In golf, the little things often matter just as much as the big ones. Sometimes, it’s the details you wouldn’t even think about that have the biggest impact — like tee height. It might seem simple, but it can make or break your day on course.
Here’s everything you need to know about teeing it up correctly in order to set yourself up for success. There are three tee heights to consider.
1. Driver
Many amateurs tee these shots too low, but there’s an easy way to check. When you place the peg in the ground, confirm that about half the ball sits just above the top edge, or crown, of your driver head when you set it on the ground.
With driver, you want to catch the ball on the upswing. Combine that with a ball positioned just slightly forward in your stance and it becomes easier to catch the ball on the sweet spot as the club is rising. This is the contact you want to maximize your smash factor, resulting in drives that are more consistent and fly farther.
2. Fairway Woods and Hybrids
The optimal tee height for these clubs is when the ball is positioned just barely above the top edge of the club when it’s sitting on the ground. A common mistake is teeing these too high, thinking it’ll help launch the ball better. But if it’s too high, you risk popping it up. Use this simple gauge and you’ll catch it clean every time.
3. Irons
Unlike with your driver, iron shots are meant to be struck with a descending blow. You need to tee the ball low, almost flush with the grass. If you can fit your finger underneath the tee, it’s probably too elevated and that could cause you to catch it too high on the face, leading to poor contact. I promise, these three simple keys will help you find the sweet spot way more often.
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