How to Hit Better Tee Shots: Simple Golf Tips & Drills That Actually Work
Anyone can hit a great tee shot. Maybe not like the pros on TV, but those men and women have very different standards.
A great tee shot means you’ve hit the fairway and have given yourself the best chance to reach the green in regulation. Of course, this is easier said than done, but for most amateurs, a great tee shot is only a few tips away.
If you focus on keeping it simple and utilize the tee-shot-specific tips and drills below, you won’t have to wait long to see results.
Hitting the Perfect Tee Shot (Key Takeaways)
To hit any type of tee shot well, all golfers must implement these key takeaways. See below for more details and drills to help.
- Tee the ball just high enough so half the ball is above the crown of your club when using driver.
- Create and commit to a pre-shot routine for all tee shots.
- Utilize a full shoulder turn.
- Engage wrist action by hinging them early to create lag for power.
- Put it all together with a smooth and accelerating tempo.
Contents
1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?
Tee Shot Setup Fundamentals
All great tee shots start with a setup and posture. This encourages your body to hit all the right positions and minimize your risk.
Before pulling the trigger, ensure your setup includes these fundamental tee shot and driver swing checkpoints.
- Ball lined up with the inside of your front foot
- Weight should favor your front foot
- Arms hanging straight down from the shoulders
- Keep the spine and shaft angle neutral or slightly behind the ball
- Tee it high and let it fly
How to Hit a Tee Shot That Finds the Fairway Consistently
Use these tips to understand the theory behind a great tee shot. All great drivers do these things, and you’ll need to know them before doing the drills below.
Tee the Ball at the Correct Height
Many golfers believe that if they tee the ball low, they will hit the ball low; however, this is a common misconception.
- Teeing the ball too low causes backspin, which creates a steeper swing and results in higher shots. Especially if you’re hitting into the wind, the ball will balloon in the sky and drop straight down.
- Teeing the ball too high risks hitting underneath, but also throws off your normal swing plane.
- Teeing the ball halfway offers the largest margin for error without sacrificing distance and control. The ball should be halfway above the crown of your driver at address.
If you’re unsure about the height, then always err on the side of too high. The consequences of teeing it low are too great. This positioning helps you contact the ball on the upswing, maximizing launch and minimizing spin.
Develop a Consistent Pre-Shot Routine
A good tee shot requires a full swing, which invites the most chance for error.
To limit this risk, golfers can get themselves in the right mindset and setup position by utilizing a pre-shot routine before every tee shot.
Your pre-shot routine can be any process you like as long as it:
- Doesn’t take longer than 20 seconds.
- Always gets you in the correct position.
- Can be done on every single tee shot.
A pro-level pre-shot routine helps manage nerves and ensures consistency. Visualize your shot, pick an intermediate target a foot or two in front of the ball, take a deep breath, and commit to your swing plan. This keeps your mind focused and calms the pressure that can arise on the tee, so you can drive like a pro.
1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?
Make a Full Shoulder Turn
Many amateurs and recreational golfers make the same mistake of using their arms and wrists too much during a tee shot swing.
Monitoring and optimizing wrist flex and extension is easy with Hackmotion, but making a full shoulder turn to lengthen the swing path will minimize unnecessary arm movement and create distance.
A full shoulder turn creates coil and stores energy for a powerful shot.
During your backswing, focus on turning your shoulders under your chin in unison with your lower body. This combination of upper and lower body is the engine for generating a longer hand path without overswinging or losing control.
Create Lag
Once you’re comfortable with a full shoulder turn, you can focus on getting more power and better ball contact by creating lag in your swing.
This is when your wrists hinge correctly to unleash more energy through the impact zone.
- Creating lag starts in the takeaway, where you begin hinging your wrists. Hinging is different from flexing or extending, and the Hackmotion sensors and app will tell you exactly which way your wrists move and how they can improve.
- Once your wrists are set, keep them there for as long as possible while your body rotates back and down towards the ball.
- When the body turns back towards the ball, it’s time to unhinge your wrists and allow the club head to release through the ball. The Hackmotion app provides detailed, color-coded information to make practicing more efficient and rewarding.
- After the ball is struck, your wrists can extend and follow your intended target line for as long as possible before finding the final follow-through position.
Keep a Smooth Tempo
All these moving parts need to operate in unison. Forced movements to ensure correct positioning will not make great tee shots.
To put it all together and unify the moving parts into one efficient motion, we have to keep a smooth tempo.
The best drivers in the world have a smooth, rhythmic tempo from start to finish. Focus on making a pendulum-like motion, accelerating through the ball but never trying to “hit at” it. Proper tempo helps maintain balance and ensures you strike the ball cleanly.
Below is a temp-specific drill called the ‘Three-Ball Drill’ along with a few other drills to help you hit a driver consistently for more fairways in regulation.
Drills to Practice Off the Tee
These drills can be used with any club you hit off the tee, not just the driver.
