At Manele Golf Course on Lanai, we have several holes that test tee shots, but none more intriguing than No. 17, which requires your ball to carry a deep chasm and find a fairway that slants to the right. But no matter the hole, there are two things golfers should always do to maximize distance off the tee:
Because many of today’s drivers have a deep face, a good rule of thumb is to tee the ball up so half of it shows above the top edge of the clubface. This helps catch the ball just above the center of the face and reduce spin. Catching it too low on the face causes the ball to spin too much and lose distance.
Position the ball just inside your front foot. This allows for the best launch angle because the driver will contact the ball just as it begins the upswing. Hitting down on the ball with your driver causes a loss of distance.
Scott Ashworth, PGA, is director of golf at Four Seasons Resort Lanai and the incoming District 11 director for the PGA of America representing the Aloha, Northern California and Southern California sections.
