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Is it worth having a driver in the bag?


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Ive always been a player of course management and keeping it in play and using my driver on holes only where its needed etc.  However ive got an r7 quad which ive never really got on as well as ive wanted to with and now that ive put the nvs in it it balloons all the time so im thinking of ditching it and just using my new 3 wood from the tee.  I played for like two years without one and just took a 3 iron of the tee or driver when safe.  Would it be in my interest to buy a new driver? I can hit my 3 wood 250 yards which is decent but then again a driver would be further.

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If you can play your way around every course without a driver, sure. But if you want your handicap to drop, you might want it in the bag. Depends a lot on which courses you play. Some you can get around pretty well with a wood but longer courses can be tough. Having a mid to short iron into the green instead of long iron or wood does make a difference.

The driver can be disastrous if it's not working, but very useful when it does. I've hit my share of bad drives and still don't trust it 100%, but I couldn't imagine taking it out of the bag.

Ogio Grom | Callaway X Hot Pro | Callaway X-Utility 3i | Mizuno MX-700 23º | Titleist Vokey SM 52.08, 58.12 | Mizuno MX-700 15º | Titleist 910 D2 9,5º | Scotty Cameron Newport 2 | Titleist Pro V1x and Taylormade Penta | Leupold GX-1

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I can't imagine playing without a driver.  Then again, I'm more short and accurate.  That and a good (but diminishing!) number of par-4s would require more than an iron to hit in two if I don't hit a driver off the tee.

-- Michael | My swing! 

"You think you're Jim Furyk. That's why your phone is never charged." - message from my mother

Driver:  Titleist 915D2.  4-wood:  Titleist 917F2.  Titleist TS2 19 degree hybrid.  Another hybrid in here too.  Irons 5-U, Ping G400.  Wedges negotiable (currently 54 degree Cleveland, 58 degree Titleist) Edel putter. 

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I hit my driver about 270-280 when I hit it good. I hit my 3 Wood around 235-245.

On your average mom and pop course I don't think a driver is all that much more useful then a 3 or 4 wood.

However on my home course for example their is a wide open par five that in its longest configuration, from the blues is about 604 yards. Their is also a Par 4 that is 447 in its longest config but is brutally uphill. You get no nice rolls, and usually the hill cuts off at least 20 yards from your drive. If you hit a short tee shot your faced with a 230+ yard second shot all uphill. If my drive is not excellent I just lay up.

I'm sure their are people who can play both these holes without a driver but why not use one? In my opinion a driver (if well hit) gives you the largest advantage of all which the ability to use a short Iron for approach shots.

That's just my opinion however. Their are some people who I think would be very well off without a Driver. If you extremely confident in your long irons you may not need a driver but what golfer would rather hit a 3 then a 7?

nickent.gif4DX Evolver Driver, ping.gif Rapture 3 Wood, taylormade.gif Burner 08 5 Wood, nickent.gif 3DX RC 3-4 & 5DX 5 Hybrid,
nickent.gif 6-PW 3DX Hybrid Irons, cleveland.gif High Bore 09 GW-SW, touredge.gif 60* Wedge, maxfli.gif Revolution Blade Insert Putter
 
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Depends on 2 things: 1. can you hit it 2. is the course long?

I hit my driver 290yds and my 3-wood 255yds and I hit them both pretty consistanly for a 12 handicapper. Longest par 5 is 536yds so even on a good day I can just get home in 2. Don't even know why I used to try (3w, easy6i and easy 9i) and longest par 4 is 416yds again uphill (driver and 7i). Really depends on the course, but if you want to improve then the driver will have to stay in the bag. For years I never used driver and too many par 4's played as par 5's using 3 wood. 3 wood and then playing 3i or 4i is not fun.

So if you can hit it use it and if you can't by all means use what's comfortable, but put in the practice with the driver. Just my 2c.

In my mizuno.gif Neo Cart Bag or rife.gif Staff Bag on clicgear.gif 2.0 Trolley
 Driver: R11 10.5* |  3W: CB4 15* | adams.gif Hybrid: Idea Pro (20* & 23*)
bridgestone.gif Irons: J36 Cavity Back (5-PW) | vokey.gif Wedges: S.M Oil Cans: 52.08, 56.08 & 60.04
rife.gif Putter: 2-bar Hybrid Blade | bridgestone.gif Ball: B330-RX  Ball: Pro V1

 

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Thanks for the replies yea I see what you all mean.  There are holes on my course I would benefit with a driver definately but its just the cost of getting one and properly fitted which is extortion about £300.  I would really like to try a 460 cc like the supertri.  With a driver par 5s are gimmie birdies practically which will help but the cost is the thing holding me back ideas to get cheap ones?

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Years ago I was living in a town in Oklahoma. I had damaged the grip on my driver, and sent it out to have it redone. The pro shop misplaced it, and it took them about 6 weeks to locate it.