If you struggle with your driver, start with your 3-wood, get the hang of the drills, and then slowly incorporate your driver so as not to lose the good feeling you have with your 3-wood tee shots.
Tees Under Arms Drill
This drill directly addresses your swing plane and shoulder rotation. It will help you engage your core throughout the swing while also keeping your club on a neutral swing path.
For those who use their arms too much, this is an excellent drill for you.
- Video timestamp – 8:40 – 12:00
Tees Under Arms Drill – Step by Step:
- Put a tee under each arm and grip your club as you normally would.
- Take your usual setup and address the ball.
- Take a couple of loose practice swings to get the feeling of keeping the tees secure under your arms.
- Practice your tee shots with the tees in place, but limit your backswing and follow through to 80% of normal.
- This drill is meant to create a unified feeling with your whole body through backswing, downswing, and follow-through.
Pocket to Pocket Drill
The fastest part of your golf swing occurs through the impact zone. Controlling the clubhead during this time is crucial to making good contact and increasing your odds of hitting the fairway every time.
This drill is suitable for all levels of golfers and can be used in conjunction with Hackmotion to enhance and refine your wrist action at the most critical part of your swing.
- Video timestamp – 7:56 – 8:50
Pocket to Pocket Drill – Step by Step:
- Take your normal stance and address a ball.
- Slowly make your backswing.
- From the top, allow your hands to drop to your pocket level before initiating your movement to the ball. Maintain full shoulder turn and wrist hinge.
- Once your hands have reached pocket level, release your body, wrists, and clubhead
- Only allow your follow-through to go to your pocket level on the front side.
- This action slows you down to allow your body to adapt and optimize the movement through the impact zone.
Three-Ball Drill
Putting all the right moves together is a challenging part of golf. To do this, all golfers must develop and maintain good swing tempo.
Some people will swing faster than others, and that’s ok, as long as your tempo suits your swing.
- Video timestamp – 4:52 – 6:10
Three-Ball Drill – Step by Step:
- Set up five balls about 4 or 5 inches apart, working away from you.
- Using your driver or other tee shot club, strike the first ball and without stopping your club, take a small step forward, take your backswing, and strike the second ball.
- Continue this down the line for all five balls without letting your club stop.
Drag the Stick Follow-Through Drill
Use this drill to further solidify your position at and through impact. It works great with Hackmotion to ensure your wrists are flexing/extending correctly and releasing efficiently.
This is a more advanced and technical option to the ‘Pocket to Pocket’ drill.
This drill also addresses your weight shift, which can help golfers who struggle with hanging back in their swing. Rotating all the way through to a solid finishing position means you’ve expended and transferred all of your power into the ball.
- Video timestamp – 2:29 – 5:59
Drag the Stick Follow-Through Drill – Step by Step:
- Take your normal stance and setup, but instead of holding a golf club, hold an alignment stick that’s at least four feet long.
- Due to its length, you will not be able to address a ball the same way. Allow the bottom end of the alignment stick to touch the ground in line with your back foot.
- From here, consult your Hackmotion to ensure your lead wrist is flexing and your trailing wrist is extending.
- Now, drag the alignment stick along the grass while rotating your body and maintaining correct wrist flexion.
- Continue this in slow motion until the alignment stick has passed your front foot and can be lifted off the ground, becoming parallel with it.
FAQs
Where should I position the golf ball for a tee shot?
For drivers, tee the ball inside your lead heel with the ball slightly above the clubface. For fairway woods and hybrids, position it 1-2 inches inside your lead heel. Moving the ball back a touch for irons helps ensure a downward strike.
How high should I tee up the ball for a driver?
The optimal tee height for a driver is when half the ball sits above the top edge of the driver head at address. A higher tee helps launch the ball higher, reduces spin, and encourages an upward strike for maximum distance.
Do the wrists play a significant role in tee shots?
Yes, wrists play a significant role in all tee shots, as they help generate power and create consistent ball striking. To monitor and improve your wrist action, use the Hackmotion app that connects to state-of-the-art sensors. They provide instant feedback on how you’re moving your wrists and what you can do to improve your motion.
How can I avoid topping or “skying” the ball off the tee?
Topping often occurs when you lift your head or swing too steeply. “Skying” comes from hitting under the ball (tee too high or hitting down too steeply). Maintain your posture, keep your head steady, and make a smooth, level swing through impact.
What should I focus on during my tee shot pre-shot routine?
Pick a clear target, check your aiming alignment, visualize the shot, and commit to your swing. Take one last look at the target, breathe, and pull the trigger with confidence. Consistency in routine builds confidence and performance.
Final Thoughts
A good tee shot can start each hole on the right track and give you the best chance to make par or better. It all happens very fast, but if you focus on the tips above and combine them with the corresponding drills, you’ll be spending a lot more time in the fairway.
Using Hackmotion can speed up the improvement process by tracking your wrist movement, assisting with rotation, weight transfer, and tempo issues. The app is easy to use and can help golfers of all levels.
You only get 18 tee shots per round, so make them as great as can be!
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