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Who doesn't carry a driver?


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Just curious who doesn't carry/hit a driver?

I never used to hit a driver and always hit a 3 wood in its place until about 3 years ago. I then decided to give it a go and have struggled with inconsistency since starting to use one. Good some days, bad on others. I have recently thought about going back to my 3 wood and have even bought a 13* degree 3 wood to compliment my 15* and to use off the tee.

To me it seems straight forward, hit what works, sacrifice a bit of distance for consistency.

Anyone else out there do this?

John

In the Sasquatch Tour bag:


3 Wood: 906f2, 13*, 906f2, 15*,
Hybrid : 19*Hybrid : CFT 21*, 24*Irons: APEX Edge iron 5-E, Apex 4 ShaftWedges : SV Tour 56*Putter: EFT BladeBall: Pro V1

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My driver is a bit of a passenger at the moment so I might as well; I don't think its a coincidence that both my best rounds (76 and 78) were when my old driver became illegal and I left it at home. I'm not a huge hitter (3-wood carries to 220) but my home course is more about tight/dogleg fairways than 450 yard par fours. If I left the driver at home I could get a gap wedge which would probably save me a couple of stokes, just may do that come to think of it.

In the Bag:

R7 Draw, stiff Exsar FS2
F-50 3-wood, stiff Exsar FS2
F-50 5-wood, stiff Exsar FS2 MP-60 3-PW, reg TT dynamic gold MP Tour Style 54.10 and 60.09,reg TT dynamic gold Bobby Grace DCT Response, w/ golf pride "2 thumb" grip B330S

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I have a bad slice when i use my Nike SQ. It was making me mad yesterday when I went golfing with my dad. I asked him if I could use his Cobra 3 wood off the tee and I hit it straight as an arrow, pretty good distance too. I like the 3 wood but I want to figure out what is wrong with my swing if anything or what is wrong with my driver.

In my Nike Bag...
Driver: 460 SZ 10.5*
Woods: SZ 3 and 7
Hybrid: Ignite
Irons: IgniteWedges: Big Bertha 55*, 58*Putter: FuturaBall: Penta, TP Black

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I only started carrying a driver late last summer, and only the old 190cc Callaway at that. I completely destroyed the driver that came with my knock-offs within a week of buying them, and I took that as a sign.....I spent about 5 years of only using the 3 wood, learning to hit, after breaking the pumpkin-on-a-stick. I picked up the new-to-me TM360 last fall after the season was over, but still prefer to hit the smaller bertha, and do so more consistently.

I can't get over the size of the 460cc drivers and it still throws me off. Even the 360 is a little menacing for me, but I am slowly getting used to it, and it does make me grin a little.
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Im probably going to drop the driver and get a set of Ping G10 fairway woods. They hit far and im so much more accurate with them. Plus 2 fairway woods are just as expensive as a driver.

In my Nike Bag...
Driver: 460 SZ 10.5*
Woods: SZ 3 and 7
Hybrid: Ignite
Irons: IgniteWedges: Big Bertha 55*, 58*Putter: FuturaBall: Penta, TP Black

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I used to use a Ping 1-iron off of a short tee as a driver replacement back when I had a bad slice.

In my stand bag:
909D3 with 10.5 degrees of loft and a 45 inch Fujikura Rombax 6Z08, x-flex
909F3 15* with a stock Diamana Blue
FT 18* with an Aldila NV
X-forged ('07), 3-PW with Project X 6.0 CG12, 53/11, and 58* with DSG Red X2, 33"All with Lamkin Crossline Full Cord. (except the putter of...

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For years I played a 2W off the tee (13º, probably called a strong 3W these days).

I finally broke down a couple years ago and put a 400cc+ driver in the bag. Took a while to get used to and hit correctly but now the results are finally starting to pay off. My driver is a "go to" club now, I find the fairway as often with it as I do a fairway wood and hit it further to boot.

What's in my bag (most of the time)

Exotics 12°, Aldila VS Proto 65S
Exotics CB1 4W, 16.5°, Fujikura Stiff
3DX DC Ironwood 20°, 23°, 26º Hybrids, Proforce V2 Stiff Acer XP905 Pro 6-PW, Dynalite Gold S300Inazone CNC Spin Satin GW 50°/8°, SW 54°/14°, LW 58°/4°Boccieri...

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I stoped using my driver about a week ago till i can fix my slice, been teeing off with my hybrid to replace it

My bag
R7 Draw Driver 9.0
Northwestern 3 wood
Texan 3/4 Hybrid 21 Degrees
Big Bertha 04 5-9 Irons Burner XD Wedges AW,SW,LW DFX 3300 Pro V1 & ProV1x Refurbs

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I used to carry a 3 wood for the times when my driver isn't cooperating. Then, I realized that I hit it just as accurate as my driver. I dropped my 3W for a 2h and I'm getting about 10 fewer yards off the tee, but can hit it off the fairway with ease. Also, it's more accurate than my driver and great for those tight 300-350 yard holes.
Before I had a decent swing, I used to use a 3W off the tee all the time because the driver sliced. Learning to hit a driver is one of the best things that I've learned to do when it comes to golf. It's nice knowing (or thinking anyway) that I'll keep the ball in play and be close to the hole.

