The Ideal Tee Height for Driver (Should You Tee High or Low)

Playing from a tee is one of the few advantages the golf game offers as they help the golfers to lift the ball high and make the difference in every round they play. Too high, too low, badly positioned on the starting area-there are many points to consider when playing with tees and pitfalls to avoid when planting them!

An often asked question among golfers is about the ideal tee height for driver. If you’re a golfer, surely, you must have read a hundred theories about what the correct tee height should be for driver shots. The optimal ball height to hit with the driver is letting half of the ball exceed the face of the club.

Although tee height is a personal preference, you’ll generally want to set the ball high enough when playing with a driver, so half of the ball is above the clubhead.

With a driver, place the tee at a height that the ball’s center levels the top of your clubface and the ideal tee sizes to achieve this are 3.25-inch and 4-inch tees with large heads that lift the ball almost 1.5 to 2 inches above the ground. Thus, to make the most out of your shot with a driver, you should tee high!

So, the secret to getting your ball the right height is simple and visual. Let’s discuss why you should plant your tee high with a driver!

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Why You Should Tee High With Drivers

You should tee high with a driver because it affects your swing path and influences the spin of the ball. Using a tee correctly can add distance and accuracy to your driver shots.

Swing gurus say that because the driver is a club with very little loft, it has to follow an upward trajectory at impact to get the optimal launch angle. Hence, advance the ball in the stance (to catch it with the clubhead already up) and place it to protrude 50% above the driver’s upper edge. In short, “tee it high and watch it fly.”

Lobs occur because the clubhead’s path is descending, and in those cases, instead of puncturing the tee more to lower the ball, you have to do just the opposite-advance it and put it higher, looking to promote a blow from bottom to top. And, you do not want to hit a lob with your driver. Achieving height with your stroke is not the only aim of a driver. It should also take the ball rolling across the green to achieve maximum distance.

Contrary to popular belief, tees are not just for beginners. Many golfers do not include tees in their golf arsenals as they do not want to take the help they provide. However, many professional golfers put the driver very high and start the climb with the club suspended instead of resting on the grass.

Well, it also depends on how you attack the ball. There are positions for all tastes, and for that, you can find tees of various sizes. But, the recommended height is always that the ball exceeds at least half above the head of the driver.

The Ideal Tee Height According to the Head of the Driver

Now, there are drivers with a small head whose impact, to be solid, must almost touch the grass. On the contrary, from the famous jumbos, to the latest generation drivers with wide and high heads, it is recommended to place the tee very high, so that the face of the club hits the clean ball, without touching the ground, since that way you can get a good distance.

Modern drivers and golf balls perform better when you hit them upwards. This lifts the ball and reduces spin, which means more distance!

If you have a swing, where the point of impact is always low, you should keep in mind that if you put the tee too high, you will surely hit a lob. Also keep in mind that if your driver has a high head, and you are playing a hole with a headwind, it is recommended to use a low tee.

The ideal tee sizes for drivers are, therefore, 3.25-inch and 4-inch tees that lift the ball approximately 1.5 inches off the ground. Although tee height is a personal preference but when it comes to drivers, you’ll generally want to set the ball high enough so half of the ball is above the clubhead.

Criteria for the Ideal Tee Height for Driver

Some of the criteria that you must consider are:

• If we place the ball too low, it will cause a very vertical swing, which will lead to slices.
• As a general rule, allow about a quarter of the ball to protrude above the clubface. You will have to raise the tee a little to get high shots.
• If playing against the wind, the ball should be left at its usual height, and the tee should not be high.
• If the wind is in your favor, it is preferable to place the tee a little higher, hitting the ball during the rise of the swing.

To simplify things a bit, we recommend that when you set your tee when playing with drivers, you should always try to comply with two rules:

• Higher than you usually set it.
• More advanced (between 3 and 5 centimeters more).

There are now pre-scored tees available based on the driver’s head size. The marked part of the tee is the one that sinks into the ground, and voila, you have the perfect tee height. This method also ensures a certain consistency.

Final Thoughts

Placing the tee in this way forces it to catch the ball on the rise of the club, and with this, it makes it fly more and, when falling, roll more ground. In any case, and like many other things in golf, without a doubt, the best option is to look for that position that allows you to feel comfortable and that gives you security in your shot.