How High To Tee Up A Driver

In this video and article on how high to tee up a driver for maximum power and control, PGA professional Alex Elliott explains the theory!

The correct tee height is vital to consistently achieving good shots off the tee. With a driver in hand you should be looking to strike the ball on the upswing. That means after the point at which the driver reaches the bottom of the swing arc. For this reason you should set the ball forwards in your stance at address. This is one of those driver golf swing basics for effortless power.

Through impact you should be looking for the ball to make contact with the driver just a fraction higher than centre on the face. This is because a 'high-on-the-face' strike reduces spin. This means the force you apply to the ball is being used to send it forwards as opposed to spinning it up into the air.

For this reason, tee the ball up so the equator of the ball at address is in line with the crown of the driver. This will encourage you to hit up on the ball but also allow you to strike the face slightly above the centre-point. 

For many golfers, if they tee the ball down too much, it will encourage more of a steep, descending angle of attack. Likewise, if you tee the ball up too high it can cause you to lean back too much and this can have a negative affect on your swing plane.

Whilst you certainly don't want to be leaning back through impact as this will cause poor strikes, you do want your body to be behind the ball at the moment of contact. Without having to make a considered move in the swing, you can set up for this with the perfect ball position and tee height.

Make sure that your posture remains the same from address to impact and a good strike with the driver will deliver impressive yards, whatever your swing speed. Make sure you set the tee at this height for your driver and you'll encourage all the correct moves in the swing itself.