Any one else thinking of not using a driver?

["Richard"]

I currently don't have my driver with me in toronto so my last two were without a driver. I shot a 88 and an 87 which is really good for me. I borrowed my friends driver while at the range today and if I hit it perfectly I can get it close to 280-290 but thats maybe 1-10 so I'm thinking of not using a driver at all this year. The club just frustrates the hell out of me and I'm thinking that perhaps I'm better off without it. Two rounds in the 80's without it so I think I'm fine. If I play it on the course and slice it and re tee and slice it I'm already shooting 5 off the tee! Ruins my whole round! Anyway, my 17* nickent hybrid is my longest club and I'm ok with that, 225 yards is more than enough from the whites on any course in ottawa and toronto. I was so frustrated with my last two range sessions. Atleast with my 2u/i I'm around 225 and maybe 10-15 yards off centre on a bad hit... This is how I feel about the driver right now...

FunDonny forget the driver test, sell them all and just get a long utility club.

[fundonny]

After today, not even close!!!

[Kilroy]

I hit driver on all but one of the 4's and 5's today and hit 83% of the fairways.
Nobody is taking this stick out of my bag!

[whatsup]

I'm with you thotho, can't hit a driver to save my life but for some reason I can hit my 3-wood straight all day and usually pop it 220-230. I think its a good strategy for high handicappers like my self. If it were not for ego, I would hit my 3-wood all the time but for some reason I get a brain cramp on a long par 4 and think that will be the one time I hit it far and long only to have to tee it up again for a big number. I bet if I played the whole summer without a driver I would knock 3-4 strokes of my play......but then again, I said "if"

[GarthM]

I played a whole season without a driver after having a very frustrating year trying to hit the Big Stick. Got my handicap down from 13-15 to about 10. Not necessarily a bad idea IMHO.

[Kilroy]

I really don't think it's a bad idea. I am just so happy with my new driver I wanted to boast.

If I could hit a 3 wood 230 I probably would not use driver on all but one hole

[covanant]

Almost pitched my driver in the pond last week.......maybe i will soon

[fireice]

For me the driver can be the most frustrating part of my golf game, I'm either in love with it one minute or like you say hating it the next and wanting to pitch it in the nearest pond. I guess it's my most inconsistent club, hence probably why this thread started because most high handicappers will find the driver this way. Will I take it out of the bag, not a chance. I'm stubborn.

[covanant]

Its like that girl you want...just keep on trying and trying....

["Richard"]

I'm not sure what club is worse for me.. the driver of the lob wedge. 2 clubs that 75% of the people on this board could do without IMO. They are nothing but stroke eaters! I think I will play the season with 12 clubs and just focus on keeping it in the fairway and using better course MGT. The last two rounds I still thought I was tiger and was going right at the pin everytime.. even on well protected greens and I paid dearly for it. If there is a par 4 that is under 300 I always go for the green but not anymore. If there is a par 5 under 530 I always go for it in two and never get there. If I'm 70 yards away I hit a lob wedge but stupid me could have just used a shorter club to lay up and use a sand wedge from 85 yards or a gap from 100. 70 is a horrible yardage for me. Anyway, I'm going out again on sunday and am actually thanking the lord that I dno't have my driver with me. If I go under 90 again its offical, driver is out!

For me its always been a pride thing, to hit it longer than everyone in the group. No more! screw the driver and screw the people who make them!

[covanant]

I'm not sure what club is worse for me.. the driver of the lob wedge. 2 clubs that 75% of the people on this board could do without IMO. They are nothing but stroke eaters! I think I will play the season with 12 clubs and just focus on keeping it in the fairway and using better course MGT. The last two rounds I still thought I was tiger and was going right at the pin everytime.. even on well protected greens and I paid dearly for it. If there is a par 4 that is under 300 I always go for the green but not anymore. If there is a par 5 under 530 I always go for it in two and never get there. If I'm 70 yards away I hit a lob wedge but stupid me could have just used a shorter club to lay up and use a sand wedge from 85 yards or a gap from 100. 70 is a horrible yardage for me. Anyway, I'm going out again on sunday and am actually thanking the lord that I dno't have my driver with me. If I go under 90 again its offical, driver is out!

For me its always been a pride thing, to hit it longer than everyone in the group. No more! screw the driver and screw the people who make them!

Problem is youre a ho!
You will have gone thru at least 4 more drivers by the end of the year

["Richard"]

I know, its so true. But I'm going to try to hold off as long as possible.

DAN, how do you hit 83% of the fairways on 16 holes? 14 out of 17 is 83% Sorry I'm a math guy, I'm like neo from the matrix.. I can just see it

[Kilroy]

Missed 2 of 13 fairways. 5 par 3s

["Richard"]

ahaha, forgot about the par 3s

[Andru]

No Driver @ The Marshes? ..... No F*$%ing Way.