During that time, I played a 3W off the tee. Back then, I could hit it about 220. Anyway, I ended up having my best season of that 6-year stint in the town. Part of the reason: On the long par 4s, I was hitting a 3W + 4W going into the greens. With a driver, I was hitting a 2i or 3i which never went as well as the 4W. Also, a couple of dogleg par 4s had OB along the sides. With a driver I could knock it OB, with a 3W I couldn't.

Didn't realize the benefit of the 3W until a couple of years after the driver returned to the bag. Given, our course was only about 6,100 from the white tees. At a longer course, no driver would have been tough.

With the high MOI of the jumbo drivers, I normally hit a driver unless the driver would go "too far' for the design of the hole.

Focus, connect and follow through!

  • Completed KBS Education Seminar (online, 2015)
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Driver:  :touredge: EXS 10.5°, weights neutral   ||  FWs:  :callaway: Rogue 4W + 7W
Hybrid:  :callaway: Big Bertha OS 4H at 22°  ||  Irons:  :callaway: Mavrik MAX 5i-PW
Wedges:  :callaway: MD3: 48°, 54°... MD4: 58° ||  Putter:image.png.b6c3447dddf0df25e482bf21abf775ae.pngInertial NM SL-583F, 34"  
Ball:  image.png.f0ca9194546a61407ba38502672e5ecf.png QStar Tour - Divide  ||  Bag: :sunmountain: Three 5 stand bag

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Originally Posted by broombroom

Thanks for the replies yea I see what you all mean.  There are holes on my course I would benefit with a driver definately but its just the cost of getting one and properly fitted which is extortion about £300.  I would really like to try a 460 cc like the supertri.  With a driver par 5s are gimmie birdies practically which will help but the cost is the thing holding me back ideas to get cheap ones?



The R9 460 is a pretty good club too... you can find them used for $130-$150ish

Tristan Hilton

My Equipment: 
PXG 0211 Driver (Diamana S+ 60; 10.5°) · PXG 0211 FWs (Diamana S+ 60; 15° and 21°) · PXG 0211 Hybrids (MMT 80; 22°, 25°, and 28°) · PXG 0311P Gen 2 Irons (SteelFiber i95; 7-PW) · Edel Wedges (KBS Hi-Rev; 50°, 55°, 60°) · Edel Classic Blade Putter (32") · Vice Pro or Maxfli Tour · Pinned Prism Rangefinder · Star Grips · Flightscope Mevo · TRUE Linkswear Shoes · Sun Mountain C130S Bag

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I left my driver on the computer desk today, on purpose.  I shot my best round of the year.  I'm not long with my 4 wood (about 215yds), but I hit it straight and, most importantly, stayed in bounds.  I think I'm going to bench the driver for awhile, at least until I can get to the range and hit the driver some more.

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Funny, my buddy just challenged me to a match tomorrow using no woods or hybrids, traditional irons and a putter only. Should be interesting, but I'm all for it because his only advantage over me is length off the tee.

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At the course I play we have eight really long par 4's (405, 470, 430, 410, 445, 435, 425, 450) so hitting an average 3W or 4W off the tee, would mean tooooo many long 2nd shots to play any decent golf. Sure it can be done, but normally I would say that a really well struck 3W or 4W off the tee about equals the only just average driver ....... so it depends on the course ...... there are plenty of courses with 350ish par 4's and in that case a 3W to even a 3i or 4i off the tee can be plenty.

Cal Razr Hawk 10.5 | TM Superfast 3W | Adams Idea Pro Black 20 | MP-68 3-PW | TW9 50/06 + 58/12 | Ram Zebra Putter

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For the life of my I cannot hit a driver consistantly. I will constantly pull out my 3w or 4i from the tee even on long par 4s/5s, call me idiotic but it's safe for me.

2013 Goal:

 

Single digit handicap

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Pulling out the driver (for me) is the funnest part of golf. Getting hold of a good drive is a very good feeling. I say, keep it in the bag! However, slicing one 30 yards into the woods sucks!!! Which I do form time to time. 7 out of 10 times the driver will work for me.

It's a personal choice I guess...

In the bag:

Driver - Taylormade '07 Burner 10.5* 

3W & 4h Top Flite XL

Irons - Ping G10 XG black dot 5-9 PW, SW

Wedges - Titleist Spin Milled Vokey 58*

Putter - Ping Karsten Anser 2 33''

 

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since I recently got the 909 f2 fairway which I absoultely love and find perfect for me im considering the 909 d2 or d3.  Does anyone know if there will be much difference between those and my current r7 quad ht first thing is that they are at 440cc mines only 400cc.  I will try and test one on the monitor and the best thing is that they are  a lot cheaper than new drivers.

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