Why do I always break the tee?

[EnnDub7]

So I hit the ball pretty well and can send my driver out there to a number I'm happy with (average 260, can exceed 300 when I really let rip), but here's my issue. I break my tee peg on every drive, sometimes its just clipped and is broken in the ground, others the heads ripped clean off.

Now this isn't about me being tight, it's a wooden tee peg, I'll just buy more, but I watch the pros and they're bending down to pick up the tee peg every time. So I'm guessing there's something I'm doing that is causing me to catch the tee and is perhaps losing me distance?

I tee the ball at a height that means the balls equator is level with the top of the driver.

 

I'd be grateful for any advice.

[McCann1]

My only guess would be you hitting down on the ball. If you hit down, the tee has nowhere to go because you're applying a downward force towards the ground. If you're hitting slightly up the tee flips up into the air like it does with the guys on tv. Hope it helps

[EnnDub7]

My only guess would be you hitting down on the ball. If you hit down, the tee has nowhere to go because you're applying a downward force towards the ground. If you're hitting slightly up the tee flips up into the air like it does with the guys on tv. Hope it helps

 

Thanks

I really don't think I am, thats something I've worked on. It's mostly like I'm clipping the top of the tee, causing it to snap. I'll try and get some video of my swing and see if I am hitting down on it without realising.

[dg_1983]

Sounds silly - but how do you peg it?

 

Do you just peg it in?

 

Or

 

Do you peg it in, take it out and re seat it in the hole?

 

I find the later sits the tee in the ground firm enough for the ball, but lets it ping out rather than snap.

[EnnDub7]

Sounds silly - but how do you peg it?

 

Do you just peg it in?

 

Or

 

Do you peg it in, take it out and re seat it in the hole?

 

I find the later sits the tee in the ground firm enough for the ball, but lets it ping out rather than snap.

 

Man, you know what, this might just be the answer! The ground is really hard at the course I play most often, so this really could be it. I'm going out for a round in a couple of hours and will try this method. Thanks!

[McCann1]

Sounds silly - but how do you peg it?

 

Do you just peg it in?

 

Or

 

Do you peg it in, take it out and re seat it in the hole?

 

I find the later sits the tee in the ground firm enough for the ball, but lets it ping out rather than snap.

 

Man, you know what, this might just be the answer! The ground is really hard at the course I play most often, so this really could be it. I'm going out for a round in a couple of hours and will try this method. Thanks!

Let us know what happens. I'm very interested because I actually played a qualifier yesterday and noticed by around hole 15 or so that I had used the same wooden tee all day. It made it through all 18, par threes and all. Weird

[Tanner25]

Good question, I noticed my tees were half snapped off the last time out. In the meantime, use plastic or brush tees?

[TheInfidel]

Pros will drop down to pull the tee peg every time no matter what, even if it's snapped. Only Allenby leaves his tee peg in the ground for the group coming behind.

 

You'll see at tournaments there's usually a little tee graveyard off to one side.

 

Even on par 3s the pros will stick the edge of an iron into the back of the tee head and kick it out to make sure those using the teeing ground next don't have any. It's an etiquette thing.

[suprfli6]

Hard ground definitely causes more broken tees, and I'm betting the tee boxes the pros play are usually in better shape than what most of us are used to.

 

Also I believe the tour average is still around 1.5 degrees down on drivers, although the LPGA average is a few degrees up. So even though most pros are hitting slightly down on the ball they still don't always snap the tee.

[rcain1us]

I was a steep tee breaker for a long time, switched to the plastic Evolve-type tee.

 

Now the tees snaps out of the hole and lands about 5 yards behind me

[Socrates]

You have to remember that when you strike the ball it is deforming quite a lot. There is considerable force being put on the tee by the ball in that small amount of time. The firmer the tee is in the ground, the less likely the tee can withstand the force and it will snap. When I tee it up on hard surfaces (pretty common mid-summer) I will use a 1 7/8" tee so that it is barely in the ground. That leaves plenty of height for a driver. Failing that, like some have suggested, pull the tee out and re-tee it so that it isn't as tight.