[downhillslider]

Any of you guys ever consider a 13* or 15*, 43.5" or 44" driver ?

You might be pleasently surprised.

Give me a call.

[byerxa]

Typically the driver is one of my better clubs. I have 3 different ones that I choose from depending on how I am hitting; 10.5* for good days and/or need left to right, 11.5* for the so-so days, and 13* when I am off or need consistent right to left. All are 44" long.

That being said, I have cobbled together a "travel" set that has 11 clubs total. No 8 or 5 iron (7 and 6 bent to even the spread), and no big headed Ti driver. Instead I have a 14* 3 wood that will be the primary driving club. Off the tee I hit it about 10-20 yards shorter than my drivers, but I can still hit it off the deck. I am heading to Vegas in a week so it will get its first try out. This "cobbled" set is also an initiative to show myself it is the Indian, not the arrow!

BTW, one of my best rounds at the Marshes was an 84 (with a couple of triples) from the Blues using a 13* string 3 wood off the tee. This was pre-lessons days and the driver would get quite cranky back then with the OTT swing - the 3 wood was simply easier to turn over to compensate. Although shorter off the tee, it is easier playing from the fairway than the fescue.

[el tigre]

IMHO if you're a long-hitter then leaving the driver at home can often lead to lower scores. I really don't have that as an option.

The driver is my most inconsistent club by far, and I leave it in the bag as much as I possibly can. I usually tee of with fairway woods on par 5's and par 4's under 400 yards unless it is a really wide-open hole. But on a long par 4, hitting a 3-wood off the tee is really not an option if I want a realistic chance at a GIR. So a driver pretty much has to be in my bag, even though I may only use it on a few holes.

IMHO a lot of golfers over-use their driver. But unless you can hit a 3-wood about 230-240 on a regular basis, it is pretty tough to take the driver completely out of the bag on most courses.

[Shivas Irons]

Getting off the tee used to be the worst part of my game - I then switched to a 454 cc driver with more loft and you won't get the thing out of my hands now. I hit driver as often as I can.

[byerxa]

Any of you guys ever consider a 13* or 15*, 43.5" or 44" driver ?

You might be pleasently surprised.

Give me a call.

As an experiment I put a "cheaper" 13* 450cc head onto a UST IRod fairway shaft (r flex untipped) as I had the shaft laying around. A surprising success! Stupid easy to hit, hits high but does not balloon. Distance very close to my "optimum" 10.5* driver. Only issue is I can overpower it to the left when I am swinging well.

I'd much rather have a toaster on a stick off the tee than a 3 wood - much more forgiving. You just have to resist that urge to try to hit the crap out of it!

[Indio]

I am not a long ball hitter so I have to use my driver and ever since I went to the R7, I have beem very happy with the results..... I even occasionally replace my 5 wood with a BB VFT 9* driver to hit off the fairway if I am going to be playing a long course

[Andru]

Yeesh guys. Why would you ever consider playing with no Driver.

if the thing is fitted correctly you won't have a problem. Hitting a driver is no different than hitting a 3 wood. Same action off the tee.

Long hitter is an often abused term. If you hit 250-260 you're by amateur standards a long hitter. PS: I don't care what you say,. You're not as long as you think you are. I have spoken to a buddy who does custom driver fitting. 98% of the people he tests do not hit it as far as they think they do, not even close. Avg is 190-220. Avg Ball speed is 145 mph. That's anyone from 30 handicapper to pro. But I digress.

Anyway if you're hitting 260 and missing the fairway. 70% of the time. You're not a long hitter you're a bad golfer. A long hitter is someone who consistently hits the fairway more than 50% at least, and that's being generous. If you ask BC i'm suer his number is higher.

My advice. Go get fitted with a driver. My guess is you'll end up with 11-12 degrees. If you can get a consistent 230 out of it. From the whites anywhere in Ottawa. You're laughing. Think about it. 400 yards hole you're left with 170 max. Most likely with roll 160-150. On a par 5. you're easily making par. and if your wedge game is going, you're making birdies.

In my experience the only ones who benefit from taking the driver out are high handicappers playing a driver that's too long, the shaft is too stiff and there's not enough loft. Hence, the success with the 3 wood.

[Kilroy]

My advice. Go get fitted with a driver. ... playing a driver that's too long, the shaft is too stiff and there's not enough loft. Hence, the success with the 3 wood

Yup.

[sensfan63]

Yeesh guys. Why would you ever consider playing with no Driver.

if the thing is fitted correctly you won't have a problem. Hitting a driver is no different than hitting a 3 wood. Same action off the tee.

Long hitter is an often abused term. If you hit 250-260 you're by amateur standards a long hitter. PS: I don't care what you say,. You're not as long as you think you are. I have spoken to a buddy who does custom driver fitting. 98% of the people he tests do not hit it as far as they think they do, not even close. Avg is 190-220. Avg Ball speed is 145 mph. That's anyone from 30 handicapper to pro. But I digress.

