This is probably something you’ve never really thought of before but it’s something that can have a big impact on your drives. In this post, I’m going to be showing you the proper tee height you should be using with your driver.
Long story short, if you want to get the most distance and the least spin possible then you’ll want to use a higher tee. Using a two and three-quarter inch tee will most likely give you the best results. When I used a smaller tee my drives were lower, had more spin, and resulted in the lowest distance. Teeing it up high gave me the best results.
If you have your tee a bit higher then you’ll really have to make sure you make good contact. If you don’t hit up on the ball then you might sky shot it so you might need to work on your swing a bit. Continue reading for the full details on watch the video below.
How Tee Height Affects Launch Angle
The height on your tee will play a big role in where you actually make contact with the ball. If you want to get the best shot possible then you’ll have to hit the ball on the upswing. With an iron, you’ll hit the ball on the downswing but it’s the opposite with your driver.
If the ball is teed up too low then it’ll be pretty tough to hit it on the upswing. You’ll probably end up sweeping the ball or hitting down on it. You’ll probably end up with an ugly shot so that’s something we don’t want to do. The most common thing to happen here would be hitting the ground first or topping the ball and having it roll 20 yards.
If you have the ball sitting up a bit then it’ll be way easier to launch it up in the air. When you hit up on the ball then you’ll most likely get a higher shot with less spin. Higher flights and less spin will result in increased distance.
This will be something you have to work on a bit because it’ll probably be different than you’re used to. A lot of the time when someone tries to hit up on the ball they’ll miss it completely (and yes, I’ve done it). I like having 60% of my weight on the back foot. Give it a try and see how it works for you.
How Tee Height Affects Spin
The next thing that your tee height will affect is the spin on the ball. Some beginner players need some extra spin to get solid distance on their shots but it’s not really something you want. Spin will give you those big slices and nasty hooks.
If you have your tee too low then it’ll be hard to hit the ball on the upswing and you’ll most likely sweep it or hit down on the ball. If you hit the ball on your downswing then that’s where you’ll get a big slice or hook. I think that’s what a lot of average golfers do and why they tend to slice the ball.
When the ball is a bit higher then you’ll have a better chance of hitting the ball in the sweet spot. When you do that you’ll get the most distance because your shot will be much straighter. If I need to put somewhat of a slice on the ball then I’ll tee it low but for the majority of them, it’s nice and high.
How Tee Height Affects Driving Distance
I’m not saying you’ll definitely get more distance having your ball teed up higher but that’s what happened with me. It’ll take some time on the range to get fully dialed in but once you do that then I’m pretty sure you’ll see the same results.
Having a low tee will most likely cause you to hit the drive low. It’ll also cause you to sweep the ball or hit it on the downswing. Both of these will result in lower distance because your drive won’t have very much air time and the extra spin will cause your shot to hook or slice.
Having a higher tee will do the opposite. You’ll have a higher chance of launching the ball in the air and you’ll most likely hit a straighter shot. If you find yourself popping the ball up then you can try hovering your driver before you swing. If you don’t rest the driver on the ground then it can sometimes be easier to make solid contact.
Again, it’s not going to fix your swing overnight but I think it will help if you practice the technique (obviously). Set the ball inside your front foot, put 60% of your weight on your back foot, and focus on making contact on the upswing. It took me a while to get it so be prepared.
Let me know your thoughts and any questions you have. Like this article? Feel free to give it a share!
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