AUGUSTA, Ga. — How high do you tee your driver up? If you’re like many golfers, you don’t give it much thought, but it’s something many pros constantly tinker with to suit the unique demands of each hole. That’s especially true at Augusta National, which requires a variety of trajectories and shot shapes off the tee.
What difference does a low or high tee make? We’ve tested it, both with real golfers and a robot, and it’s actually quite significant. In driver testing with the Golf Laboratories robot, Golf Digest measured the difference in launch angle and spin rate between different impact locations on the clubface which often occurs with low and high tees.
Center: 11.6 degrees launch angle, 2,400 RPMs spin ½ inch above center: 14.3 launch angle, 2,000 RPMs spin ½ inch below center: 8.8 launch angle, 2,900 RPMs spin
OK, what does that mean? When the ball contacts the clubface above center, or high on the face, it launches higher with less spin. That increases distance, but the decreased spin can lead to bigger misses. Conversely, impact lower on the face causes a lower launch and more spin. That extra spin and lower launch creates a more predictable, accurate ball flight that doesn’t travel as far.
When players choose to tee the ball either low, high or normal, they are trying to do a couple things. First, they are trying to subtly alter this impact location on the clubface. A lower tee, it figures, has a better chance of hitting lower on the face, and vice versa.
In addition, a low or high tee can change a golfer’s swing to produce different shots. This is what Denny McCarthy notices. “Typically, when I tee it high, I see draw. It helps me swing up on it and turn it [from right to left],” he said after his opening round at the Masters. “When I tee it low, it naturally helps me hit that squeeze cut.”
McCarthy uses a low tee on squeeze holes, like No. 1 (above), and tees the ball higher on send-it holes, like No. 10 (below).
How do players decide which tee height to use? It all comes down to the shape of the hole and how much trouble lines the fairway.
The squeeze holes: Nos. 7 and 18
McCarthy just mentioned that when he tees the ball lower, he’s trying to hit a squeeze cut, which is a lower flying, higher spinning shot that flies shorter but more accurate. That’s the shot many players opt for on tighter holes at Augusta, like Nos. 7 and 18.
Cameron Smith says he hits a squeeze driver off 18 to keep it low and hit the narrow opening between the trees. “A couple of those tighter ones like 18, you don’t really feel like you can get it over the trees, so that’s one where you tee it low and squeeze it down there, and hopefully hit it in the fairway,” he said.
Smith changes tee height a lot at Augusta National, using a low tee (above) on No. 7 and a higher tee height (below) on No. 10.
McCarthy took 3-wood on No. 7 on Thursday, but says he used the same rationale: lower tee, shorter and straighter. “No. 7 I like to tee it down and hit it a little lower,” he said. “Today [the wind] was down off the left for me. I teed my 3-wood down even a little bit lower and hit a chasey 3-wood.”
Given that Nos. 7 and 18 are among the tightest tee shots on the course, players use the low tee to decrease the launch angle and add some spin. It may give up some distance, yes, but it’s a safeguard against a big miss that will be penalized more than at other holes.
The send-it holes: Nos. 9 and 10
With tree damage from Hurricane Helene having thinned out the sides of Nos. 9 and 10, players have been freed up to be a little more aggressive and challenge the left side of both dogleg lefts. Since each fairway is generous and moves from right to left, players opt for a high tee to try and get a few more yards by hitting a high draw.
“Nos. 9 and 10, I teed up both pretty high,” McCarthy said. “They lost some trees here on the left on 9. You can see it’s pretty thin, so you can look a little more aggressive down the left and tee it up high and take it over some of the trees that used to be there.”
J.T. Poston says he rarely changes tee height, except for at the 10th hole. “ The only one that I really do is No. 10 because you’re trying to hit it high and drawing. The higher tee helps you do that,” he said.
Notice how when players use a high tee height, you can see most of the ball above the clubface.
On these longer, more open holes, players often use this higher tee to create a higher launch angle and less spin. This leads to a farther carry but brings a bigger miss into play, due to the decreased spin. But since these holes have more width, it’s worth the risk.
What about the rest of the holes? That’s where you’ll see a standard tee height, as players don’t necessarily need increased accuracy or distance. Instead, a center strike using a normal tee height, as our robot test shows, will give them a nice balance of both.
So next time you find a narrow or wide-open hole, consider the science and pros’ strategies. Should you squeeze it or send it?
Masters 101: Answering all your frequently asked questions
How to watch the 2025 Masters
Power Rankings: Every player in the Masters field, ranked
Tee times for Round 1 and Round 2
50 defining Masters Moments, ranked
The most memorable Rules issues in Masters history
Before and after photos of Augusta National’s tree loss from Hurricane Helene
Every course change ever made at Augusta National
A brief history of Masters prize money payouts
15 people who ended up in the Masters penalty box
The Champions Dinner Tell-All, from those inside the room
When Lee Elder desegregated the Masters
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
