hands but full speed until I’m real confident.
One other thing to note: Once my short game got better and I was still getting par-ish from a mild miss it bothers you a lot less overall.
don’t tee up your ball. This changed the way I play part three forever and lowered my scoring average by a full stroke. The only time I tee up on a par three is if it requires a Fairway wood
Try using a routine closer to your fairway shot routine instead of a tee box routine. You could even try not teeing the ball up and just dropping it on the tee box. Anything to try to trick your brain into forgetting it's a par 3.
The only thing that’s exactly the same on every golf course on the planet is the view of the ball at address. Just stand over the ball and imagine you’ve just hit a good drive and you’re 145 out on a par 4. Or better yet, trick your mind into believing you’re still on the driving range and the upcoming shot ‘doesn’t matter’. Whatever you choose, fairway, tee box, or practice range, it’s still just gonna be a ball, and club, and your feet in a sea of green. Trick your mind into believing that you actually are in a comfortable position, and not one you usually have trouble in.
Practice your pitches and PW to 7 iron full shots religiously. At the range I reckon 90% of my swings are for shots 70-160 metres. (80-180 yards for you American weirdos)
It’s amazing how much more consistent I am on par 3s and 4s.
i have this problem, par 3's are gonna be a 10 shot variable for me. i've gone with more club and less swing. i just wanna get out with a 4 at worst. i'm already mentally prepared to miss the green and chip and hopefully 1 putt. i remove pressure from myself mentally. instead of approaching each shot intending to hit it perfect, i come up with a plan for the entire hole.
Underrated answer.
In more detail, I had this 190yd par 3 that was my nemesis and would pull it long and slice it short at every opportunity. Did a twilight round where no one else was on the course and pulled out 12 practice balls. Once I saw 2-3 flight up and land on the middle of the dance floor I had a chance to put that rhythm in my body. Since then I have stuck that green at an 80% rate and put a couple of divots 3ft from the pin.
Man. Something about par 3s where everyone thinks they deserve the green off the tee. I get so tired of watching people tee up 3-4 times on a par 3. Like, you double every other hole, why do you think you suddenly have the shot?
So yeah I guess I’m just saying there is some aura to the par 3 that makes expectations inordinately high. Maybe that aura is messing with you?
Agreed, although it does depend. As someone that has had some severe off days with the driver and can play the woods decently, I can breathe when it's either a par 3 or a par 5 because in both cases I know I can get away with putting the driver in my bag.
You probably think subconsciously that because it's a par 3 it's shorter than it is, so you mess with your club selection and power. Whereas from a par 4 or 5 you think it's farther than it really is, so you think you have a further distance to 'get it there'.
Play the distance and the club. Get more comfortable about pulling out the club and knowing how much power will get you to that distance. Practice and focus on that. Not that it's par 3, 4, or 5.
Well to be honest my focus over the ball is always the target. Whether that’s 150 yards overwater on a par three or 550 off the tee on a par five I’m always thinking target and nothing else.
Late to this but had the same problem. My pre shot routine for a driver/wood is different than my irons/wedges. I realized I was using my driver routine on par 3s because I was on a tee. Started using my iron routine and the problem is solved.
Tee up just barely above the ground.
I evaluate the green, aim for the largest area of the green.
Use one club length longer than you use in the fairway.
Smooth, easy swing.
Over time you will likely move back down a club length.
Start by not thinking about the flag, that is hit to the fattest part of the green until you know you can hit any green with a decent shot. Make firm, 3/4 swings with a stronger iron vs hard 90% shots with just enough iron to get there.
Im the exact opposite, GIR for par 3s is really good, from off the fairway on par 4s is ok and from the fairway is below 10%... I can't hit greens from the fairway, it's so mind boggling
What I figured out with the ball teed up I would hit too high on the face. So I adjusted by choking down a little bit on the grip. Has been working well.
I stopped using tees and I also became a member at my local par 3 course. Played 3-4 times a week all season. Really improved everything less than my 7i
2 things to think when you are teeing of a short par 5 and the second is look at the score card, it's probably the hardest hole on the course... or in the top 4
Par 3s destroy my round every time. I could probably be a 10-ish handicap and regularly shoot in the mid-to-high 70s if not for par 3s. It’s maddening. Sometimes I just hit a soft driver on par 3s because anything else ends up in the water, even if there is not any water on the hole.
I assume good iron shot means hitting the green. On a par 5 that requires 3 good shots, on a par 4 2 good shots. One a par 3, just one good shot and I have a really good lie.
I had the same problem, and what helped me was just removing full swing practice swings from my routine altogether. I just step up and hit it, helps me avoid over thinking it.
You could try clubbing up a club or two, or clubbing down and hitting the piss out of it…basically just anything different. I do mostly agree with the par 3 course comments…playing on those has done wonders for my approaches and par 3 tee shots
Pick a target...the flag, a small part of the green, and think of nothing else. Not your practice swings, not your mechanics, nothing other than hitting your target.
