3 wood off the deck beats off a tee for me, am I broken lol

[BackNine_Bob]

So this has been bugging me for like a month now. Every range session I tee up my 3 wood, and it's a low line drive that goes nowhere. But drop a ball on the turf, no tee, and I'm puring it 240 with a little baby draw. What the heck.

I actually tested it today. Hit 10 off a tee, hit 10 off the deck. Tee shots averaged maybe 205 with a garbage trajectory. Deck shots were 235-245 and felt like butter. Same swing (I think?), same ball, same everything.

My only theory is that when I tee it up I subconsciously try to help it up in the air and end up hitting down on it or catching it thin. Off the deck I just sweep it and trust it. Anyone else deal with this? Or am I just a headcase who's about to start teeing off with a 3 wood from the fairway like a maniac.

Honestly thinking about just hitting driver less and going 3 wood off the deck on par 4s under 400. Sounds insane but the numbers don't lie.

[HoleInOne_Holly]

Your theory is half right but I don't think it's subconscious, I think it's mechanical. When you tee it up you're almost certainly teeing it too high. Even a quarter inch changes everything. The ball sits above the turf, your low point stays where it always was, and now you catch it high on the face or thin depending on how you release it. Off the deck the ball is sitting on grass and your brain just finds the right low point on its own. That's why it feels effortless.

Try this next range session: tee it as low as you can. Barely poking out of the ground, just enough to give you a clean lie. Half the ball basically below the grass line. I bet the numbers even out within five swings.

I had this exact problem with my 5 wood two seasons ago. Low liners off the tee, absolute missiles off the deck. Turned out I was teeing it up maybe half an inch because it felt "right" in my hands. Dropped it to ground level and never thought about it again.

On the 3 wood off the deck on short par 4s thing, I've done it. My home course has a 380 yard par 4 with a tight chute of trees, driver brings trouble into play that I can't reach anyway, so 3 wood to 240 leaves me a wedge. It works great. Only catch is you need a decent lie to sweep it, and real fairway grass is never as clean as range turf. Wet morning rough and that shot gets a lot less fun.

What's your miss off the tee, thin or high on the face? That'll tell you whether it's tee height or a flip.

[PuttMaster]

Man, Holly's tee height thing just clicked for me. I've been teeing my 3 wood up like a driver for years and wondering why it always felt like garbage. Never even thought about it. Gonna try the ground-level tee next range session.

Also that par 4 strategy is tempting. My home course has a couple short par 4s where driver is just asking for trouble. But does it actually work from the fairway? Like off a tight lie? I feel like I'd chunk it half the time.

And Holly what were you gonna say at the end there? "Only..." Only what? Don't leave me hanging lol.

[sophie_bakes]

wait I've never heard of the tee height thing being THAT dramatic. like half an inch changes everything?? I mean I get it in theory but I've always teed my 3 wood barely off the ground and I still get the low liners off the tee but pure it off the deck. so maybe tee height isn't the whole story for everyone? not saying Holly's wrong I'm just saying I think mine is ball position. pretty sure when I tee it up the ball creeps forward in my stance without me noticing and then I catch it on the way up. idk maybe I'm overthinking it.

PuttMaster I actually tried the 3 wood off the deck on a tight fairway lie last weekend and I'm gonna be honest, I chunked the absolute crap out of it twice. third one was fine but like. my confidence is shot lol. ngl I'm worried I'm just gonna start chunking every fairway wood shot now. does anyone actually do this on a regular basis or is it just a range fantasy