Any one else thinking of not using a driver?

[Andru]

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!

yeah I got that and agree 100%. You just hit the ball well enough with your other sticks I'm just miffed you can't find a toaster to get the job done. The journey is the point of the obsession I guess.

[fundonny]

Just let the big dog eat. Having fun is part of the experience.

[Big Johnny69]

Just let the big dog eat. Having fun is part of the experience.

Easy for you to say, you have a wolf pack you have to let eat.

["Richard"]

my avg isn't 295 but I have hit drivers over 300 yards. But then again when I'm using a driver I do swing out of m shoes. Its a pride thing I guess. Maybe I'll give it another drive and not try to swing as hard as I can. I'm sure that will sraighten me out Going to give it one mroe try

[fundonny]

Try buying a bunch of drivers thotho... Works like a charm!

["Richard"]

Its not the driver man, its me trying to swing and show off infront of the FC's. I'm just going to get a 13* driver and cut it down to 43.5, if I can't hit the fairway with that I should give up golf

[fundonny]

Get a Cobra or Nike. I have the worst swing known to man. El Haimo can't even believe I make contact every time! If it's forgiving enough for me, it'll be gold for you too!

[big mac]

Have not hit my driver in two years--225-240 with my 3wd and straight. Read somewhere this week that if you hit your 3 longer than your driver then your driver is too long? Give me a few minutes and I am off to the "chop shop"

[Kilroy]

if you hit your 3 longer than your driver then your driver is too long?

Now THAT's an oxymoron if I ever heard one.

["Richard"]

LOL! thats hilarious

[big mac]

Hey guys whats so funny? I dont understand--am I missing something here?

[Big Johnny69]

I'm pretty sure you meant length of the club, but if you read it the way you typed it, it just sounds a little funny without the word length in there. Just guys having fun.

[big mac]

OK--I guess next time I will "preview" before I "submit"----the "post" I mean.

[Eldred]

I'm playing tomorrow with a buddy who's got the range finder. This could be deflating to the ego

[Eldred]

OK--I guess next time I will "preview" before I "submit"----the "post" I mean.

Just blame it on fun with Freudian slip...

[up&down]

at some courses driver is not required (stonebridge & carleton to name 2). It all depends what level and how much confidence you have in your swing

[shovellover]

Tried playing with my 17* Nickent last year & the strong 3wd as my main tee weapons. It's great until you come unglued.

Then what? 5i just to get the ball in play?

Personally, i think drivers are way easier to hit than fws or hybrids for tee shots. Fws & hybrids have faces that can be measured with butter knives.

Swinging a driver is like slamming a titanium wall into your ball. Just let the ball get in the way.

Slicing? Aim left. It's ugly as sin, but unless it's water you'll have a swing at it.

[Andru]

my avg isn't 295 but I have hit drivers over 300 yards. But then again when I'm using a driver I do swing out of m shoes. Its a pride thing I guess. Maybe I'll give it another drive and not try to swing as hard as I can. I'm sure that will sraighten me out Going to give it one mroe try

Aim your Driver like you aim a 7 iron going into the green. You don't try to hit a 7 iron as far as it can go. That's why I say get the real yardage you hit the driver and start aiming that way. Look in the fairway pick a spot and go for it. Like your hitting a shot into a long green.

Ok I'm going to hit this Driver 230 yards and land it here. Step up and put that easy swing on it. If you go up and try to hit it as hard as you can you're screwed. You'll catch it once in a while but most times it's left or right or just gone.

[Andru]

I'm playing tomorrow with a buddy who's got the range finder. This could be deflating to the ego

It shouldn't, the best cure for a bruised ego in golf is posting a 3 under 69.

[Chieflongtee]

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

Maybe you are just getting better. At the risk of repeating myself I say MOST here should get an offset driver with a closed face. 3 wood is ok but sooner or later MOSTwill try to force it on a par 5 and then look out. I for myself have never driven the ball better than lately. The weapon is a COBRA offset driver with a steel shaft at 43 inches. I have tried the Cobra 440 SZ (Draw bias club,closed face) at 44 inches with a graphite shaft and it's excellent but it does not go any further than the other one and if anything I control the 350 offset better. And at last most should follow Andru's advice i.e swing the big stick like a 7 iron.

[Chieflongtee]

my avg isn't 295 but I have hit drivers over 300 yards. But then again when I'm using a driver I do swing out of m shoes. Its a pride thing I guess. Maybe I'll give it another drive and not try to swing as hard as I can. I'm sure that will sraighten me out Going to give it one mroe try

Don't kid yourself. We've all hit 300 yard drives once...or so I hear. On a perfect day,dry ground, tail wind, perfecty struck ball in the center of the club face, If you hit it 270 you are doing very well. Find the fairway that's what I say. Stay out of trouble and lower your scores.

[Andru]

at some courses driver is not required (stonebridge & carleton to name 2). It all depends what level and how much confidence you have in your swing

Also depends on the tee deck you play from.

[Golfpeasant]

Heres one thing that helped me ThoTho. One thing I noticed about the driver (in a lot of people's hands) is I was swinging it too hard, trying to kill it. Try a session where you swing the driver with a very slow tempo swing, and see how your consistency is. You might lose about 30 yards, but you'll be much less likely to slice/over the top.

The other thing that might help, try an abbreviated swing, as if you're 3/4 chipping it. I found that if things do go wrong with the driver (and they don't often now), I can abbreviate my backswing, where most my trouble comes from. So long as I follow through, I still get some distance.