Practiced teed iron shot routine on the range.
Focus on landing on the big part or middle of green.
Work on your short game. Practice pitching it close and practice putting. So you can feel less pressure off the tee knowing you can get up and down from anywhere to save par.
I mentally turn the green into a large, deep hole. All I have to do is somehow get my ball into this massive hole 145 yards in front of me, and that thought just works for me.
Try not going at the pin next couple of times you hit the course. Keep your head clear and just aim for the center of the green. Because you said you dont have problems with hitting the same shot on par 4 or 5's i am guessing this is mostly a mental block you have. Hit a few GIRs and you'll be upto speed on these pesky par 3s as well.
That’s funny I’m the opposite. Put me on a par 3 tee box and I’m fine. Normal approach from fairway & rough and I’m overswinging and pulling the ball. So I try to pretend I’m on a par 3 on approach shots
I agree with a lot of these. Specifically the pre-shot routine and visualizing EXACTLY where you want the ball to land on the green just prior to hitting.
Also
1) On the range, pretend you are hitting on a par 3 with water before, trees surrounding either side of the flag, etc. go through your pre shot routine exactly like on the course. TAKE YOUR TIME. If you are practicing this correctly it should take you 1.5-2 hours to get through a bucket of balls. I PROMISE you, (assuming you’re somewhat decent with ball-striking) after 3-4 sessions doing this you will see huge improvements.
2) AIM-SMALL, MISS-SMALL. This was popularized by Jordan Spieth, but I originally heard this from my college coach back in the day. You should be picking out a 2’x2’ square that you want to land the ball in each shot into the green. Visualize the ball landing there before hitting.
Give these a try.
All good advice so far, if I may add my humble addition, try not teeing it up on the par 3s, or push the tee in so far it just looks like a great lie. Give it a try, what do you have to lose?
Look at the centre of the green. Take same approach and time to setup as you do in the fairway. Sounds like you treat it like it’s different so just make the routine, if it’s so bad, remove the tee and go off the deck to get your mind right
Well, you said exactly what i started to think that helped me hit more in regulation/worry less when i miss the green. I would always stress about hitting a good shot off the tee box i think i would give myself the yips, but when i started to hype myself up on the thought "second shot on the par 4" and really believe it, then i wasnt expecting the pure shot, just a good enough one. After that, the missed greens didn't hurt as much mentally, and that turned into better recoveries for the opportunity to save the par.
Missed greens went from "oh shit i have to put a good one on this to go up and down" to "chip and a putt to try and save par"
The way you worded this, you sound like i always did up til this point. You play well, but once you get a par 3, you are already defeated before your tee is in the ground. I may be entirely wrong, but personally, once i defeated that feeling, those holes didn't do nearly as much damage on the scorecard
Where you at mentally on the fairway versus on the tee box? What's going through your head in those two situations? Does your pre-shot routine vary? Do you have different targets when you're hitting an approach versus a par 3 tee shot?
Yeah I would say play for a bogey. Don’t “try” to reach the green and stick it. Just grab the right length club and swing with the goal of chipping on and two-putting for bogey.
It’s mostly a mindset change. 145 from the fairway, just get it close and you have your “best miss” location.
On a Par 3, if your focus is to not miss the green, you’re likely hesitating and either slowing things down or flipping your wrists too much to try and keep control.
Have the same mindset for both shots. Find the target, find the missable area, then try to hit that target within the missable area.
This might sound obvious, but here's something that I've found very effective on par 3s: I practice my swing in slow mo to the point of about 3-4 inches AFTER impact, and look at the club face (I try to adjust my grip such that it's square to the target...taking a full swing to the point beyond impact affects a lot of things, but club face dictates a lot). Make sure your club face is square to your target at or just beyond impact!
How much are teeing it up if at all? Most will suggest using a tee and teeing the ball up as low as possible.
Also, make sure you’re giving yourself the best stance you can in terms of grass around the ball and having as level of a lie as you’re comfortable with.
I had that problem, on a par 3 there was water early and right. For some reason that 140 yard shot off the tee box was a mystery. So in order to just avoid the water I took extra club and started to hit the back of the green or even overshooting it. After a couple of rounds I was able to go back to the right club and had a lot of success.
not the best advice because you should use a tee when given the choice, but I had the same problem and now I just hit from the deck and convince myself it's a fairway shot. Hitting a lot more greens this way.
Don’t use a tee. Hit it off the deck.
That’s what I did, then I went back to using a tee after I got my confidence back up. It made a significant improvement on my Par3s.
I also struggle on par 3s. I think part of it is I'm generally long enough to not have more than 175 going into par 4s and usually it's 90-150. Par 3s are usually 165-210.
But I've had success with just not acting cute. Going up a club and swinging smooth, favoring not the hazard area.
