TomTuckerGolf.com

Golf Tips Newsletter
Issue 905 - Wednesday January 28, 2026
Website     Newsletters Archive

 
USGTF Class "A" Teaching Professional
WGTF "Top 100" Teacher
IGPA Certified Golf Psychology Coach


 

Master The Motion Before You Master The Shot.

"Everybody can get better on 15 minutes per day."
Peter Cowen, Renowned Golf Coach
"You can even get better on 5 minutes per day."
Tom Tucker, Unrenowned Golf Coach 😄

Tom's Featured Tip: Determine The Best Tee Boxes For your Game


Lesson Comments: What Students Have To Say
Sponsors & Affiliates:

Batavia Country Club
The Divot Board Check out their new turf mats, I think they copied what I did - but in a better way!
Fiberbuilt Golf Flight Deck Practice Station
The Rypstick
SuperSpeedGolf.com
Club Champion




Buying a sponsored product through any of my affiliate links helps support this free newsletter, and I only affiliate with excellent products that I use myself.  Thanks, Tom




Buy Gift Certificates for Lessons   Sample Gift Certificate

Outdoor Golf lessons are available at The Batavia Country Club. Please call me (Tom Tucker) at 716 474 3005, email me at TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com, or visit my website at   http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/lessonrates.html   for details.

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Determine The Best Tee Boxes For your Game




The Best Training Aid For Indoor or Outdoor Practice

The Divot Board


This is the most useful ball striking development training aid that I own.
Don't have one yet? What's holding you back
Click here to buy your Divot Board for outstanding Ball-Striking practice. and check out their new turf mats, I think they copied what I did - but in a better way!




Determine The Best Tee Boxes For your Game

For simplicity, all advice on actual swings or drills is provided from a right handed perspective.


I've written often about swing speed training - Newsletter Issue 805: Increasing Your Swing Speed to increase your driving distance, and thus make your approach shots shorter, which should lead to lower scores.

I must caution that trying to build up your swing speed without strengthening your body for the stress involved is a recipe for injury.

Here's a great book I'm currently reading STRONGER: The Untold Story of Muscle in Our Lives by Michael Joseph Gross that will absolutely convince you of the benefits of making yourself stronger for golf as well as for life. Read it, you'll like it.

Your playing goal should be to maximize your distance so that you can reach par fours with at least a mid iron on your approach shots.

If you haven't done any swing speed training, if you are adverse to it, or if you have maxed out your distance but still can't reach most par fours with a mid iron, you have options.
  • One excellent option is to add some hybrids to your bag.
  • Another excellent option is to play from the correct tees for your swing speed and/or your physical condition.
For many players, that may take some ego swallowing if you are used to playing from the longer tees with your buddies, but just not scoring as well as you used to, or not enjoying the game as much as you used to.

Think of it this way - even on Tour, the Champions Tour (age 50 and older) play from tees that are much shorter than the regular tour plays. Of course there are exceptions like Phil Mickelson, who at age 52 could still compete on both the senior and regular tour (LIV affiliation notwithstanding) because he has maintained great swing speed as he's aged.

But Phil and a few others like him are outliers. Most of us would be wiser to determine which tee box distance we should play, then do it.

You could have the greatest technique in the world, but if your body isn't conditioned to execute your technique with sufficient speed for the tee boxes you want to play, you'll just be raking leaves in the wind if you stay at that yardage.

Here are two accurate ways to determine the correct tee box yardage that you should play.
  1. Take your average 5-iron carry distance (be honest!), multiply by 36, and choose the tees that most closely match that yardage. Here are 2 examples.

    Example 1: You hit your 5-iron 150 yards. So 150 times 36 equals 5,400. Choose the tees closest to 5,400 yards in length.

    Example 2: You hit your 5-iron 180 yards. So 180 times 36 equals 6,480. Choose the tees closest to 6,480 yards in length.

