Which Type of Golf Tee Should You Use And How High Should You Tee it Up
By: Fin Tait | Tue 18 Mar 2025
Share this article:
Guest article by student sports journalist Fin Tait.
Golf tees, something so simple, yet something so easy to get wrong. Using the right type of tee for each tee shot can be a pivotal decider on how well the rest of the hole goes. The right type of tee will maximise your ball launch angle, maximise your driving distance and accuracy and help with your consistency off the tee boxes. With so many different choices of tees available on the market, how do you know which ones you should be using? Here, we will try and talk you through all your options and which ones are best for certain situations.
Which Type of Golf Tee Should You Use?
Wooden Tees
The classic option. Very traditional and can be used for a wide variety of tee shots. However, they are prone to breaking fairly often, especially on harder ground during the summer months. Many wooden tees have markers on them, indicating how high the ball should be teed up.
Plastic Tees
Arguably the most durable and reusable option, these tees are much stronger than the common wooden tee. Castle tees, which are a common type of plastic tee, are a good option as they are easy to use, and they come in plenty of different heights.
Bamboo Tees
An eco-friendly option, bamboo tees have been becoming increasingly popular recently. Lightweight, durable and biodegradable, these are a good option for the environmentally friendly golfer.
Biodegradable Tees
Featured Content
Similar to the previous option, these are a good choice if you're concerned about your environmental impact. However, they do still offer a durable and reliable option for you.
The Brush Tee
A new breed of tee recently made its way onto the golf scene, the brush tee. Designed to reduce friction between the tee and the ball, therefore increasing ball speed off the tee. Many people will have their own opinion on the brush tee; however, many often find their durability not worth the price.
How High Should You Tee it Up?
Now this is where most people go wrong, and it happens way more often than you might think. The height your ball is teed up will help get the best possible contact on the ball possible. A general guideline would be to have the top half of the ball above the club face when resting behind the ball. However, finding a height preference that works for you is also important to optimising your tee box game.
Lower Tee Height
A lower tee height will most often result in a lower ball flight, with much less back spin on the ball. A lower tee height may be more ideal for someone with a faster swing, as it will help them control the ball more off the tee.
Higher Tee Height
A higher tee will result in a much higher launch and trajectory of the ball. Beneficial for players looking to maximise their carry distance. A higher tee is also recommended for beginners, as it will be easier to make a solid connection with the ball.
With this being said, it is important that you experiment with different tee heights to find the right height for you and your specific situation out on the course. Pride Sports have just recently unveiled a new line of Bamboo tees. These come in a pack of 50, providing three different height options for you to experiment with during your round.
What About Tour Professionals?
When watching the PGA Tour over the weekend, you may realise that many of the pros don't use a tee when hitting an iron shot. This could be for several different reasons. A tee's main purpose is to help you get lift and height from the club, this is mainly needed for your woods, allowing you to swing the ball upwards. However, with an iron you will tend to swing down on the ball, compressing it. So, the pros will tend to avoid using a tee with an iron, allowing them to get a more compressed strike on the ball. This may work for the pros, however, for the average golfer the tee will be a good help to get that ball in the air and on the green.
There are some good options for you to consider with your tee game this season. Who knew something so small and simple could be so impactful on your golf game.
Related Content
What Makes Bamboo Golf Tees Ecologically Beneficial
Tags: GOLFERS Golf daily picks
