The peak of the tee is only one massive issue that gamers want to concentrate to at this yr’s Open Championship.
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Welcome to Shaving Strokes, a GOLF.com collection during which we’re sharing enhancements, learnings and takeaways from novice golfers identical to you — together with a few of the pace bumps and challenges they confronted alongside the way in which.
One thing so simple as tee peak may not trigger a lot nervousness for you or me on the golf course, however on the 2024 Open Championship, it might be the distinction between hoisting the Claret Jug and never.
Certain, there are many elements that gamers might want to take care of — with the unpredictable climate being amongst crucial, in addition to the deadly bunkers — however for that cause, each single determination (massive and small) might be pivotal over the subsequent few days.
Open Championship bunkers are robust. Right here’s find out how to conquer them
With circumstances anticipated to be moist and wet with a gentle wind, how a participant tees it up will assist decide their ball flight. Ought to they hold it greater within the air, it could be impacted by the climate and result in a troublesome second shot. However tee it decrease, and the ball could keep away from a lot of the nasty climate, resulting in extra fairways hit — and the flexibility to remain aggressive on method photographs.
So how necessary is tee peak on the Open Championship? GOLF Prime 100 Trainer David Woods explains under, and says the gamers who keep away from the temptation to try to bomb it with their driver might be those seeing the most success at Royal Troon.
How tee peak will impression this yr’s Open Championship
Now that the 152nd Open Championship is underway, anybody watching the primary spherical understands how troublesome a check Royal Troon is. The course has eaten gamers up, with most of the prime selections to win the match capturing means over par on Thursday.
However the course isn’t the one troublesome half, because the climate in Scotland is notoriously unpredictable, throwing a mixture of wind, rain and sunshine at gamers — which makes it even tougher to get right into a groove throughout a spherical.
The ‘shock’ enemy behind Rory McIlroy’s Open Championship head-scratcher
So what’s it going to take to win this yr’s ultimate main championship? A number of endurance, because the winner should navigate the weather and keep away from lethal bunkers.
That’s why hitting fairways at Royal Troon is much more necessary than different locations — and all of it begins with a participant’s tee peak.
The Open Championship course is all the time totally different from others that these gamers normally compete on every week. As an alternative of teeing it excessive and flexing their muscular tissues with the driving force, doing the alternative could also be the most effective technique this week.
As an example, Rory McIlroy spoke earlier this week about two kinds of tee photographs that he tends to make use of.
The primary is a excessive towering bomb, the place he tees the ball barely greater and maintains a good quantity of proper aspect bend in his downswing — which allows him to hit up on the ball for a excessive launch angle and low-spinning bomb.
However the second sort of tee shot is extra of a fairway finder, the place he makes use of a decrease tee peak. When utilizing this different sort of drive, he retains each his proper aspect and proper hip greater throughout the downswing, which helps him “cowl the ball” — which successfully reduces his angle of assault.
Whereas this kind of tee shot could journey decrease and shorter with extra spin, it additionally provides McIlroy a better feeling of management to seek out extra fairways — which is particularly necessary on the Open Championship with a view to keep away from the blustery circumstances.
Tyrrell Hatton made 16 pars. Then he complained concerning the course
Sadly, McIlroy struggled in Spherical 1 (capturing a shocking seven-over 78). Whether or not it was as a consequence of unhealthy decision-making, poor execution, or a bit of little bit of each, he’ll should regroup heading into Spherical 2 on Friday.
Regardless of McIlroy’s struggles, different gamers had been capable of efficiently modify their tee peak and ball-striking technique on Thursday — like Shane Lowry and Justin Thomas, who’re each close to the highest of the leaderboard. So count on to see plenty of this throughout the subsequent few days.
Actually, I vividly keep in mind Henrik Stenson hitting low-trapped 3-woods at Royal Troon in 2016 to edge Phil Mickelson for the Open Championship. As they are saying, imitation is the sincerest type of flattery — so gamers could be clever to comply with an analogous recreation plan this week.
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