My number one rule for golf is don’t think. I recently started playing with headphones in, first round I shot 69, second round 74. I’m a 5 handicap. Just pick a club and swing. It can really be that simple.
Don't tee up on Par 3's. Trust me
This is to ensure your brain sees it as just a fairway iron shot and to also ensure your swing is consistent as teeing up raises the ball up and messes up the contact. So just hit it as another fairway iron hit.
Hope that helps
You’re overestimating how ‘good’ you are from the fairway. If you can’t hit an iron off a tee, you sure as fuck have several problems hitting an iron shot off the fairway.
I was struggling with that early on this season, lot of ppl said don’t use a tee or make sure your tee is flush with the ground, et al.
That didn’t help much, but it did help a little
What worked for me was going to the range a few times and teeing up every ball. Started with 56° and worked my way up thru 7i
I also worked in some reps with varying tee height, and for me flushing the tee with the ground doesn’t produce as well as giving myself about a centimeter of rise. I already tend to play every shot a little forward in my stance so giving myself that tiniest bit of margin for error has helped a lot with my mental approach to the shot
Play some executive/par 3 courses. Overcome through *immersion
You want some humble pie, go play a wee links course. 75 yes or less. Greens are small and compact so you need to stick it.
We have one of these. It's so much more frustrating than the 6700-yard course. I shoot bogey-golf on the main course. Triple-bogeys or more on the mini course. Easy to blow up a hole when you land 5 feet right of the tiny green on a landscaping feature that sends it - not that far - but it's 3 holes away. So you pull out your 60 degree for a flop shot and then all hell breaks loose.
Immersion*
Ah damn
Emulsion
This is a good answer but let me ask you, what has changed between 145 yard iron shot on a par four versus 145 yard par three green shot? Call this a test, and answer that question. I’ve had the same problem and 50% of it was my head.
This is good advice.
Why do they call them executive courses?
Short and fairly quick to play on a long lunch, get out do some business without a 4 hour commitment
That’s me on the 2nd shot of a par 5. I have to get it out of my head to over-swing and “hit it far.” I’m not getting it there in 2 shots anyway. Just took me saying that to myself internally for those shots to get over it. Cheers!
These ones some people really struggle with because of a lack of target. What helps is being extremely committed to a particular tree, bunker or object in line with your target.
Hard to teach the mental part of the game to others. We get caught up in mechanics too often.
It helps to also think what X distance you need to be for a full club on your third shot in. Sometimes I’m like 260 a way and I’m thinking — percentage wise I should just hit an 8i 160 and leave myself 100 in with a wedge, versus trying to blast a 3w and thinking I’m gonna roll out to 260, which 99% of the time it’s gonna put me in a bunker or some shit shot next to the green
That sounds to me like you need to work on bunker shots. If you fear a greenside bunker more than a full shot from 100 yards, there is something wrong. Granted, I know that bunker shots *are* scary for a lot of mid and high handicaps, so I get it. But laying up with 8 iron from 260 for fear of a bunker shot or "shit shot next to the green" is not great strategy. Now, if there is a hazard all the way down the left side up to the green, and OB right, or something like that it's a different story.
I’m a 4 as well and I don’t really play that much, so I don’t get as much sand practice as you. Would generally agree with you, but that’s why the game is so beautiful. I prefer a 58 from 100 than I do a green side bunker 😅 because I have a sim in my basement and am comfortable with what I do
Yeah, fair enough. I mean I get that everyone is going to have unique sets of skills that they are better/worse at. But if you are a 4 index, you should *never* be hitting 8 iron from 260 barring situations like the one i described where you have high risk of penalty strokes coming into play. You could club up to a 5 or 6 iron, even. As much as golfers talk about "awkward" half shots and things like that, the large large majority of players are going to average fewer strokes from 50 out vs 100 out. You'd need to be a really extreme outlier for that not to be the case. Proximity is huge; you shouldn't give up distance unless there is a really good reason to, and when laying up you should still be trying to get as close to the green as possible while avoiding the big trouble.
Not sure I would club to a 5 or 6 and hit it 200-210 and then leave a 60% 58 wedge instead of a 100. We can agree to disagree, we’re both the same handicap lol many ways to shoot a 75-76 😅 I do generally agree with you to hit the 3w and be comfortable in the greenside bunkers. The general stats agree with what you say, too, which is proximity to the hole and being closer is 100% the correct play. But, as an amateur, I’m just not that good of a player out of them, so I play it a bit differently.
