Why hit driver?

[jonf]

So, I played today, and having had a disastrous day with my driver the last couple times out, I kept it in the bag (last game I shot a 93 having lost 7 balls off the tee). I hit my 3 iron on all the tees, except par 3s and short par 4s where i chose different irons. Well, huge difference. Wasn't hitting them perfect, but I was keeping the ball in play, and getting to the green in regulation on every hole (not always on the green, but as far as the green). I won't talk about the short game.

As much as I've ridiculed playing partners for doing it in the past, I'm starting to think that this is the way to play. I can hit my 3 iron fairly straight and consistent, 190-200 yards. It comes in freakishly high, so it holds greens like a PW. Any par 4 under 400 yards is reachable in two iron shots, and it takes the big numbers out of play. Didn't lose a single ball, and with the exception of some terrible putting and one chunked tee shot on a par 3, I played really consistently.

It really makes me think that keeping the driver in the bag could help a lot of golfers like myself, who can play well but struggle with consistency and have good rounds ruined by two or three disaster holes. I know that for years my ego has prevented me from implementing this strategy. But my ego took enough of a drubbing last round hitting 5 of the tee (TWICE) that I decided to give it a shot. In future I'll probably play the driver on a couple of par 5s, depending on layout. Didn't do it today as I'd never played the course, but in a couple of situations I actually made the hole much more difficult by not hitting driver off the tee. That will all come with fine tuning. Anyway...my big rant about how not using driver produced a minor improvement in score is over. But, if you're in the 14-25 range for your cap, I highly recommend trying for one round, just for experiment. It is quite nice to have a card with no triples.

[sillywilly]

i wonder if you would be allowed to play match with someone without the driver in the bag since your cap is based on playing with the driver and you clearly play better without it. me thinks not

[jonf]

That's why you should just play straight up

I'm sure I wouldn't be able to play without the driver if I was playing with one of the whiney guys you play with, but other than that it makes no difference. You don't enter your clubs when you enter your cap. Now, if I intentionally made bad choices leading up to a match that would be another thing.

Plus...the club was in my bag, I just didn't use it. Show me the rule that says you have to use every club in your bag.

[mpare]

Here we go again!

i wonder if you would be allowed to play match with someone without the driver in the bag since your cap is based on playing with the driver and you clearly play better without it. me thinks not

[mpare]

Please don't get Silly started again. We've had this discussion more than a year ago. It went on, and on, and on. The fact is that it is up to the player to decide what club to hit and when to hit it. There are no rules, explicit or implicit, that state otherwise.

As for hitting something less than a driver off the tee, I would say that for most amateurs that is an excellent strategy. The main reason is that most would have more control with the 3 wood (or some shorter club) because the shaft is not as long and it has more loft. As it is, most amateurs have drivers with too little loft and a shaft that is too long for them to control. Finally, for most of them, a well struck 3 wood or 3 iron (or some lesser club) - whatever is needed to put the ball in play on the fairway - will give them an easier second shot.

...
Plus...the club was in my bag, I just didn't use it. Show me the rule that says you have to use every club in your bag.

[powerlefty]

I agree with leaving the driver in the bag. I average more than 260 with my driver, but somedays it is not very straight. At the high end, I might hit my driver 10 times depending on the golf course. Often I will hit 5 iron, hybrids or 3 and 5 woods off the tee. I only hit driver on par 5s (and then not always) and very long par 4s or par 4s where missing the fairway is not that punative.

[Marcos]

I also agree on this.Played the last two months of my season last year with 3 wood and had a great time and scored better than usual.When you need to keep it in play on tight courses its worth sacrificing a bit of distance of the tee to have a good second shot to the green.I know most of you on this forum belong to the :Go long or go home club:but there is no need to use the big stick every round.This year i am alternating between driver and 3 wood and i am playing better golf.Actually broke 80 a few times with the 3 wood and it gives you more confidence when you are in the fairway and not in the rough.Worth trying for sure.

[stevek]

I played in Florida last fall and didn't bring my Driver at all as I was having too much trouble with it. I brought my TM Rescue#2 and hit it pretty consistantly 220-240 with at least 50% more accuracy.

I have been to the range recently to see if the driver (R7 - 420) should be back in my bag and found that even my best hits with the driver were just barely past where the #2 (perhaps 10 yards) went. The #2 was at least that far 10 times more often as it didn't hook or slice at often as driver did and in fact the #2 seemed to provide a draw.

Last weekend a friend was pounding the Burner Driver I discarded and gave him and I would end up at about the same distance.

I love the club so much I even bought a spare on Ebay. ($20 + $20 delivery)

[BC MIST]

It really makes me think that keeping the driver in the bag could help a lot of golfers like myself, who can play well but struggle with consistency and have good rounds ruined by two or three disaster holes.

