Tee Height

[Holmgirl15]

I picked the bottom of the ball at the top of the clubface... judging from the results, maybe that's why I hate teeing off with my driver!

Perhaps I will try the "center of the ball/top of clubface", since that seems to be the winner thus far!

[lamebums]

I tee it pretty low, maybe three-quarters of an inch of the tee is actually above the ground. I drill it about 250, and I've drove 300 yard greens in one before.

[AMGfan]

Very low...the ball makes impact at the bottom part of the face. However, I find I still get great height with TM SQR7 just by how I finish (high).

I buy the shortest tees possible...maybe 2 1/4" or 2 3/4".

[Fourputt]

I play standard length (2-1/4?) wood tees, most of which were found on the course. I haven't bought a tee in at least 15 years. I tee the ball low, with no more than 1/4 of the ball above the top of the clubhead.

[AceDunk]

I probably tee my balls higher than most people. I like to hit my drives pretty high, so I usually tee it with the middle of the ball a bit above the top of the clubface. I only tee it lower if there is a strong headwind or there aren't many places I could roll into and find trouble.

[colhun]

I recently got fitted for new driver (Ping G5) and the pro advised me to tee it high (half ball above club head) as that is where the sweet spot on the club was. He should know what he is talking, as he previously fitted Mickelson for clubs. I am a drawer off the ball but when i want to cut it, the advise is too tee it low. Certainly seems to work.

Advice, if buying new clubs....get fitted by your club pro. It makes a hell of difference if you get clubs that fit you.

[iacas]

  colhun said:

I recently got fitted for new driver (Ping G5) and the pro advised me to tee it high (half ball above club head) as that is where the sweet spot on the club was.

The sweet spot is pretty much dead in the center of the face on every driver. It's just that most amateurs (and pros) like to catch the ball above center because it launches higher with less spin.

  colhun said:

He should know what he is talking, as he previously fitted Mickelson for clubs.

Unless the guy is talking about Carl Mickelson the used car salesman, I've gotta call B.S. on this one. Phil Mickelson is fit by a staff of guys - as are most top-50-ranked players - that make a few million dollars per year. C'mon now... you're pulling our leg or he was pulling yours, eh?

[Jeepthrills]

I had been teeing it pretty high, almost the entire ball aboe the face, until recently. My 905 gets the ball up even faster than my 983 did. I have since lowered it to just over half the ball above the face. This has helped to prevent the balooning I was getting and I have picked up some yardage as well. I still hit it very high and get little roll. I will joke that I am one of the few people that can back up their driver. I have had many tee shots land and actually bounce back from the pitch mark. If only I could make my wedges stop like that all the time.

[colhun]

  iacas said:

The sweet spot is pretty much dead in the center of the face on every driver. It's just that most amateurs (and pros) like to catch the ball above center because it launches higher with less spin.

I said

"previously" fitted Mickelson. (And we all know how wild he is/was off the tee, before he went to Butch). All clubs have different sweet spots. On the G5 it is high nearer the crown, hence the higher tee position.

[iacas]

  colhun said:

I said

Yeah, when? 1988? He turned pro in 1992 and was hailed as "the next great one" even before that. I can virtually assure you the guy who fit you did not fit Phil Mickelson within the past decade. Regardless, if you believe him, so be it. I won't say another peep about it.

  colhun said:

All clubs have different sweet spots. On the G5 it is high nearer the crown, hence the higher tee position.

No, it's not. It's really pretty much just barely above the center of the clubface for most drivers. I'm defining "the sweet spot" as the exact point where the center of gravity passes through the clubface (at the angle of the clubface). The center of gravity is of course an infinitely small point in 3D space somewhere in the clubhead.

Here's some information for you. It's a tad outdated, but since it's still got the G5 on it, it suits the discussion: P.S. The balancing points pretty much nail the sweet spot, since the center of gravity has to be directly above that small balancing "pin" in order for the clubhead to, you know, balance.

[colhun]

many thanks for that.

This is my first night on the golf forum and it has been very interesting.

As for the Mickelson fitting angle. it certainly makes a great selling point. Bottom line though is that the club he fitted me for works great. Although it might also be due to the 8 lessons and the several thousand balls i hit over the winter break.

[sboardz006]

i personally like my tee for my driver with the center of the ball almost to the top of the club face.

[eddeejayz]

i usually place the ball 25% over the club, it really depends on everyone... hard to judge = /

[mjbartow]

I usually like to get 1/4 of the ball above the top of the club face. Seems perfect for me, never top it and NEVER sky it.

[doublesuited77]

i think there is another key point that noone is mentioned. while teeing it higher improves launch angle and should improve distance for a better golfer, it also significantly increases the margin for error (especially for less experienced golfers).

I've seen a ton of guys which handicaps around 20 who often will sky the ball off the tee because as they are moving the bottom of their swing up when they play the ball further up in their stance. for inexperience golfers, i think on average they will have a much greater margin for error when teed high.

[donatello rage]

i tee my ball pretty low low center id have to say.......reason....i changed my driver...then i changed my swing...with my old swing id hit a low ball but with my new swing hitting a 10 degree driver would just make me sky rocket the ball and get literally no roll so now i tee it lower and sorta flip over my wrists

[play4him]

I tee it up high and catch it on my upswing. I like hitting it high unless the wind is in my face.

[InternalGolf]

I play it with my driver in the middle of the club face. That's just how I learned and I just kept doing it that way.