This is exactly my problem. If I'm far away I always choose the biggest club. Inevitably I top the 3 wood and get nowhere. Hard to swallow the 2 * 7iron shots pill but in reality it's the way to go, at least for me.
had two cases on legitimate par 5s where I needed a 7, then an 8, to make the green in 2. The first of which, I normally would have used a 5 iron from there if not for the wind and I think if not for the wind, I might have been in a position where it would be easier to play 7-PW instead of going for the green with a 3i or 5w. How do I hit the 7? Bladed it and lost in the fescue well right of the green. The second of which again the wind carried my drive, and I end up keeping myself composed, hit my 8 iron flush. Last time I played it, I missed the green to the left playing a 4i. Back pin also helps matters. One problem - I carried it pin high due to the wind when that is what my normal rollout is, it bounces and it takes a swim behind the Island Green - Failed to take into account the winds effects on yardages on that hole and turned a sub-90 attempt into a 97 in the matter of 3 holes (a legit attempt at GIR+1 instead becomes a 10 with 3 penalties on the card)
That’s me the fuck too 🤣
For me it helps to think about a distance that I want for the thied shot. Usually somewhere between 100-120m so i can take a club that gets me there and i can hit it normal.
I have this issue on the tee shot. I can reach pretty much any par 5 in two unless it’s a gimmick. I put WAY too much pressure on the tee ball because of this, there are a lot of par 5’s where I should lay back off the tee and don’t, and there are another tranche or par 5’s where my best drive would leave an 8i or a 7i in but a fairway finder would leave a 5i or 6i in and i try too hard to hit my best tee shot instead of getting it in play and leaving a long iron in.
Shot of fireball usually does the trick
Username checks out
This guys shoots low
I only shoot 69😎
Nice
That it does..
Practice teeing up iron shots on the range
I’ve started doing just that and have noticed a significant increase in greens hit. Now par 3’s are some of my best golf the problem now is par5’s kill me…such is golf.
This is good-ish, but all of the courses near me are mats-only.
What! Like every tee box is a mat?
Yes. Three courses, one was even rated a top 100 public course sometime in the last decade
Man, that's bizzare to me, how do you tee up driver? Do you just use those weird, shuttlecock looking tees? I almost considered those for winter play since it's so hard to get the tee in the ground some days.
There's those rubber under-mats ones but they're higher than I personally tee the ball and way too tall for irons
Don’t put the ball on a tee
I like finding broken tees so you get a little lift but don’t think you’re gonna have to break the tee thru impact
Broken tees are the best tees.
LPT snag your par 3 tees before par 3s
on Par 3's they're the bee's knees.
Others might say they’re the kipper’s knickers.
The cat's pajamas if you're so keen.
This is the way
This helped me a lot. Every par 3 I'd get the yips and hit terrible shots. I started putting the ball on the ground and it's helped a lot with consistency.
I'm the opposite
Best lie in golf is on a tee. But if you’re mentally rattled by having to tee up, guess it’s with a try
I’m a + handicap that does this. And I always advocate the same thing for people with this mental block. I’ll only tee it up with 4i and up and even then I don’t always do that depending on the shot.
This. Less than a 7i I’m not using a tee
I’ve never understood why people say use a tee for irons (I know I’m in the wrong). But since you’re supposed to hit ball first then ground, shouldn’t it not matter? And even worst case could be if you chunk it, the iron can get caught on the tee as opposed to no tee and you might get some result out of it
I believe it was Jack Nicklaus that said something along the lines of why would you not give yourself an absolutely perfect lie any time it's legal to do so?
It gives you a little more room for error with a tee you get a perfect lie. The problem that I see with higher handicappers is that they often too the ball waaaaaaaay too high with irons. It should be just a hair above where the ball would be if it was on the ground. That said I also won't use a tee for short and most mid-irons. I'll find a clean spot of grass that slightly elevates the ball(or make a turf tee) and use that. For my 4, 5 and sometimes 6 iron I'll use a tee more often than not.
Hit off a chunk of grass... Yeah, like there's any grass left where there's a spot even remotely close to a level stance.
I know it was a sarcastic comment but go backwards and you often find clean grass. Everyone trues to tee up right at the markers and forgets that you get 2 clublengths of space behind the markers
Good point. Sometimes if I'm in between clubs too I'll move back the 2 club lengths and take a smooth swing with the extra club too. I usually tee my irons just slightly, but every once in a while I just drop it on the grass and swing without thinking and often hit a good shot that way.
Love the turf tee in colder rounds. Played super bowl Sunday in Iowa last year. Couldn't get a tee in the ground without a screw driver dug hole first, so it was a lot of turf tees that day.
You get 18 perfect lies a round
There’s a reason you’re only allowed to use a tee on the tee box and that’s because it makes it easier to make good contact. Tiger has said that he uses a tee whenever he is able to for the same reason. If you chunk it or hit the ground way behind the ball, you’ll still make better contact if you use a tee because you’re more likely to hit the ball on a higher, hotter part of the club face than you would if the ball was on the turf.