Others may disagree but golf will always be a game of accuracy. If one can't put the ball where one needs to put it, one will not score to one's true potential. Your strategy of hitting the longest club that will keep the ball in play, will definitely lower your average score. However, it helps significantly to have a sound short game.

My lowest score in almost 50 years of golf came with my woods in the trunk of my car. Of course, the 24 total putts helped a little.

[justsomeguy]

It really makes me think that keeping the driver in the bag could help a lot of golfers like myself, who can play well but struggle with consistency and have good rounds ruined by two or three disaster holes. I know that for years my ego has prevented me from implementing this strategy. But my ego took enough of a drubbing last round hitting 5 of the tee (TWICE) that I decided to give it a shot.

I have never played golf thinking that I must hit a ______ off the tee. I have always developed a strategy for each hole that varies depending on the layout of the hole, the playing conditions of the day and the state of my game. Generally speaking I want my approach shot to be between 100-150 yards from the green - that gives me a lot of leeway in terms of club selection.

In future I'll probably play the driver on a couple of par 5s, depending on layout. Didn't do it today as I'd never played the course, but in a couple of situations I actually made the hole much more difficult by not hitting driver off the tee.

You're still not thinking right. You only need to use a driver on a par 5 if you're going for the green in 2 - otherwise you're just trying to get the ball in position so you can make a good layup for your approach. Unless you're a very short hitter, on 99% of par 5s playing driver is totally optional. For example, on the first hole at Pineview I typically play an iron off the tee, then a fairway wood over the gulley to get in position for a wedge/short iron into the green.

You really only need to use driver on a long par 4, or when you feel that going over hazards is easier/better than laying up in front of them and leaving a long approach shot.

[jvincent]

I am the opposite. I hit driver all the time, even on short holes with the exception of very short doglegs.

But the kicker is that I am much better off the tee with driver than any other club in my bag so it doesn't hurt me to play driver.

[leftylucas]

You and VJ!!

[Sakuraba]

Love my driver, & I will hit it any chance I get. Green under reg! 2 putt birdies rule! Thanks to the driver yesterday I'm a single digit again!

[Husband]

Many people I play with criticize and laugh at me when I tee off with a fairway wood or an iron on par 4s. It's all about math. Everyone has a favourite yardage to approach the green from. For me, 130-140 is a perfect PW and I always aim for 130yards out. This means I'll consider teeing off with a 3 wood on a 390-400 yard par 4. There's no advantage being <100 yards out from Driver when 130 is your favourite yardage.

[jonf]

However, it helps significantly to have a sound short game.

My lowest score in almost 50 years of golf came with my woods in the trunk of my car. Of course, the 24 total putts helped a little.

You don't need to tell me. My previous round I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, but was sinking putts and putting chips close. Yesterday it didn't matter how close to the hole I got my approach shots, I couldn't get it down in two. stupid game.

[Indio]

I have started to have problems off the tee recently with the driver so last Sunday I left it in the bag on the front 9 and lo and behold, I shot a 38... egging by fellow golfers got the better of me and so I took it out on the 10th tee and what happens.... doubles & triples! I shot an 84 for the day (46 on the back) but on holes that I didn't use driver, I was only 3 over...... tells me to leave that damned thing right where it belongs.... in the basement AT HOME!

[mpare]

While I spoke in favour earlier of resting the big dog, I should be clear. If I'm hitting the driver well, which I am with the new-to-me R7 Limited, I'll take it out when there is a tactical advantage to doing so. Let's face it, your chances of hitting the green increase as you get closer to the hole.

[sillywilly]

Here we go again!

haha, its what I do!!!

[ironmaster15213]

I hit the driver for one reason, to put a wedge in my hand. Pitching,gap or sand it doesn't matter, I spend 85 percent of my practice time on wedge play from various distances. If I can keep a wedge in my hand and putt only so so I will shoot between 69 and 73 consistently. Of course you have to keep the driver in play to do this but I've been doing fairly well with it since my knee has gotten much better. I am not afraid to hit 3 wood if the fairways are tight or numerous traps are located 265 from the tee box.

[leftylucas]

What this thread is related to is club selection and course/game management. if the driver is not working then use what can get you where you need to be to score on every hole. I rarely use driver on holes less than 350yds since I will not have more than a 7 iron in my hand to the green. In essence it is a question of managing your game. If the big stick feels good let her rip, if not save some strokes, swallow your pride and rely on the short game to save you.

[Golfbum]

Most high handicappers would be better off leaving the driver in the TRUNK!

Again most high cappers would be better off with a 11.5 to 13 degree lofted driver. But there is a macho man issue to be dealt with first.

