How to Tee a golf ball up the correct height every time -

The general consensus from Golf’s Top 100 Teachers on how high to tee up the golf ball as follows:

Club	Tee Length	Height of Golf Ball
Driver	3.25″ – 4″	Half of the ball above the clubface
Fairway Woods	2″ – 2.25″	Middle of the ball in line with middle of clubface (1/2″ off the ground)
Hybrids	1.5″ – 2″	Middle of the ball in line with middle of clubface (1/2″ off the ground)
Long Irons	1″ – 1.5″	1/4″ off the ground
Short Irons/Wedges	1″ – 1.5″	1/8″ off the ground

Driver- Half of the ball is above the crown of the clubface.
Fairway woods/Hybrids- Tee the ball half of an inch off the ground
Long Irons- Tee the ball quarter inch off the ground
Short Irons/Wedges- Tee the ball just above the ground

These guidelines are not set in stone and are dependent on your swing type and personal preference.

For example, I have a slightly steeper downswing than most, so I tee the ball about ¼” off the ground with fairway woods and just barely off the ground with irons.

I have teed it up to the recommended heights before and it usually involves me popping the ball up because I hit it on the top half of the club due to my club descent angle into the ball.

So experiment with it. Some golfers prefer higher tee heights than normal, some prefer no tees with fairway woods and irons.

how high should you tee up a driver?

The general rule of thumb is half of the golf ball should be above the clubface.

The height of the tee will vary on the size of your clubhead. Newer drivers are significantly larger than drivers from 20 years ago.

Most modern drivers are around 460CC, the maximum size allowed by the USGA.

There are several factors that go into tee height for your driver such as:

Size of Driver head
descent angle at impact
does your club rest on the ground or slightly hover before swinging
Desired ball flight
Wind Conditions
Fairway width/ hole layout

Size of Driver Head

You want half of the golf ball to be above the clubface.

So the newer clubs at 460CC need teed up approximately 1”-1.5” more than a 270CC driver from the mid 90’s.

If you are still playing an older driver or using a mini driver, you will want to tee up the ball ever so slightly higher than the middle of the club.

The sweet spot for older drivers was much smaller and much less forgiving on mishits, so you have to hit the middle of the club.

Clubhead Angle at Impact

One of the main factors of the correct tee height is your clubpath angle at impact.

If you have a slightly descending path at impact, you will want to tee it slightly lower to avoid hitting it to high on the face and popping the ball up.

If you have an ascending path at impact, you will want to tee it slightly higher to avoid hitting it to low on the face resulting in a lower flight and lost distance.

Should you hover your driver- any advantages?

Some of the game’s greats including Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, and Nick Faldo hovered the club rather than grounding it at address.

Greg Norman explained hovering the driver allowed him to keep his grip pressure constant and promote a long, smooth takeaway for more consistency and power.

Bryson Dechambeau has another great reason to hover the golf club. He wants to set up at the exact spot his club will hit the ball on the downswing rather than adjusting for that inch or so during the swing.

GOLF Top 100 Teacher Kevin Sprecher explains that hovering the golf club engages your core and promotes a more powerful turn behind the ball.

I know I have struggled with consistent driver contact at times and may try to become a club hoverer with the knowledge gained from some of golf’s best.

Desired Ball Flight with Driver

The desired ball flight for a driver largely depends on course conditions such as wind, soft or firm fairways, and layout of the hole.

To hit a high ball flight, tee the ball up so half the ball is above the clubface.

To hit a low, piercing flight, tee the ball up so the top of the ball is barely above the clubface.

Teeing it higher allows you to have a better chance of swinging up on the ball and hitting the upper portion of the driver, launching the ball higher with less spin for maximum distance.

Teeing it lower keeps it out of the wind and improves accuracy due to the lower ball flight.

Ideal Ball Flight for Wind Conditions

The old saying “Tee it High, Let it Fly” still rings true.

If you are downwind, you will want to tee it up so the ball is in the air as long as possible.

Teeing it up gives you the farthest drives, with a little more inaccuracy.

If you want to ride a sidewind for maximum distance (ex. A right-handed golfer hitting a fade with a left to right wind), you will want to tee it up to allow the wind to help carry the ball farther.

If you are into the wind, you will want to tee the ball lower so the ball stays out of the wind and can’t “knock it down” as much.

Teeing it down will give you the best accuracy.

If you have a hurting sidewind (ex. A right handed golfer hitting a draw into a left to right wind), you will want to tee it down slightly so the golf ball isn’t “fighting” the wind as long in the air.

Ideal Ball Flight for Fairway Conditions

If you are hitting onto soft fairways, you will want to tee the ball up to maximize carry distance that has minimal roll out.

If the fairways are nice and firm, you may want to tee it up somewhere in the middle to try and maximize the combination of carry distance and roll distance with the driver.

Ideal Ball Flight for Hole Layout

If you have wide-open fairways with no trouble on either side, tee it high and let it fly as missing the fairway is not an issue.

However, if you have tree-lined fairways or hazards that must be missed, you will want to tee it down so you can be accurate as possible.

how high should you tee up a fairway wood?

Tee the ball up so the middle of the ball is in line with the middle of the clubface.

Henrik Stenson, one of the best pros ever with a 3 wood, said he has 4 rules for his 3 wood tee shot.

Tee the ball up so middle of the ball lines up with middle of the clubface (about 1/2″ off the ground)
Play the ball a little off inside of the front foot, which is the low point of your swing
Slightly tilt your spine away from the target to help sweep it off the tee.
Make a full body turn back and through.

If accuracy is critical, Stenson tees it down so the ball is barely sitting off the ground.

This creates a low ball flight with less backspin, ideal for playing into the wind or a fairway with a lot of roll.

How high should you tee up a hybrid?

Tee the ball up so it sits just above the ground, between a quarter inch to a half inch.

According to Hank Haney, former Tiger Woods swing coach, you tee hybrids slightly higher than irons to help take advantage of the extra weight in the sole of the club.

This will help launch the ball high and straight, helping you take advantage of the technology of the hybrid.

You will want the ball position to be about a hybrid clubhead width inside of your front foot for the low spot in your golf swing.

how high should you tee up an iron?

Tee the ball up so it barely sits off the ground for a short iron and about a quarter inch for long irons.

The reasoning behind this is because a long iron you try to sweep the ball off the tee where with a short iron you hit down on the ball through impact.

Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus always use a tee on a par 3 with this reasoning: “Air offers less resistance than dirt.”

Minuscule amounts of grass, dirt, or dew can affect the ball’s backspin, leading to inconsistent distances.

How high should you tee up a wedge?

Tee the ball up so it barely sits off the ground for a wedge.

You want to think of compressing the ball into the grass to launch it into the air. The tee will help do this by giving you as consistent contact as possible (if you hit the ball first of course).

Golf Tee Height FAQS

Does Tee Height affect Driving Distance?

Yes, teeing the ball at optimum height (half the ball above the clubface) allows for maximum carry and distance. Tiger teeing the ball high led to a 298 yard carry with max height of 140 ft. and teeing the ball lower (in the middle of the clubface) resulted in a carry of 281 yards with max height of 89 feet.

Should tee be high or low for distance?

Majority of the time, if the ball is teed up so half the ball is above the clubface, this will result in maximum distance. However, depending on variables such as wind, fairway speed, launch angle, etc. it may make sense to tee the ball a little lower for more roll and less carry.