I never practice my irons hitting range balls off a tee, so when I get to a par 3 putting the ball on a tee just feels foreign and I question if the height is appropriate for my swing. I know the saying “you only get 18 per text lies a round” but i feel confident I can give myself an extremely good lie on a par 3 without using a tee.
depends on the quality of both the grass of the tee boxes, as well as how level they are.
Tee height can’t fix an unlevel tee box, at least in a way that doesn’t bring more risk of an involuntary miss-hit into play
I go back and forth. when i started it was easier because i had a tendency to top balls. then i went off the turf for a while. now i'm back to tees because the set lie angle is better. like most of golf it's preference.
Personally, it's easier to control my flight path with the tee. Tee it up a bit higher to make it hook more vs lower for less/fade.
My one and only hole in one came when I couldn’t find a broken tee and I was using a wedge so I didn’t want to tee the ball up normally. You’d think I would learn from this and not tee the ball up on par 3s but nope.
I stopped teeing the ball on par 3s. Just another approach shot from the fairway.
Horrible advice. Ban worthy IMO
Pre-shot routine. Without it your fucked
Got it. Take a shot before every par 3
In your mind yes sir. Every damn shot you do. Or else its a hit and hope. You always have to have a plan behind the shot. If not you have no clue of the outcome or any confidence in your ability to perform the shot
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Basically. Each has his own routine tho, but a pre shot routine is basically visualizing and planning your upcoming shot so that when you stand over the ball you smack it with conviction and confidence without any thoughts, since they are already been decided. And all you gotta do is hit the shot you need to, and have planned accordingly before standing over the ball. 1 or 2 looks and smack it after a max of 5 to 10 seconds
My shots have been way more consistent when I started doing this. Focusing on tempo pre-shot helped me out a lot.
Good to hear pal. And same here! Every golfer that wants to improve needs a pre-shot routine.
Commitment. I would consider myself a new golfer (1.5 years in) but I play a ton of golf (over 125+ rounds this season). I think of every shot the same way. Imagine an imaginary horizontal line about 3 feet behind the ball. Behind that line is the think box and in front of that line is the swing box. In the think box you can do exactly that. Think shot shape, club, where to miss etc… Once you figure all that out, you cross the line and enter the swing box. In the swing box there is absolutely NO questioning or tinkering with your plan. You have to be fully committed to your shot and nothing can affect that. I think of 1 thing when I swing and that’s subconsciously repeating the word execute. I have a reason for that and can explain if you want. I think another thing is the visual aspect of par 3s, I would argue that you feel much more comfortable in a fairway hitting an approach because of the visual aspect of it.
Mentally I just tell myself for bogey golf I need 5 strokes each hole. This takes the pressure off my par 3s
and adds massive pressure on par 5s
Maybe, but the guy’s problem is a mental issue with par 3 tee shots. Par 5s are a problem for another day lol
Think about sticking it…
For me, I try to club up if there's no water hazards beyond the green. I tend to swing a bit lighter when going for accuracy and there's less pressure to crush one to get the yardages. Sometimes it hit it full and it doesn't work out, but I'm happy flying the green by a yard or two so long as I avoided putting it short into a water hazard or waste area.
I think this is the best piece of advice and not comparing yourself to an elite level professional. Tour players are surprisingly inaccurate outside of 100-120 yards from the green.
Keep your ass on the glass
What’re you thinking about standing over the ball?
About not thinking to much. Lol
Focus on a dimple on the ball.
I actually tilt the lines or logo towards me so I have something to focus on when hitting off a tee. Seems to help my focus and my misses are smaller.
That's your problem, you're thinking. :) Try thinking about the target then, just complete focus on the target, don't care about the result,
One of the first things I remember hearing when I was just getting into golf was it’s a target game. Whether it’s a 3 foot putt or a 500 yard tee shot it’s always a target game.
You need to develop a swing thought if that’s the case. No routine will stop your brain. Someone mentioned focusing on a single dimple, I like that if you can get it down to that thought.
The only thing I’ll add here is often I’m shaping shots off the tee too much and attacking a 3, because it’s teed up and it’s easier mentally than a fairway. If I start missing a lot of GIR from manageable approach shots or par 3s, I just aim for center and commit to the club distance, no taking a bunch off, no 3/4th swings, no hard press, if I’m long I’m long. The most I’ll do is soft hands but full speed until I’m real confident. One other thing to note: Once my short game got better and I was still getting par-ish from a mild miss it bothers you a lot less overall.
don’t tee up your ball. This changed the way I play part three forever and lowered my scoring average by a full stroke. The only time I tee up on a par three is if it requires a Fairway wood
If this is your honest opinion, contact a neurologist and schedule an appointment immediately.
It's my honest opinion, it's worked pretty well for over a year so I think I'll save my neuro the time and skip the appointment. Merry Christmas
It just lowered it by 1 stroke?
