He impressed coaches by blasting monster kicks in real high school games without the use of a pad or a tee. I got to watch several.

Also what you call a tee most kickers call a holder. I used them in high school and all the kickers I've coached use them. They are invaluable for getting in a lot of kicks without involving others. They are especially useful when learning mechanical concentration required for consistency. I've never worked with a program that did not have live practice reps for kickers.