Coaching
Club Fitting
Simulator Hire
Golf shops offer a wide variety of tees, with different heights, colors, and materials to choose from. But for the average club golfer, the question remains: which one is the best? The options include plastic tees, plastic tees with soft rubber tops, and plastic tees with aerodynamic designs that claim to help the ball travel farther. Many golfers, however, prefer wooden tees, as they are more environmentally friendly and less likely to damage the greenkeeping equipment.
Now, how high should you tee up your driver? The answer is pretty straightforward. The middle of the golf ball should be positioned about halfway above the top edge of the clubface. This typically places the ball around 1.5 inches off the ground. If you tee the ball too high, you risk the clubhead passing underneath the ball, leading to a sky-high shot. If the tee is too low, you might hit the ground or produce a low, weak shot that doesn't carry as far.
The goal of setting the right tee height is to optimize the launch angle of the driver. With the driver, you want to hit the ball on an upward arc, but that doesn’t mean trying to scoop the ball into the air. Instead, the ball position and tee height allow the low point of your swing arc to shift backwards so that you strike the ball on the upward side of that arc. Think of your swing arc like the pendulum of a grandfather clock—hitting the ball on the upward swing will help maximize both distance and launch angle. A higher tee is ideal for reducing side spin, which can help prevent that nasty slice we all try to avoid.
In some situations, a lower tee can help keep the ball flight lower, but be cautious about swinging too much down on the ball, as that can add side spin and, again, create that dreaded slice. If you tend to strike the ball higher on the clubface, a lower tee may help. Conversely, if you tend to hit it lower on the face, raising the tee height might be more beneficial.
A good tip is to pay attention to where you strike the ball on the clubface after each shot. By regularly checking this, you can identify your tendencies and adjust the tee height accordingly.
To take the guesswork out of tee height, there are now color-coded tees available in various sizes. For most weekend or club golfers, a blue tee is ideal for getting the ball in the right position. If you want to tee the ball higher, move to a yellow tee, and if you're looking for a lower tee height, choose the white one. These tees are affordable, easy to use, and environmentally friendly—just be sure to pick up any broken plastic tees and dispose of them properly.
If you're ever in doubt, feel free to reach out for more advice!
