Dealing with poor tee pads?

[Rastnav]

Two of the local courses have tees that are lacking. These are concrete pads that are narrow, short, and most problematic, most have washed out around the sides leaving them as tee "pedestals" rather than pads.

These courses are wooded with definite line requirements all the way from the tee to the green. As such, when the tee is aligned off from the line I need to throw, the walk/run up becomes quite a challenge. There just isn't a whole lot of room to change the line of the run up on the pad itself. Frequently the pedestal is completely revealed leaving a 4" to 6" step up from the sides of the pad.

My walk up is only two very measured steps, so I'm already doing what I can to deal with the shortness of the tee pad, but the width presents the biggest problem in terms of adjusting the line. One obvious answer is to just throw from a standstill, but much like Casey White, I have some issues throwing tee shots from a standstill.

Any words of wisdom from the collective crowd? Or thoughts on how to hit lines when throwing close to full power from a standstill?

 

[JuanA]

...One obvious answer is to just throw from a standstill, but much like Casey White, I have some issues throwing tee shots from a standstill.

Any words of wisdom from the collective crowd? Or thoughts on how to hit lines when throwing close to full power from a standstill?

Because of lower back issues, I throw mostly with a one step. I actually find that easier than a standstill.

Have you seen this clinic with Simon and Eagle? At the 11:08 point, Eagle talks about breaking down the door from a standstill. It's one of the videos that made that click for me. Good Luck!:

 

[Monocacy]

. . . One obvious answer is to just throw from a standstill, but much like Casey White, I have some issues throwing tee shots from a standstill.

Any words of wisdom from the collective crowd? Or thoughts on how to hit lines when throwing close to full power from a standstill?

I prefer to throw from a standstill when footing is sketchy, which is often on the fairway. Like anything else, standstill throwing improves with practice.

If you need a little more power, you can always try cocking your front leg like a baseball hitter. This can help initiate the weight shift (basically the last step of your X-step).

One other option if available is a run-up from directly behind the tee pad. Sometimes adding a few feet to the drive is better than rolling an ankle.

Good luck!

 

[ru4por]

I started playing in a day when cement pads were very few and were for years. They are a luxury, not a necessity. A lack of them does not represent a deficiency, just a different challenge. Embrace the challenge, take pride in the wins and take away determination from the failures. :clap:

Develop your standstill game. It will be needed for winter golf and is a great scramble tool.

Play from behind the tee.

That which challenges us, makes us better. :thmbup:

 

[Rastnav]

I started playing in a day when cement pads were very few and were for years. They are a luxury, not a necessity. A lack of them does not represent a deficiency, just a different challenge. Embrace the challenge, take pride in the wins and take away determination from the failures. :clap:

Just to be clear, I'd be happier if there was NOT a concrete tee pad. Some sort of gravel or packed earth would be way better! The problem is the existence of bad pads, not the absence of a pad altogether.

Play from behind the tee.

Hmmm, is the tee area an infinite rectangle extending the lines of the tee pad? But usually this isn't an option either, as a wooded course usually doesn't allow much in the way of space behind the tee either.

That which challenges us, makes us better. :thmbup:

Disc golf makes me better.

 

[ToddL]

Hmmm, is the tee area an infinite rectangle extending the lines of the tee pad? But usually this isn't an option either, as a wooded course usually doesn't allow much in the way of space behind the tee either.

In tournament play, the tee pad is the tee pad. There's no default relief provided.

A teeing area, or tee, is the area bounded by the edges of a tee pad, if provided. Otherwise, it is the area extending three meters perpendicularly behind the designated tee line. The tee line is the line at the front of the teeing area, or the line between the outside edges of two tee markers.

If there's a clear delineation between the "tee pad" and the surrounding area, and you can reasonably define the "edges", then you're forced to stay within that area. Concrete vs dirt. Turf vs grass. Painted rectangle. Hell, 4 flags or stakes to mark the corners.

 

[ru4por]

In tournament play, the tee pad is the tee pad. There's no default relief provided.

A teeing area, or tee, is the area bounded by the edges of a tee pad, if provided. Otherwise, it is the area extending three meters perpendicularly behind the designated tee line. The tee line is the line at the front of the teeing area, or the line between the outside edges of two tee markers.

If there's a clear delineation between the "tee pad" and the surrounding area, and you can reasonably define the "edges", then you're forced to stay within that area. Concrete vs dirt. Turf vs grass. Painted rectangle. Hell, 4 flags or stakes to mark the corners.