I played with some 16 year olds the other day, and they could bomb it. One of them was an excellent golfer, maybe 3 handicap, but the others lost control of the swing mostly because they were swinging like madmen...sacrifice some distance for accuracy.

[jonf]

Yep....the key is definitely to take a normal swing. I'd say my average drive is about 240. If I really try to rip it, I might get it out t 270, if I hit it absolutely pure, but most of the time it ends as a huge banana slice. If I just take a normal swing, and hit it dead centre, it will usually go about 250-260. So what am I gaining by trying to rip it. Occasionally I'll get an extra 10-15 yards (which rarely makes a big difference), but more often than not I'll end up in the rough or worse, and have a lot more shots to make up. I am gradually learning that all I have to do is swing easy, but that's a lot easier to say at the range than when you're standing on an elevated tee with a nice wide fairway.

["Richard"]

Don't kid yourself. We've all hit 300 yard drives once...or so I hear. On a perfect day,dry ground, tail wind, perfecty struck ball in the center of the club face, If you hit it 270 you are doing very well. Find the fairway that's what I say. Stay out of trouble and lower your scores.

I'm taking about carry, not with roll. I hit 300+ yard drives more often than one would think. Since working out all winter and going on that golf program I posted, I can get the club head upto 114mph but when I'm swinging that hard I have no control. I went in to see DON and he said for you 290 carry won't be a problem, I think the first driver I hit with (my 44inch) I averaged 109mph (I would have to double check when I get to ottawa) but I got tired pretty quick and lost a lot of that on the rest and was down to 106 then 104 but that was as low as it went. For me, its not about length at all, its about keeping it in play which I rarely do with a driver because if you slice it its going to go a lot more right than a 230 yard drive sliced. Also, at that speed an inside out or an open club face or both is going to screw you big time. Maybe I'll try to swing it the same speed as my 7iron (160yards) and see what the results are. Thanks for all the advice and opinions. Maybe I'll set up my 430q to draw

[Big Johnny69]

"Richard", I don't mean to discredit you or Don, but 290 carry? I find that hard to believe. 290 total maybe. Most amateur golfers don't realize how far 300 yds is. And to carry it that far..... I can see you are working hard at your fitness and swing and if you accomplish those numbers I apologize. But until I see it I will find it hard to believe.

I'm not sure how the physics and math work but Tour players have swing speeds approaching 120 mph and their avg drive is 300+, and that is including roll.

By no means am I the longest hitter, but I can get it out there on a regular basis. I know there is lots of longer drivers out there than me. But to say you are going to be carrying the ball further than my drives with roll. Needless to say I'm a little skeptical.

["Richard"]

Geoff, my driving is like donny... not straight. But on the 1/20 that is hit hard and straight, yes 290 carry. Wie swings at 106mph and I think her carry is 275 or something. When I say I swing as hard as I can I honestly mean as hard as I can to get it to 114mph (clocked at DONs 3 times over 75 drivers). Obviously that is by no means an average or anything since I lose a ton of yardage by shanking it, slicing it, pulling it, pushing it... I'll give you a little demo on wednsday if you like if GT is done with my driver.

JB holmes 130mph and can carry it 290 with a 3w...

["Richard"]

Someone told me the tour average was something like 112 or something. Not sure if that is right but included in their average are their miss hits. Is it so hard to believe that a tour player with a swing speed of 114mph could carry the ball 290-300? Not really, with alot of tour players using higher lofted drivers now most is carry.. not many use 8.5's like they used to and get more roll. Again, never claimed it to be an average of anything, I doubt my average is even 250y the way I slice or when I don't hit the sweet spot or slice AND not hit the sweet spot LOL

[Chieflongtee]

I'm taking about carry, not with roll. I hit 300+ yard drives more often than one would think. Since working out all winter and going on that golf program I posted, I can get the club head upto 114mph but when I'm swinging that hard I have no control. I went in to see DON and he said for you 290 carry won't be a problem, I think the first driver I hit with (my 44inch) I averaged 109mph (I would have to double check when I get to ottawa) but I got tired pretty quick and lost a lot of that on the rest and was down to 106 then 104 but that was as low as it went. For me, its not about length at all, its about keeping it in play which I rarely do with a driver because if you slice it its going to go a lot more right than a 230 yard drive sliced. Also, at that speed an inside out or an open club face or both is going to screw you big time. Maybe I'll try to swing it the same speed as my 7iron (160yards) and see what the results are. Thanks for all the advice and opinions. Maybe I'll set up my 430q to draw

See how your story does not hold up. If you hit your 7 iron 160 yards then there is no way in heck you're going to hit the driver 300. I hit my 8 iron 160 and my best drives are 270-275. According to your theory I would hit my driver 300 yds carry. If you do indeed hit it 300 coming out of your shoes you must be going through lots of shoes. How far do you hit your 3 wood? 288? And your 5 wood 278? Your 3 iron 268?

[Big Johnny69]

Well I guess I misunderstood. Throughout the thread we have been talking about averages. Stating you can hit it 290 carry on 1 out of 20 drives (or more) is not really a relevant stat. If that's the case I'm sure I've carried the ball 280-290 once or twice in my life. So ok, sure I believe you could carry it 290, but I was thinking average. But would like to see it, and I'll be sure to bring extra shoes for you.