A friend of mine bought a Lucky 13 a few years ago and he rarely misses a fairway with that driver. Hits it 220-230 all day long. In the short grass.

At the course I work at there is a par 5 that plays 504. Off the tee on the right side is a small creek. Any poorly hit drive to the right ends up in the water. I had been struggling on that all last summer and one day I decided to hit 3 iron off the tee. The member I was with asked me what I was doing when I pulled that iron out of my bag. "Simple, I want the ball in play" Two 3 irons, one wedge later I had a birdie putt, which I missed. But the point is I had the birdie putt.

If you hit shorter tee shots you better be good with your longer irons, or hybrids (Again, hig cappers should be carrying #3-#4-#5 hybrids, not irons)

Take the driver out, add a 7 wood or an extra wedge. Or suck it up and buy a driver with a higher loft that you can hit fairways with. A wise old golfer once told me "Rick, it is better to hit it 230 off the tee in the short grass than 260 and be hitting your second shot from the trees"

[jeffc]

what's your definition of a high capper?

[Kilroy]

Most people consider it to be

1-10 Low
10 - 20 Mid
20 + High

[Chieflongtee]

You can get away with it on short courses although you are putting a lot of pressure on your short game and 2nd shots. Anybody would rather hit a wedge into a green instead of a 4 iron or 3 wood. Moreover you are most probably inclined to to hit the tee shot harder cause you know you have some distance to make up. IMHO this strategy is good for bogey golf but will never allow you to break 80 on a long course. Tom Watson was on the Jim Rome show this past Monday and he said that there is no way he would fare well at Augusta. He did well at the British because it is mostly target and the ball rolls forever)

Now you are teeing off with a 3 iron. Ever tried a 3 wood? Or a larger size higher lofted driver? And if you do not mind me asking what driver is actually in your bag. The thriver suggestion myty just fit the bill(a thriver is a higher lofted driver with a shorter shaft)

[jonf]

Well, I currently have absolutely no cash to tweak my clubs. But, I hit an 8 degree tourstage 350z. I know....8 degrees is to little, but you should have seen how high I hit higher lofted drivers. As it is this thing gets up fairly close to the stratosphere. I was bombing it last year, straight and high, but this year it's just not cooperating. I haven't golfed enough to work out any swing flaws, either.

I like my 4 wood, but not off the tee. I think it needs a stiffer shaft. I hit my 3 and 2 irons long and straight. I feel completely comfortable hitting either of them into a green, and landed them a few times yesterday to give myself good birdie chances. I have no desire to play hybrids. I don't like the look of them, and given the way i hit long irons, it's not really necessary.

[downhillslider]

A very good local amateur told me years ago to learn how to hit the driver if you want to be any good at this game. His reasoning was so that you can get your scoring clubs in your hands for the next shot. He can bomb it and from 100 in, he is magical.

I can hit my driver fairly well and will not hesitate to club down off the tee if so requiered. I might not be hitting wedges in on approach shots all the time but would sure rather have nothing more than a 6i in my hands.

Chief hit on something about a shorter driver with more loft. Most driver fittings I do fall in to this category.

Everyone can hit a driver. All it takes is one that works with your swing.

[jeffc]

Most people consider it to be

1-10 Low
10 - 20 Mid
20 + High

then I would disagree with Golfbum. I am a 13 and I hit a 4 and 5 iron quite well and would carry a 3 if it fit into my bag. I hit a predictable shot with these, a high draw and do it consistently. I also have no need for a 11+ deg driver as I hit my driver (9.5) plenty high to begin with. I carry a 2h and no 3h or 4h.

[funk-like]

At the end of the day, its about picking the clubs which will allow you to score as low as possible. I would say there is no rule - its whatever works for you. Vandevelde could have hit 7 iron, 7 iron, wedge then 2 putt to win the Open Championship by 2.
For some who can't control the driver and are long off the tee, 3 wood or hybrid might be the right play on most holes.

[Chieflongtee]

then I would disagree with Golfbum. I am a 13 and I hit a 4 and 5 iron quite well and would carry a 3 if it fit into my bag. I hit a predictable shot with these, a high draw and do it consistently. I also have no need for a 11+ deg driver as I hit my driver (9.5) plenty high to begin with. I carry a 2h and no 3h or 4h.

Then it tells you that your short game needs improvement if you want to bring your index down.

[jeffc]

Then it tells you that your short game needs improvement if you want to bring your index down.

don't i know it chief. my putting has been awful lately and my chipping not much better. usually my strokes come from a blow-up hole or 2 on a bad swing or 2 and too many putts. unfortunately, I don't play enough (20-25 rounds a year) and get zero time to practice so my game is what is it is for the foreseeable future. I honestly think with the proper practice and consistency I could easily be in the single digits.