LPGA Class A Teacher, Kathy Nyman, walks you through how to determine what tees you should be playing on the course. If you want to have fun, you should play the tees that are appropriate in relation to how far you drive the ball off the tee.
Many people think they know how far they hit their tee shot, but do they know what tees they should be playing from? According to the USGA, their recommendation is to multiply their average tee shot by 28 to get the total yardage. Then you can look on the scorecard to match that distance with a tee.
The easiest way to find out your average driving distance is to use a gps that can measure exactly from one point to the other the total distance traveled. The Gold Buddy Voice 2 is perfect for this simple test. To get a true driving distance, you need to measure on the golf course instead of a driving range, using the ball you play instead of range balls.
Step by step on how to measure your driving distance:
After you hit your drive and from the spot where you hit the ball,
1. Short press the P on the side of the Golf Buddy (if you press and hold, you will get the time)
2. After you press the P, press and hold the main button on the front of the Golf Buddy
3. Walk or drive to your ball
4. As you walk to your ball, you can see the numbers change (this is helpful if you want to measure multiple drives)
5. When you get to your ball, you can look at the device or press the P again and it will verbally tell you the distance.
Once you press the main button again, it will give you the distance to the middle of the green.
I recommend playing an entire 18 holes and measure each tee shot so that you can get an accurate average distance. You may in turn learn a bit more about your game. Once you know how far you hit each of your shots, you can better choose the right clubs to play.
Kathy Nyman is an LPGA Class A Teaching Professional at Deercreek Country Club in Jacksoville, FL. She is also a Certified US Kids Instructor.
