This is installment number seven of Hooked On Golf Blog’s “Tee Week.”
A-BALANCE Golf Tees
A-BALANCE Golf Tees started in 2006. They make a very unique, three piece golf tee designed to suppress friction and increase distance and accuracy.
Three Piece Construction
The first piece is the base of the tee. This is similar to a standard golf tee, the part which sticks into the ground. There’s a lip which stops the tee from going into the ground past a certain point. This lip helps you to tee the ball up at exactly the same height every time.
The 2nd piece is connected to the top of the shaft and is called the “stem.” The stem is a flexible piece which the third piece, the “crown” attaches to. The stem bends toward the target at impact and the crown slides down the stem.
The crown (3rd piece) really does look like a crown. There are four spherical pegs on top of the crown which the ball rests on, similar to the Zero Friction tee. These pegs are at the end of flexible forks. As I mentioned, at impact the crown bends toward the target and then slides down the stem.
Colors
The A-BALANCE tee is available in 6 colors, all with white shafts. My favorite is red. If you want a custom logo or artwork, that can be screened on the crown. I’ve seen these same tees with the Mizuno logo on them.
Models
As of now I’ve only found one model to be available, which is for drivers. Total Length: 3″ 1/8 (8cm), Top (Crown) : 1″ 7/16 (3.7cm). I could imagine them coming out with a medium length version of this tee but I doubt a tee for irons would be possible.
On The Course
I haven’t been a believer that any tee can really make that big of a difference but this might be one of the few that really does. I’m very impressed with the results of my drives with the A-BALANCE golf tees. My drives seem to launch a little bit higher and go a bit straighter. They also seem a bit easier to hit. Perhaps this is just because the A-BALANCE tees it up a tiny bit higher than I’m used to teeing it and the ball is hitting in the top half of the driver face, producing less spin.
I also really like the fact that I can tee it up the same height every time. If I need to tee one really low, to play some kind of special shot like a low power-fade, I need a standard tee though.
I’ve given a few of these out to my golfing buddies. One buddy likes to tee his driver really low, about as high as I tee my fairway woods. He can’t really use the A-BALANCE. He’s the only one who hasn’t raved about these tees though. My other buddies love these tees and are begging me for more.
Durability
A-BALANCE touts durability. These tees are definitely more durable than any wood tee, most plastic tees, or any biodegradable tee I’ve used. But they’re not indestructible. I find I break one in about 18-27 holes.
Critiques
One issue I have with any “premium” tee is having to search for it. When you hit a drive and the tee flies you spend a long time searching for it. At roughly $3.00/tee you’ll spend almost as much time looking for one of these as you would when you lose a ProV in the weeds.
An advantage wooden tees has over any plastic tee would be the marks they leave on your driver. I like to see the impact marks on the face of the driver and also the lines the paint leaves on the bottom of the club head. Those lines can tell you about your swing. Plastic tees don’t leave these marks.
Another advantage with standard tees is the ability to tee it up at varying levels.
Conclusion
I highly recommend the A-BALANCE golf tees.
I’ve tried many different kinds of tees from brushes to funky spring loaded high tech plastic ones. The A-BALANCE is one of the only ones that really DOES make a difference in my game. I gain distance, accuracy and a higher trajectory when using my A-BALANCE tees. I don’t have to think about tee height and I can just walk up and hit it with confidence. I probably wouldn’t use these in windy conditions though as I’d need to tee it way lower than the A-BALANCE does.
For more images of A-BALANCE golf tees, visit Hooked On Golf Blog’s A-BALANCE Gallery.
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