You get up to the tee box and take out a tee only; you have no idea how high you should make it. Do you push it down all the way? Should you leave a little extra in the air? Here’s your answer:
How high should you tee up the golf ball? The general rule of thumb when teeing up a golf ball is to line the top of your golf club with the equator of the golf ball.
Making the top part of your club line-up with the equator of the ball is the standard method of teeing up a golf ball. However, depending on your particular golf swing, you may want to tee
Types of Tees
You might not know that there are different types of tees you can choose from. There are:
- Wooden tees
- Plastic tees
- Rubber tees
- Brush tees
Common Tee Sizes
- 1″-1/2- Irons
- 2″-1/8- Old Standard Tee Length
- 2″-3/4- New Standard Tee length (460cc Drivers)
- 3″-1/4- Oversized Tee Length (Big driver heads or shallow golf swings)
- 4″- Super large tees
Teeing Up the Driver
Here is the most asked question I get. “How high should I tee the ball up with the driver”? Most driver heads these days are around 460cc which means for the majority of golfers, you are going to want to use tees that are 2″-3/4 or the 3″- 1/4. tee size. This allows you to sweep the driver down underneath the ball to achieve maximum distance.
If your driver has a smaller head, you may want to use tees that are 2″-1/8 in size. Again, this all depends on the angle of attack when coming down at the ball.
Steep Angle of Attack Tips- Driving
Golfers who have a steep swing down at the ball should tee the ball lower. You can know you have a steep angle of attack from these 3 things:
- You hit sky shots with the driver
- You top the ball more than you hit behind it
- You play the ball more towards the middle of your stance when driving the ball
Shallow Angle of Attack Tips – Driving
Golfers who come low at the golf ball should tee the ball higher. You can know you have a shallow angle of attack from these 3 things:
- You hit low driver shots
- You sometimes hit behind the ball
- You play the golf ball higher in your stance
Tips for Teeing Up Fairway Woods
Fairway Woods can get a bit tricky. Teeing them up too high might result in you getting too much underneath the ball. Teeing the ball too low, and you might hit the top of the ball and embarrass yourself in front of your friends!
So to avoid any embarrassment when teeing up the ball with a fairway wood, it is most beneficial to use the standard formula of making sure you just see the top half of the golf ball when addressing the ball. Adjusting the tee height when hitting a fairway wood may increase the chances of error because they have smaller sweet spots than that of a driver. This is why its best to keep it simple!
What About Irons
Any tee will do when hitting irons shots. The trick is to have the tee just barely poking up from the tee box. An easier way to do this is to purchase tees that are made just for hitting irons. They are 1″1/2 and perfect for hitting irons or fairway woods.
Conquering that Darn Wind
Did you know that you can change your ball flight just by changing the length of your tee? You probably have done this before and didn’t even know that you were doing it!
- Higher Ball Flight- If there is wind behind you or you need to gain more airtime, tee the ball up just a touch higher. This will allow you to hit the golf ball slightly more on the upswing hitting the lower part of the ball and adding trajectory on your shot
- Lower Ball Flight- If there is wind in your face, it is best to tee the ball lower. When you tee the ball lower, it causes you to hit the top part of the golf ball thereby increasing the ball’s roll and limiting the height
Related Questions
What causes a sky shot in golf? – A sky shot or pop-up shot is caused when a golfer swings too steeply down at the golf ball and hits the tee, not the golf ball.
Why do I keep breaking my tees and how can I stop? – Golfers break tees when they have fast clubhead speeds and make clean contact with the golf tee. To stop breaking tees, you can purchase more durable plastic tees or change your swing to come more shallow (low) at the golf ball.
Do you tee up a golf shot when hitting a wedge? – Yes, you can. However, many golfers elect not to use a tee when hitting a wedge from the tee box. The reason being that wedges are already designed to get the golf ball into the air. Adding more loft with a tee can cause the golfer to come too quickly “up” at the ball or bottom out the swing arc too soon before making contact.
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