It's only an extra 450 yards

[Esox]

I've played pretty well my last six rounds from the "blue" tees at my home course. They play about 6,500 yards. I've been hitting 10-12 fairways with the 907D1 I bought in June and knocking it out there 255-270 resulting in a fair number of 9-SW approaches on the par fours.

After a 76 yesterday I decided to play from the "blacks" at 6,950. I was pumped for today. The weather was perfect.

So what happens? Through 12 holes I cannot get off the tee. Too high, too much fade, off the toe, a couple hooks, you name it. On the par five 12th, while watching my 11 year old daughter trying so hard to load the club at the top (she's looping and waving the club head around) so she can hit the ball hard up the hill, I realize how badly I'm over swinging with the driver.

I was probably whirling that thing around at the top reaching for a little more. I settled back down, swung with balance, and smashed four of the last five drivers right down the pipe. I think because it "looks" so much farther from the tee to my normal landing areas from the tips, that I subconsciously started reaching back and looking for a little more. It threw my whole game off. Ended with an 84 with four doubles.

Lesson learned today. I'll be back playing the tips next weekend, this time trying to swing exactly how I do from the "blue" tees. What should really change? Just swing the driver the same way, and instead of 9-SW approaches I should be hitting a couple more 6-8 irons. Hit a hybrid or two from where the mid-irons are needed from the blues.

Anybody else think that the visual aspect of looking toward the green from the tips messes with your mind? Makes you subconciously reach back for a little more which then starts to ruin your swing? Even though if you look at the card hole by hole, that extra 20-25 yards per hole is not the big of a deal. Hell, where I play two of the par fives are like 50-60 yards longer each which eats up 25% of the difference in the totals for the two sets of tees. The extra yardage should not make the course that much harder physically, yet I let it get to me.

It was kind of a bummer, and I even dropped a few F bombs in front of my daughter.

Kevin

[JEFF4i]

Honestly I say, especially if you play from one track more than others, switch up what tees you're using.

At my home course I use 3 different sets. Good for the game, so don't pretend it's longer, it's only different.

[FATC1TY]

I'm new so I play from the whites, since we have the gold, blue and white, then the red for the chicks...

My other course, has black, blue, white, green, red..

I usually do the whites everywhere..

Saturday, I was playing alone, and tried the blues.. Shot my best score yet..

Kinda ironic.

[mddubya]

When I play from the tips at my home course it looks like a completely different course. But I look at it like, it's taking almost all the hazards out of play for me,

[DrivetheGreen66]

I play tips everywhere unless it is a tournament. I can see how you are thinking cause I think i did that a little in freshman year of high school because I was used to playing the whites on my home course then we were moved back to the blues

[chemboy2]

I feel your pain as I'm transitioning from white to blue myself. It is crazy how things get in your head.

Good job settling yourself down and finishing strong!

[ClairefromClare]

I'm new so I play from the whites, since we have the gold, blue and white, then the red for the chicks...

No, no, no, no, no. Your tee color should be based on your handicap, not on your chromosomes. Geez, I just wish they'd post signs:

If your handicap is Play from this tee
30 or higher Red
20-30 Gold
10-20 White
0-10 Blue

Okay, columns won't format. But you get the idea

It fries me when guys who play 18 holes at 120+ insist on teeing it up from the whites.

[chemboy2]

No, no, no, no, no. Your tee color should be based on your handicap, not on your chromosomes. Geez, I just wish they'd post signs:

If your handicap is Play from this tee
30 or higher Red
20-30 Gold
10-20 White
0-10 Blue

Okay, columns won't format. But you get the idea

It fries me when guys who play 18 holes at 120+ insist on teeing it up from the whites.

I couldn't agree more and even worse than 120+ guys on whites is when their egos get them on blues!!

[Skiddlydiddly]

It fries me when guys who play 18 holes at 120+ insist on teeing it up from the whites.

That's me right there. And I get around in 2 1/2 hours usually, if I'm by myself.

[JEFF4i]

No, no, no, no, no. Your tee color should be based on your handicap, not on your chromosomes. Geez, I just wish they'd post signs:

If your handicap is Play from this tee
30 or higher Red
20-30 Gold
10-20 White
0-10 Blue

Okay, columns won't format. But you get the idea

It fries me when guys who play 18 holes at 120+ insist on teeing it up from the whites.

Shoot even I'll play whites, golds, and blues at my course! Gold being the tips. Why? Well, the thing is, I play about 5 times a week across 3-4 courses. So I see the same course quite a bit. To keep things from getting too monotonous, I'll switch up tees. Makes me think about the shot ahead of me more, since I most likely haven't seen it in at least a few weeks.

[JasonMacIsaac]

If you want to do well in tourneys I suggest playing from the tips, then when the tourney starts everything seems easier and shorter. I create my own tee's on the golf course because it is only 5800. I make it about 6000 par 68.