Is there any specific location on airframe for gaining higher drag?
If you want to arrest ascent you put the airbrake behind/below the CG.  Keep in mind the rocket will tend to remain flying &quot;nose first&quot;, which may affect parachute deployment (from nose) on the way down.
Notice the Space X Falcon 9 has theirs near the nose allowing the rocket to descend tail first, and are only deployed once the rocket has coasted to maximum altitude, slowed down, and has begun to fall. Nearer to the ground, you use retrorockets and/or parachute.
For a high altitude sounding rocket, it may be preferable to delay parachute deployment, lest the wind carry it too far away from the launch point.