I see a lot of golfers tee the ball up the same height every time no matter what club they are hitting. The fact is, there is a different angle you should be striking the ball at with a driver, fairway wood or iron. Therefore, there should be three different tee heights for that reason alone.
The driver is the only club that you should be making contact with as the club is on the slight upward arc. Tee the ball up so at least the top half of the ball is over the top of the club. This will help you have the lowest point of the arc slightly behind the ball, and making the arc begin to ascend as it strikes the ball.
With today's super-large titanium drivers, extra-long tees are a must to achieve this.
The fairway woods are much lower in profile, and should be teed lower. Meet the ball at the very bottom of the arc, not on the upswing or the downswing. Tee height is dictated by determining if you want to hit a high shot and land soft, such as on a par-3 hole, or if you want the ball to roll down the fairway like a tee shot.
The irons should be teed down very low so you are basically simulating a perfect lie in the fairway. A mistake a lot of golfers make is teeing it up so high that when contact is made it is on the top of the iron, and the shot isn't very solid.
So, next time you play, consider the tee height. It's the start of a great shot!
Don DeLorenzo is a PGA-certified instructor at Gilroy Golf Course. To schedule a lesson with Don, call Gilroy GC at (408) 848-0490.
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Former Rams bask in the glory days at reunion
