Course Management · Lesson
One Driver Swing, Two Tee Heights
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Mid-handicappers hit a lot of drives into trouble. Part of it is changing effort. Swinging hard on long holes and steering on tight ones. Keep your effort the same every time. Change the shot with tee height instead. Tee it high for a longer drive that might spray more. Tee it low for a shorter, straighter one. And judge a hole by how wide it is between hazards, not how long it is. When it's really narrow, think about a 3-wood or hybrid.
Step by step
- Use the same effort on every drive.
- High tee for distance.
- Low tee for accuracy.
- Judge holes by width.
- At narrow spots, try a 3-wood or hybrid.
Why it works
Tee height changes the strike point on the face and the launch, so you can change the shot without changing your swing. A high tee lets you hit the ball on the upswing, which adds launch and carry but lets sidespin grow if the face is off. A low tee puts the strike lower on the face, which gives a lower, more controlled flight and usually less sidespin. Keeping effort the same means your tempo and strike stay repeatable, which a hook needs more than a steered swing.
Common mistakes
- You swing harder with a high tee and ease off with a low tee.Rehearse the same tempo and finish for both heights and let the tee do the work.
- You pick the tee height by hole length alone.Look at the gap between hazards at your landing area, and tee it low where that gap is tight.
- You steer the ball with a stiff, slow swing when the fairway looks narrow.Lower the tee, commit to your normal swing and take the 3-wood or hybrid if the gap is still too tight.
How you'll know it's working
- Your drives with the same swing start on a similar line with both tee heights.
- The low-tee drive flies lower and finishes closer to your target line, with less curve than the high-tee drive.
- Your contact is on the same part of the face each time, and your effort feels the same on every drive.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Practice on a wide range bay or open hole and hit five drives at each tee height, so you can see the difference without any trouble in play.
Harder: Pick a narrow target corridor on the range or course, alternate tee heights from shot to shot and judge each hole's width before you choose.
Common questions
Does a lower tee height really make a driver straighter?
It tends to, because the ball launches lower and you strike it lower on the face, which usually means less sidespin. It will not fix a closed face on its own, so keep working on the swing too.
When should I hit a 3-wood instead of driver off the tee?
Take it when the gap between hazards at your landing area is narrower than your normal driver miss. The shorter shaft and more loft make the ball easier to keep in play.