Yup. Of course, unless otherwise re designated by the TD in a players meeting. Usually for safety concerns.

I was addressing more casual play solutions, but good stuff, Todd.

 

[SoSunny]

My local courses struggle with sandy teepads/short teepads nothing you can do but take it as a more challenging hole. try to use all the area around as long as last foot is on pad. i struggle with stepping on raised teepads and sandy pads are dangerous. short pads are no fun but at least you have a course.

 

[ru4por]

My local courses struggle with sandy teepads/short teepads nothing you can do but take it as a more challenging hole. try to use all the area around as long as last foot is on pad. i struggle with stepping on raised teepads and sandy pads are dangerous. short pads are no fun but at least you have a course.

Sandy pads are resolved by carrying a broom, or getting a few out onto the course.

My first concern is always safety. That is why I recommend playing from any safe position, even if that means avoiding the pad altogether. Again, this is a recommendation for casual play.

 

[ray1970]

I was addressing more casual play solutions, but good stuff, Todd.

For casual play my normal group will deal with sketchy pads by agreeing to an alternate option, usually to one side or the other of the official pad. I figure for casual rounds it really doesn't matter as long as everyone tees off from the same spot.

I've almost gone face first off the side of a mountain slipping on sand on concrete pads. No bueno.

 

[SoSunny]

Sandy pads are resolved by carrying a broom, or getting a few out onto the course.

My first concern is always safety. That is why I recommend playing from any safe position, even if that means avoiding the pad altogether. Again, this is a recommendation for casual play.

i will not be carrying a broom but hopefully you do ha my local course just got redone and every tee "had" a broom. quickly disappeared as its a local course any idiot can destroy. when i played sidearm tee size never came to mind now im bh dominate its a big concern. i dont think people who design most courses think about style of player and tee size. would be nice if every hole had a long wide pad or no pad with a marker.

 

[SoSunny]

usually a faster than you would normally use understable disc is recommended for this situation

 

[ru4por]

i will not be carrying a broom but hopefully you do ha my local course just got redone and every tee "had" a broom. quickly disappeared as its a local course any idiot can destroy. when i played sidearm tee size never came to mind now im bh dominate its a big concern. i dont think people who design most courses think about style of player and tee size. would be nice if every hole had a long wide pad or no pad with a marker.

My crew generally carry a broom on any course that has sand as an issue. Old guys with carts are good like that, plus we use carts most of the time...easier to tote a broom or shovel around. Someone has to be the steward of the game. Same with snow shovels in the winter.

Usually, I find the ones complaining the loudest about snowy pads, never have any interest in doing the shoveling.

Yeah, sadly putting out brooms in a public, well used park, rarely ends well.

 

[Dingus]

These courses are wooded with definite line requirements all the way from the tee to the green. As such, when the tee is aligned off from the line I need to throw, the walk/run up becomes quite a challenge. There just isn't a whole lot of room to change the line of the run up on the pad itself. Frequently the pedestal is completely revealed leaving a 4" to 6" step up from the sides of the pad.

This is my nemesis. I am programmed to throw straight off the edge of the teepad. No matter how much I try, I almost always end up throwing the way the pad is aligned. If the pad is lined up even 15 degrees off the fairway it is trouble for me.

 

[Rastnav]

This is my nemesis. I am programmed to throw straight off the edge of the teepad. No matter how much I try, I almost always end up throwing the way the pad is aligned. If the pad is lined up even 15 degrees off the fairway it is trouble for me.

This is exactly what I'm struggling with. If I had a decent way to walk up on line, it'd be much easier to "re-align".

But, such is life.

 

[BillFleming]

This is exactly what I'm struggling with. If I had a decent way to walk up on line, it'd be much easier to "re-align".

But, such is life.

This is one thing I like ball golf for. You can use alignment aids - you have to remove them before you swing, but they can be used.

For example, I can put a tee behind my ball pointing down the line I want to hit. I can also put a club or alignment stick on the ground to show where I need to line up my feet. Once I take my stance, I MUST remove the alignment aids...but disc golf doesn't allow the use of alignment aids.

((for full truthfulness...that is for 'artificial' alignment aids. You can line your ball golf shot up with a spot of dirt, divot, grass blade, anything that already exists on the course and not have to move it as you didn't place it there for that purpose))