Anyway if you're hitting 260 and missing the fairway. 70% of the time. You're not a long hitter you're a bad golfer. A long hitter is someone who consistently hits the fairway more than 50% at least, and that's being generous. If you ask BC i'm suer his number is higher.

My advice. Go get fitted with a driver. My guess is you'll end up with 11-12 degrees. If you can get a consistent 230 out of it. From the whites anywhere in Ottawa. You're laughing. Think about it. 400 yards hole you're left with 170 max. Most likely with roll 160-150. On a par 5. you're easily making par. and if your wedge game is going, you're making birdies.

In my experience the only ones who benefit from taking the driver out are high handicappers playing a driver that's too long, the shaft is too stiff and there's not enough loft. Hence, the success with the 3 wood.

Andru...am I as long as I think I am? I would say that I average 295.

[el tigre]

My advice. Go get fitted with a driver... playing a driver that's too long, the shaft is too stiff and there's not enough loft. Hence, the success with the 3 wood.

Nope.

I mean, I'm sure that's true for some people - maybe even most people. But I've been there and done that. Got fitted, and I play a 44" shaft, regular flex 10* driver - and I'm still inconsistent with the driver even when I'm swinging well. My experiments with high-lofted drivers were a joke - about 150 yards up and 150 yards out! OTOH, I've always hit fairway woods well and probably always will.

Different strokes for different folks Andru, as always.

[Andru]

Andru...am I as long as I think I am? I would say that I average 295.

Whatever man. I really don't care. I've played with some very good pros. CanTour guys and they don't avg. 295. But if you do? I'm sure everyone here is impressed.

[Andru]

Nope.

I mean, I'm sure that's true for some people - maybe even most people. But I've been there and done that. Got fitted, and I play a 44" shaft, regular flex 10* driver - and I'm still inconsistent with the driver even when I'm swinging well. My experiments with high-lofted drivers were a joke - about 150 yards up and 150 yards out! OTOH, I've always hit fairway woods well and probably always will.

Different strokes for different folks Andru, as always.

Those are probably some other issues. From what I've seen of you. You're pretty steep on the ball aren't you? Create a alot of spin and you fly the ball fairly high. You should look to Scott Hoch as a mentor, check out his bag.
http://www.golfdigest.com/equipment/...07hochbag.html

I'm not sure, it doesn't make sense that you hit your fariway woods great and a club with 3 degress less loft way offline. I wouldn't give up on 1 wood yet. You can't go around playing a chicken stick man.

[sensfan63]

Whatever man. I really don't care. I've played with some very good pros. CanTour guys and they don't avg. 295. But if you do? I'm sure everyone here is impressed.

i'm not trying to impress you or anyone else, it's just funny that you paint with such broad strokes, that's all...generalizations are one of my pet peeves.

[Andru]

One of my pet peeves are people who don't accurately portrait the game of golf. Now There's a tiny rant coming but it's composed.

This board is a mxed batch of golfers. scratch, pros, amateurs etc. many new ppl ask for advice and what bothers me is they under estimate how much progress they've made becuase they're comparing themselves to inaccurate numbers. It's a disservice. I think the misinformation is rampant. I've played with people who think I hit it 290 yards. then I show them the Laser range finder and they see it's 266. They're stunned.

I'm sure you believe you avg. that's AVG! 295. and maybe you're a long drive competitor or something. in that case it's possible. But if your'e telling me you measure your Drivers twice every round. ( using a laser or GPS measurement tool ). one upwind, and one downwind. And after 20 rounds the number is 295. I have a hard time believing it.

295 is pro territory. I mean touring pro not club pro. If this makes you feel better 99% of ppl don't hit it as far as they think they do. Better? I've left the 1% for you.

Cheers

[el tigre]

Those are probably some other issues. From what I've seen of you. You're pretty steep on the ball aren't you? Create a alot of spin and you fly the ball fairly high. You should look to Scott Hoch as a mentor, check out his bag.
http://www.golfdigest.com/equipment/...07hochbag.html

I'm not sure, it doesn't make sense that you hit your fariway woods great and a club with 3 degress less loft way offline. I wouldn't give up on 1 wood yet. You can't go around playing a chicken stick man.

Oh, I'm sure there are other issues. But I guess that's my point - everybody has other issues.

Hoch has an interesting bag - nothing like mine. I normally carry 3, 5, 7 and 9 woods - with a 5-iron as my longest iron. A 9* loft works great for me, but certainly not in a stiff flex.

As I said, I still carry a driver even if I don't use it that often - so I haven't given up on it. But I'll play any stick that gets the job done - I couldn't care less what I'm "supposed to use". Geez, I still put an Alien sand wedge in my bag every now and then!