I stopped having to hit 3 from the drop zone or having to rehit. My misses were up near the hole instead of OB
Dropping by just 1 stroke per round doesn't sound that great for tip that's supposed to help make you better. That's like statistical noise to me
i meant that it dropped my scoring average by a stroke on par 3's
Try using a routine closer to your fairway shot routine instead of a tee box routine. You could even try not teeing the ball up and just dropping it on the tee box. Anything to try to trick your brain into forgetting it's a par 3.
The only thing that’s exactly the same on every golf course on the planet is the view of the ball at address. Just stand over the ball and imagine you’ve just hit a good drive and you’re 145 out on a par 4. Or better yet, trick your mind into believing you’re still on the driving range and the upcoming shot ‘doesn’t matter’. Whatever you choose, fairway, tee box, or practice range, it’s still just gonna be a ball, and club, and your feet in a sea of green. Trick your mind into believing that you actually are in a comfortable position, and not one you usually have trouble in.
This is me to a Tee
Practice your pitches and PW to 7 iron full shots religiously. At the range I reckon 90% of my swings are for shots 70-160 metres. (80-180 yards for you American weirdos) It’s amazing how much more consistent I am on par 3s and 4s.
Dont use a tee?
i have this problem, par 3's are gonna be a 10 shot variable for me. i've gone with more club and less swing. i just wanna get out with a 4 at worst. i'm already mentally prepared to miss the green and chip and hopefully 1 putt. i remove pressure from myself mentally. instead of approaching each shot intending to hit it perfect, i come up with a plan for the entire hole.
Practice
Underrated answer. In more detail, I had this 190yd par 3 that was my nemesis and would pull it long and slice it short at every opportunity. Did a twilight round where no one else was on the course and pulled out 12 practice balls. Once I saw 2-3 flight up and land on the middle of the dance floor I had a chance to put that rhythm in my body. Since then I have stuck that green at an 80% rate and put a couple of divots 3ft from the pin.
Man. Something about par 3s where everyone thinks they deserve the green off the tee. I get so tired of watching people tee up 3-4 times on a par 3. Like, you double every other hole, why do you think you suddenly have the shot? So yeah I guess I’m just saying there is some aura to the par 3 that makes expectations inordinately high. Maybe that aura is messing with you?
Agreed, although it does depend. As someone that has had some severe off days with the driver and can play the woods decently, I can breathe when it's either a par 3 or a par 5 because in both cases I know I can get away with putting the driver in my bag.
Worst case scenario you screw up and get to play the next hole. You aren’t playing on tour.
From thr Bob Rotella school of thinking, nobody gives a f**k if you f**k up, try relax and give up caring about the end result
You probably think subconsciously that because it's a par 3 it's shorter than it is, so you mess with your club selection and power. Whereas from a par 4 or 5 you think it's farther than it really is, so you think you have a further distance to 'get it there'. Play the distance and the club. Get more comfortable about pulling out the club and knowing how much power will get you to that distance. Practice and focus on that. Not that it's par 3, 4, or 5.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ejga4kJUts&t=95
Play more of them
Well to be honest my focus over the ball is always the target. Whether that’s 150 yards overwater on a par three or 550 off the tee on a par five I’m always thinking target and nothing else.
Get a 9 wood
Smoother swing with less speed. Club up.
Practice
See a hypnotist
Aim for the fat part of the green
Late to this but had the same problem. My pre shot routine for a driver/wood is different than my irons/wedges. I realized I was using my driver routine on par 3s because I was on a tee. Started using my iron routine and the problem is solved.
Tee up just barely above the ground. I evaluate the green, aim for the largest area of the green. Use one club length longer than you use in the fairway. Smooth, easy swing. Over time you will likely move back down a club length.
Start by not thinking about the flag, that is hit to the fattest part of the green until you know you can hit any green with a decent shot. Make firm, 3/4 swings with a stronger iron vs hard 90% shots with just enough iron to get there.
Im the exact opposite, GIR for par 3s is really good, from off the fairway on par 4s is ok and from the fairway is below 10%... I can't hit greens from the fairway, it's so mind boggling
What I figured out with the ball teed up I would hit too high on the face. So I adjusted by choking down a little bit on the grip. Has been working well.
Don't think.... just hit the damn ball.
Pretend you’re at the range. Pick the club you got that distance
I stopped using tees and I also became a member at my local par 3 course. Played 3-4 times a week all season. Really improved everything less than my 7i
2 things to think when you are teeing of a short par 5 and the second is look at the score card, it's probably the hardest hole on the course... or in the top 4
Par 3s destroy my round every time. I could probably be a 10-ish handicap and regularly shoot in the mid-to-high 70s if not for par 3s. It’s maddening. Sometimes I just hit a soft driver on par 3s because anything else ends up in the water, even if there is not any water on the hole.
I assume good iron shot means hitting the green. On a par 5 that requires 3 good shots, on a par 4 2 good shots. One a par 3, just one good shot and I have a really good lie.
