Ryan Palmer: Driver - Tee Height and Spin

Ryan Palmer demonstrates why he tees the ball slightly higher than average to achieve the desired effect with his driver.


Transcript

So one thing that I do with my driver.

What's your ball speed, 180?

I think the ball speed gets around 176.

Yeah.

I'm launching at about 12 degrees, 176 ball speed, 21 spinning about. I hit a couple last year that I spun on the monitor about 1700.

That's too low isn't it? Or is it OK.

When you get to 12 degree launch, the 176 ball spin and spinning at 1700, the ball's flying and not spinning.

What's that flying 310?

310-315.

Yeah. 315.

Flying. Flying.

So for me--

315.

--I tee the ball, people think I tee it low. I tee it higher than most, I think.

Yeah, that's pretty normal there isn't it?

And so you'll see-- It's about-- Aah, I can't tell.

Half a ball, half a ball up above at least.

Yeah.

3/4 of a ball up.

You'll notice my stance again.

Yep.

Through impact, I launched the ball, so I'm probably swinging up at it--

Four degrees, three degrees.

--as opposed to swinging through it. You'll see my ball flight launches.

Yeah.

When I'm getting the wins, I tee it higher and hit it higher. Just because I don't have the spin on it, so I'm able to--

Just go. You don't have to change much.

I got to get over the wind.

Over the wind. If you're spinning at 2,100, it doesn't matter what, you could hit through a tornado.

Yeah. So the ball's up a hair, stance is probably a little wider, obviously. I'll swing up at the ball, almost hanging back.

[CLINKING GOLF BALL]

That's high.

You know what?

High. High.

The key to this club is, to me that's my miss, and I know that's going to be my miss.

Yeah. Oh, I see.

I can extend my tee shot--

Drop that in there.

--knowing I'm not going to hit it left.

Yep.

The way it's designed, the way I'm swinging at it.

But you three wood. Yes, you can.

Three wood will get it turning left.

Yes.

So that's where, I think, this is a straighter club for me.

You know your bag.

This has one shot and it's either straight or falling right.

Yeah.

And I know--

You made it that way and we're going to talk about that when we talk about your equipment. But you have a very, very specific bag of clubs here.

Let me hit one more here.

[CLINKING GOLF BALL]

That was my draw.

Gosh. It's long.

And there's not much spin to it. Not much bend. But I'm able--

What did that fly, 290?

That's pretty good. Yeah. But the work Randy I've done, the club I've got, I can go at it as hard as I want knowing what the club's going to do. And that's the confidence I have.

When you say you're high, you go as far as you want, holding it late and then waiting for the snap.

I hold on, turn the other way, get out of the way, let the club go, post up, stand up, get to my left side. That's the key to my golf swing.