So…a tee is a tee, right?

That’s what I always thought, anyway. Of course, I was forever scrounging around in my bag trying to find a new one on each hole, especially with the way that today’s toaster-sized drivers shatter wooden tees.

Then I found Zero Friction Tees.

When a bag of 50 of these tees found their way to my desk, I immediately placed them in the “gimmick” box. Sure, their three-pronged heads might cut down on friction between the ball and the tee, but come on, how much could that affect an average Joe like me?

A week later, I grabbed three of the tees and headed out to the practice range, where I soon discovered the best thing about the Zero Friction Tee: They almost never break!

Seriously.

I put those three tees in my golf bag and played a dozen rounds with one of them. I gave the other two away, and weeks later each of the guys I gave them to was still playing his single tee.

Naturally, I had to write about these things. No more breaking tees! No more bumming extra long tees like cigarettes from other golfers.

But still. Can they produce longer drives?

Apparently so, for some folks, anyway. At the 2006 Re/Max World Long Drive Championships, which Zero Friction sponsors, all the major division winners used the tees.

The Men’s Open Champ busted a 389-yard drive in Open Qualifying, the longest of the entire competition. The Ladies’ Champ smacked a 326-yard 13-inch beauty to win. In both the Super Senior and Senior Divisions, Zero Friction Golf Tees were used to grab first place. Hell, even the winners of the Celebrity Long Drive Championship both used the darn things.

Now, the folks at Re/Max keep pretty tight lock on the results of the event until after December 24, when it airs at 2:30pm EST on ESPN, but I’ve got it on pretty good authority that … What? If I ever want to sell my house for more than the price of a used persimmon wood, I’d better shut my yap?

Oh, I see. Well, then. I will avoid friction, too, and just advise you to watch for yourself. And keep an eye open for those goofy-looking tees.

Zero Friction Tees look gimicky, but work great and last forever.

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