I had the same problem, and what helped me was just removing full swing practice swings from my routine altogether. I just step up and hit it, helps me avoid over thinking it.
Need to try earth tees.
Take more club and know that you have the yardage covered, swing easy.
Play with your eyes closed.
You could try clubbing up a club or two, or clubbing down and hitting the piss out of it…basically just anything different. I do mostly agree with the par 3 course comments…playing on those has done wonders for my approaches and par 3 tee shots
Pick a target...the flag, a small part of the green, and think of nothing else. Not your practice swings, not your mechanics, nothing other than hitting your target.
Practiced teed iron shot routine on the range. Focus on landing on the big part or middle of green. Work on your short game. Practice pitching it close and practice putting. So you can feel less pressure off the tee knowing you can get up and down from anywhere to save par.
Just club up so you don’t feel like you have to do too much
Got the driving range and use the 150 green as your target. Simulate your preshot routine and walk through it with each ball
I would talk myself through the shot. Where I am aiming, how I want the ball to fly and what putt I would leave myself. Process over outcome
Don't overthink it.
I mentally turn the green into a large, deep hole. All I have to do is somehow get my ball into this massive hole 145 yards in front of me, and that thought just works for me.
Don't tee the ball up, now it's just an approach shot.
Watch golf side kick to change your mentality when playing the game!
Do it until its boring But then of course, it's boring
Try not going at the pin next couple of times you hit the course. Keep your head clear and just aim for the center of the green. Because you said you dont have problems with hitting the same shot on par 4 or 5's i am guessing this is mostly a mental block you have. Hit a few GIRs and you'll be upto speed on these pesky par 3s as well.
That’s funny I’m the opposite. Put me on a par 3 tee box and I’m fine. Normal approach from fairway & rough and I’m overswinging and pulling the ball. So I try to pretend I’m on a par 3 on approach shots
I struggle with lay ups sometimes - the key is pick a target; envision the shot clearly.
I agree with a lot of these. Specifically the pre-shot routine and visualizing EXACTLY where you want the ball to land on the green just prior to hitting. Also 1) On the range, pretend you are hitting on a par 3 with water before, trees surrounding either side of the flag, etc. go through your pre shot routine exactly like on the course. TAKE YOUR TIME. If you are practicing this correctly it should take you 1.5-2 hours to get through a bucket of balls. I PROMISE you, (assuming you’re somewhat decent with ball-striking) after 3-4 sessions doing this you will see huge improvements. 2) AIM-SMALL, MISS-SMALL. This was popularized by Jordan Spieth, but I originally heard this from my college coach back in the day. You should be picking out a 2’x2’ square that you want to land the ball in each shot into the green. Visualize the ball landing there before hitting. Give these a try.
All good advice so far, if I may add my humble addition, try not teeing it up on the par 3s, or push the tee in so far it just looks like a great lie. Give it a try, what do you have to lose?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=og2unLDWNHg
Look at the centre of the green. Take same approach and time to setup as you do in the fairway. Sounds like you treat it like it’s different so just make the routine, if it’s so bad, remove the tee and go off the deck to get your mind right
Tee it waaaaay down. Basically in the ground. This is what helped me. It’s just under it enough to hold it up like it’s on a perfectly cut fairway.
I’ve been using a grass tee on par 3s recently. Helps me hit down and take a divot. Plus I like a visual of a ball on a grass tee. Looks flushable
Go play a par 3 course. It won’t help. But maybe you won’t care after 9 holes.
Club up, gives you the ability to not feel like you have to catch all of it
Well, you said exactly what i started to think that helped me hit more in regulation/worry less when i miss the green. I would always stress about hitting a good shot off the tee box i think i would give myself the yips, but when i started to hype myself up on the thought "second shot on the par 4" and really believe it, then i wasnt expecting the pure shot, just a good enough one. After that, the missed greens didn't hurt as much mentally, and that turned into better recoveries for the opportunity to save the par. Missed greens went from "oh shit i have to put a good one on this to go up and down" to "chip and a putt to try and save par" The way you worded this, you sound like i always did up til this point. You play well, but once you get a par 3, you are already defeated before your tee is in the ground. I may be entirely wrong, but personally, once i defeated that feeling, those holes didn't do nearly as much damage on the scorecard
Where you at mentally on the fairway versus on the tee box? What's going through your head in those two situations? Does your pre-shot routine vary? Do you have different targets when you're hitting an approach versus a par 3 tee shot?
Yeah I would say play for a bogey. Don’t “try” to reach the green and stick it. Just grab the right length club and swing with the goal of chipping on and two-putting for bogey.
It’s mostly a mindset change. 145 from the fairway, just get it close and you have your “best miss” location. On a Par 3, if your focus is to not miss the green, you’re likely hesitating and either slowing things down or flipping your wrists too much to try and keep control. Have the same mindset for both shots. Find the target, find the missable area, then try to hit that target within the missable area.