  2. Use this chart to determine your recommended tee box distance


I used each method to calculate my own recommended tee box distance, and each formula gave me the same tee box yardage result. It happens to fall one tee box shorter than I play with my younger weekend playing partners.

I'll probably stick to the same tee boxes with my weekend foursome because I'm still competitive from that distance with them - but when I travel I'll play at around 6,000 yards. I'll also continue to try to build up some more swing speed.

Set yourself up for more success and more enjoyment by playing from the correct tee box, and perhaps even adding a hybrid or two to your bag while you're at it.

My bag is full of them 😄

Try it, you'll really like it!




Email Comments: to TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com

"Clear Intentions Simplify Execution"
Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer, The Stack and Tilt Swing

Love your practice, own your swing, own your health, and remember that golf is a game of discovery. Don't be afraid to experiment when you practice, it's good for your golfing brain.

Tom




Golf Lessons

I conduct lessons at The Batavia Country Club

Lessons are available for all ages and skill levels, please contact
me - Tom Tucker - at (716) 474 3005 or email me at TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com
for more information.

Outdoor Lessons Details and Rates:
Outdoor Lessons Details and Rates


Testimonials:
http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/testimonials.html


Sponsors and Affiliates

Buying a sponsored product through any of my affiliate links helps support this free newsletter, and I only affiliate with excellent products that I use myself.  Thanks, Tom




Batavia Country Club   (585) 343-7600   www.bataviacc.com
Great rates, the best greens in WNY.
Golf Digest Four Star rating for public courses to play in New York State.
Tee times online or by phone in season.




Click here to buy your Divot Board to drastically improve your ball-striking. Combine your Divot Board practice and putting practice with the included putting lesson drills, and watch your scoring improve1. And make sure to check out their new turf mats, I think they copied what I did - but in a better way!


Use your club or hand to re-set the board after your strike
Click here to buy now for outstanding Ball-Striking practice feedback

BONUS: when you buy through the newsletter link above, you'll also receive free access to my Putting Lesson Videos ($60 value) which cover: The Elevated Aimline Drill, The Squareness Awareness Drill, The Aimline Accuracy Drill, The Stock Putting Stroke Drill, The Barrier Drill, The Short Putt Channel Drill, and more.




Click here to buy your Fiberbuilt Golf Flight Deck Practice Station. (Editor's note: Order through Amazon Prime instead of through the manufacturer's site and you'll save around $100)

If you are looking for the most robust portable hitting station that money can buy, the Fiberbuilt Golf Flight Deck Practice Station fits the bill.

It comes with a 300,000 shot guarantee, most other mats are usually in the 50,000 range. I use one at all of my range lessons and am more than happy with it. If you are serious about home practice, get one, you won't regret it.




Click here
SuperSpeedGolf.com to buy this swing speed training aid and increase your distance off the tee.


SuperSpeedGolf.com Buy now and get to work on increasing your swing speed now.




Club Champion Don't waste another dollar on clubs until you've gone through a fitting at Club Champion, 1669 Pittsford Victor Rd., Suite 400, Victor NY 14564. Call Master Fitter & Builder Jeff St. John. PGA work: (585) 978-8513, cell: (585) 831-2292 to schedule your fitting today1 Mention my name and you'll get special attention.




Train with a Rypstick to improve your swing speed and gain more distance off the tee. If the versatility of three different swing weights in one club appeals to you, this is your swing speed training aid of choice.


Click here Rypstick.com to buy now, and make sure that you enter TOMTUCKERGOLF (case sensitive) in the Discount code box when you check out to receive a 5% discount.




All the best,

Tom Tucker
Teaching Professional, Batavia Country Club
WGTF ' "Top 100 Golf Teacher"
USGTF Class "A" Teaching Professional
IGPA Certified Golf Psychology Coach
Cell: (716) 474-3005
Email: TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com
http://www.TomTuckerGolf.com

"There are no substitutes in the quest for perfection1"
~ Ben Hogan