 

BTW, tees are pretty crappy these days. Really hate the bamboo ones as they almost always are "one and done".

[joker2]

Isn't this where someone brings up the martini tee?

[SNIPERBBB]

Isn't this where someone brings up the martini tee?

 

Just say'in. ..

 

Brush tees are where its at.

[Socrates]

I have tried all of the tees (brush, martini, plastic, bamboo) and nothing holds a candle to the simplicity and ease of the generic wood tee with a round top. The Brush tee and the 4 More Yards tees are my least favorite.

[hankmoody]

Pros will drop down to pull the tee peg every time no matter what, even if it's snapped. Only Allenby leaves his tee peg in the ground for the group coming behind.

 

You'll see at tournaments there's usually a little tee graveyard off to one side.

 

Even on par 3s the pros will stick the edge of an iron into the back of the tee head and kick it out to make sure those using the teeing ground next don't have any. It's an etiquette thing.

 

Wish everyone would do this. I don't like hitting the top of a half-buried tee on a back or foreswing--distracting and could damage the bottom of the club.

[jhoppmann]

When on the range with driver, in order to not break tees, I will put the tee in the ground then wiggle it towards and away from the target a little bit. This gives the tee enough grip to hold up the ball but it will pop out without breaking.

[TheGulag]

Are the pro's still using wood tees? Or are they using the plastic tees that look like your traditional wood tee?

[EnnDub7]

So I tried the wiggle it method & that worked better & a couple of tees survived for a second go. I think as mentioned the hard tee box ground plays a large part in this. I might give plastic tees a go, if there are any decent ones.

[SNIPERBBB]

The white plastics with the blue or yellow bar do pretty good as far as being able to get into hard ground and durability.

[Socrates]

Pros will drop down to pull the tee peg every time no matter what, even if it's snapped. Only Allenby leaves his tee peg in the ground for the group coming behind.

 

You'll see at tournaments there's usually a little tee graveyard off to one side.

 

Even on par 3s the pros will stick the edge of an iron into the back of the tee head and kick it out to make sure those using the teeing ground next don't have any. It's an etiquette thing.

 

Wish everyone would do this. I don't like hitting the top of a half-buried tee on a back or foreswing--distracting and could damage the bottom of the club.

I second that. Last season I went to brush away a broken tee off the ground except it was still stuck in the ground. The sharp edge sliced right through my finger tip. Now I either use my club or pick them up.

[PapaJohick]

Martini tee for the win haha

[jjj912]

If I'm at all over the top, I break or crack the tee. You might want to verify that your fade is a fade and not a pull slice in disguise.

 

Hard ground is a factor, of course, but with every tee breaking, I'd be at least a little concern there's a lurking swing issue.

[EnnDub7]

If I'm at all over the top, I break or crack the tee. You might want to verify that your fade is a fade and not a pull slice in disguise.

 

Hard ground is a factor, of course, but with every tee breaking, I'd be at least a little concern there's a lurking swing issue.

 

No. My 'big miss' is a slice, my fade is a thing of beauty.

I'm going with hard ground and poor quality tees.

[starsail85]

Use a shorter wooden tee

[EnnDub7]

Use a shorter wooden tee

 

Yeah this is the answer I think

[Badgergolfer2]

Typically, you break the tee when you hit down on it. Personally, I always break the tee when Im hitting with an iron or hybrid but never break the tee with my fairway wood or driver.

[starsail85]

It's all about insertation depth , no pun intended

[Sean2]

Martini tee for the win haha

 

I use those and really like them. I've never had one break...other plastic tees eventually have...and it's so easy to tee up as the ball, doesn't ever fall off the tee. I use the short ones too.

[EnnDub7]

It's possible I'm hitting down slightly so I'll work on that too.

[PapaJohick]

Martini tee for the win haha

 

I use those and really like them. I've never had one break...other plastic tees eventually have...and it's so easy to tee up as the ball, doesn't ever fall off the tee. I use the short ones too.

 

I use them too haha. I love mine. Although my five pack have dwindled. Two broke (one was my fault for using it for an iron due to being lazy and not getting a new tee), and lost one and gave one away