The peak of the tee is only one huge issue that gamers want to concentrate to at this 12 months’s Open Championship.
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Welcome to Shaving Strokes, a GOLF.com sequence during which we’re sharing enhancements, learnings and takeaways from beginner golfers identical to you — together with among the velocity bumps and challenges they confronted alongside the best way.
One thing so simple as tee peak won’t trigger a lot anxiousness for you or me on the golf course, however on the 2024 Open Championship, it could possibly 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 purpose, each single resolution (huge and small) will probably be pivotal over the following few days.
Open Championship bunkers are robust. Right here’s tips on how to conquer them
With circumstances anticipated to be moist and wet with a gradual wind, how a participant tees it up will assist decide their ball flight. Ought to they hold it increased within the air, it might be impacted by the climate and result in a tough second shot. However tee it decrease, and the ball might keep away from a lot of the nasty climate, resulting in extra fairways hit — and the power to remain aggressive on method photographs.
So how vital is tee peak on the Open Championship? GOLF Prime 100 Trainer David Woods explains beneath, and says the gamers who keep away from the temptation to attempt to bomb it with their driver could possibly be those seeing the most success at Royal Troon.
How tee peak will impression this 12 months’s Open Championship
Now that the 152nd Open Championship is underway, anybody watching the primary spherical understands how tough a check Royal Troon is. The course has eaten gamers up, with most of the high selections to win the event capturing means over par on Thursday.
However the course isn’t the one tough half, because the climate in Scotland is notoriously unpredictable, throwing a mixture of wind, rain and sunshine at gamers — which makes it even more durable 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 12 months’s last main championship? Numerous persistence, because the winner should navigate the weather and keep away from lethal bunkers.
That’s why hitting fairways at Royal Troon is much more vital than different locations — and all of it begins with a participant’s tee peak.
The Open Championship course is at all times totally different from others that these gamers often compete on every week. As a substitute of teeing it excessive and flexing their muscle tissues with the driving force, doing the other could also be one of the best technique this week.
As an example, Rory McIlroy spoke earlier this week about two forms of tee photographs that he tends to make use of.
The primary is a excessive towering bomb, the place he tees the ball barely increased and maintains a good quantity of proper facet bend in his downswing — which permits 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 various sort of drive, he retains each his proper facet and proper hip increased through the downswing, which helps him “cowl the ball” — which successfully reduces his angle of assault.
Whereas such a tee shot might journey decrease and shorter with extra spin, it additionally provides McIlroy a higher feeling of management to search out extra fairways — which is particularly vital on the Open Championship so as 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 stunning seven-over 78). Whether or not it was resulting from unhealthy decision-making, poor execution, or just a little little bit of each, he’ll should regroup heading into Spherical 2 on Friday.
Regardless of McIlroy’s struggles, different gamers have been in a position to efficiently alter 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 a lot of this through the subsequent few days.
In truth, 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 can be sensible to observe an analogous sport plan this week.
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