In my Ogio Ozone Bag:
TM Superquad 9.5* UST Proforce 77g Stiff
15* Sonartec SS-2.5 (Pershing stiff)
19* TM Burner (stock stiff)
4-U - PING i10 White dot, +1.25 inches, ZZ65 stiff shafts55*/11* Snake Eyes Form Forged (DGS300)60*/12* Snake Eyes Form Forged (DGS300)Ping i10 1/2 MoonTitleist ProV1

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I don't carry a driver either. My 3 wood's not money off the tee but it's still a lot better than my driver, besides, the driver I've got has a way too flexible shaft for me. It's been so long since I've hit driver that I can't really remember how much distance I lose using the 3 wood but I'll often hit it just as far and sometimes further than the people I play with who are using drivers.
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I love to play my driver, I play it well off the tee, I understand your reasoning as I used to not carry one...
Driver: Taylor Made R9, Woods: Callaway Hyper X 3 wood, Hybrid: Cleveland Mashie 20 degree Irons: Callaway X-20's, Wedge: Cleveland 588 56 degree, Putter: Cleveland CC 6 Classic Black Platinum, Ball: Noodle, Shoes: Contour
 
Maryland Golf and Country Club in Bel Air, MD.
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I did not use a driver for about 7 years. I then found out how to work on my own clubs and shortened my driver. I find that the flatter swing plane of a driver gets people in trouble quick. Try a shorter driver around 44" and see what that does for you. The most accurate driver I ever owned was a Cleveland 400 with an NV shaft @ 43 1/2". A young man, who had a very fast swing, offered a very nice price for it, and I sold it.

the short game equalizes everything
FT-5 Draw 10.5
NVG woods 3,5,7,9
Orlimar 4hy
Wilson DI-5 Irons 6-pwTurner wedge 51* bent to 53*TM TP 54* SW bent to 57*Wilson Kirk Currie #2 Mid MalletLaddie X

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I carry a driver (that a cousin gave to me) but never use it. Since I started up again last summer, I'm only using irons.
Cart Bag: AMP Xtreme
Driver: 460
3 Wood | 5 Wood: Diablo
Irons: (3-8) X18 | X Forged 9 & P
Wedges: X Forged 52 (12) | 58 (10) C-Grind Putter: Anser 4 i SeriesBall: Burner1978 - 93 - All Time Best - 84 or12 over in 1991.1994 - 2008 - Inactive2008 - Present - All Time Best 96 or 24...
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Well I have been having a little off time from my drive over the last year and have been using a 2i off the T instead. For some reason my iron play is much much better than my driver. I just cannot hit that thing. When I do, it doesn't really add much distance over my 2i...so I stick with what is more consistant.

That said, I am going to a lesson tomorrow to go over my driver swing since I think the driver is a necissary club to master.
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I score just as well, if not better, without my driver. It's still in the bag, but I hardly go to it anymore. My iron game, especially long irons, has improved since because I'm hitting my approach shots form the fairway instead of trying to get out of trouble. My goal for the rest of the year IS to be able to drive the ball again though. I don't know when/how/where it went so wrong.

RZR Hawk 9.5

Diablo Tour 3W

RZR X Hybrid 21
09 X-Forged 4-P
X-Forged 52/56/60
Byron Morgan 007

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i went through a long phase where I couldn't hit many fairways with my driver and resorted to hitting hybrids off the tee. Easier to score when you are hitting from the fairway. At that time I couldn't find a 3 wood I liked either.
Unfortunately, nothing replaces the feel off hitting a solid driver, so although my scores were OK, I felt emasculated, to a degree as it took a fair bit of the pleasure out of the game for me.

In the race of life, always back self-interest. At least you know it's trying.

 

 

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Like many people, I had a stretch for a number of months that I couldn't do anything but hit a diving hook with my driver. I had my club maker build me a 13 degree three wood, and I pounded that thing dead down the middle every time, almost as far as my driver. That club got me through the summer and eventually changed the way I look at drivers.

The driver is now purely a distance club for me. In order to make it worth carrying a driver I have to be able to hit it at least 30 yards further than my 3 wood, or give me a 2 club advantage on approaches. To make that happen, and to achieve the swing weight I prefer, I added an inch to my driver, making it 46" long. My current driver - A Titleist 909D2, has a 46" Epic shaft and weighs in at E-0. It's a sledgehammer.

In my Srixon staff bag:

Driver: Titleist 909D2 8.5 - Grafalloy Epic X
Fairway: Adams RPM LP 13 degree - Grafalloy Epic X
Hybrids: Adams Idea Pro 18 degree - DGSL X100Irons: MacGregor 1025M 3-PW - DG X100SW: Titleist Vokey Spin Milled 54 - DG X100LW: Titleist Vokey Spin Milled 58 - DG X100Putter...

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Im probably going to drop the driver and get a set of Ping G10 fairway woods. They hit far and im so much more accurate with them. Plus 2 fairway woods are just as expensive as a driver.

This was me from Dec 2007-2008, couldn't hit my driver to save my life. So i relied on my Ping G10 15.5 3W, man i was hitting a consisten 240 yards with it, just aimed fired away. Later part of 2008 had my previous driver re-shafted and was hitting it more in the fairway at 250-260 yards.

But it sure is nice to outdrive your flightmates with only a 3wood and as you guys walk towards your balls and you find yours 5yards or more ahead of theirs you just turn around and ask politely...."Excuse me but what cllubs were you using when we teed off?...Oh right...drivers hehehe"

ISLAND PAR

In my Mizuno Bag:
TBD, MacGregor 4W(16*), 3H(20*),4H(23*), 5H(26*) Mizuno MX-900 6-PWAdams Watson 2010 Wedges (GW, SW, LW),Ping Wolverine Putter "But I thought you meant these golfers from our club when you said you needed SANDBAGGERS to help with the flood...

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