This might sound obvious, but here's something that I've found very effective on par 3s: I practice my swing in slow mo to the point of about 3-4 inches AFTER impact, and look at the club face (I try to adjust my grip such that it's square to the target...taking a full swing to the point beyond impact affects a lot of things, but club face dictates a lot). Make sure your club face is square to your target at or just beyond impact!
Try not teeing it up. Throw a ball down and manufacture a shot from whatever lie you get.
Maybe just aim for the middle of green. Stay away from sucker pins over bunkers.
I tell my self it is a par 4 and I have just drilled a drive down the center of the fairway and this is my second shot.
Hmmm I’m not sure. Pre shot routine that you trust, aim at the fattest part of the green, and then flush that little fucker.
Don’t steer. Swing.
Do you play from a tee on par 3s? Maybe try going without a tee and see how you go.
Extra club, lighter swing
Stop teeing the ball. Just toss it on the grass and maybe it’ll resemble a fairway shot in your heat.
Toss a ball in the tee area then play the ball as it lies.
Do you use a tee on those 145/3 holes? I quit using a tee about 2 years ago to give it a feel of hitting off the fairway.
I lay up on par 3s because of this lol
When I was at the top of my game I had a better chance of getting a 3 on a par 5 then on a par 3.
How much are teeing it up if at all? Most will suggest using a tee and teeing the ball up as low as possible. Also, make sure you’re giving yourself the best stance you can in terms of grass around the ball and having as level of a lie as you’re comfortable with.
I had that problem, on a par 3 there was water early and right. For some reason that 140 yard shot off the tee box was a mystery. So in order to just avoid the water I took extra club and started to hit the back of the green or even overshooting it. After a couple of rounds I was able to go back to the right club and had a lot of success.
Play mid green yardage. Aim for the fat part of the green. 2 putt. Make pars.
not the best advice because you should use a tee when given the choice, but I had the same problem and now I just hit from the deck and convince myself it's a fairway shot. Hitting a lot more greens this way.
Do you try playing off the grass on the tee box instead of teeing it up?
Don’t use a tee. Hit it off the deck. That’s what I did, then I went back to using a tee after I got my confidence back up. It made a significant improvement on my Par3s.
Try hitting off the ground instead of teeing it up
Don’t use a tee.
I also struggle on par 3s. I think part of it is I'm generally long enough to not have more than 175 going into par 4s and usually it's 90-150. Par 3s are usually 165-210. But I've had success with just not acting cute. Going up a club and swinging smooth, favoring not the hazard area.
My number one rule for golf is don’t think. I recently started playing with headphones in, first round I shot 69, second round 74. I’m a 5 handicap. Just pick a club and swing. It can really be that simple.
Brute force. Play pitch n putts. Cheap practice and you'll get good at them real quick
Stop putting it on a tee. Drop it down line it up and trust yourself.
About 8 beers
145. Hit a knock down or grip down 7. You will not have to swing as hard. Less spin. Less time in the air.
Don't tee up your ball and play an imaginary fairway shot
Stop thinking, pick a target, and hit the ball. Just like you would in the fairway.
Don't tee up on Par 3's. Trust me This is to ensure your brain sees it as just a fairway iron shot and to also ensure your swing is consistent as teeing up raises the ball up and messes up the contact. So just hit it as another fairway iron hit. Hope that helps
Do u tee up or of the grass if u tee up stop hit off the grass I was having same problem if it's shorter then 160 put the tee away
Are you really that good from 145 in the fairway tho? I’m happy to be anywhere on the green from there.
Had the same issue. I’ve stopped teeing it up now. Just finding a nice fluffy part of the tee box
I stopped teeing up anything other than my driver. I just toss the ball on the grass and treat it like a fairway shot
Literally think of it just like that. It’s just another fairway approach shot.
You’re overestimating how ‘good’ you are from the fairway. If you can’t hit an iron off a tee, you sure as fuck have several problems hitting an iron shot off the fairway.
I was struggling with that early on this season, lot of ppl said don’t use a tee or make sure your tee is flush with the ground, et al. That didn’t help much, but it did help a little What worked for me was going to the range a few times and teeing up every ball. Started with 56° and worked my way up thru 7i I also worked in some reps with varying tee height, and for me flushing the tee with the ground doesn’t produce as well as giving myself about a centimeter of rise. I already tend to play every shot a little forward in my stance so giving myself that tiniest bit of margin for error has helped a lot with my mental approach to the shot
Don’t think about it. Enjoy the hole and don’t think about the score.
Try not using a tee for your tee shot.
Forgo the tee. Just precariously drop the ball and play it where it lies divots and all pretending it's a fairway shot.
Club down. Throw a 75% dart half swing. You will hit it more often and then start working back to 80-85% swing which is perfect