I'm 5'7' and swing about 85mph with a driver. I'm not happy with my driver performance. I hit my 3 wood further and straighter. Instead of just using my 3 wood off the tee, I'm considering trying out some unconventional drivers. In searching around I came across some references to a "thriver", a hybrid between a 3 wood and a driver.

I'm also considering cutting an older driver down to 44" to try, and even perhaps trying a women's driver. Choking up does seem to help, but the butt end of the club sticking out of my hands is uncomfortable.

Anyone have experience with these or other unconventional drivers?

Thanks.

Well, I'm 5'3". Three woods are difficult for me to hit off the turf, not enough clubhead speed. So, I ditched the three wood, and I carry a couple of drivers. The one I always have in the bag is a 16 degree Bang Bang-O-Matic driver, just a big driver head with 16 degrees of loft. I then also carry a driver that is 9.5 to 12 degrees in loft; I usually pick the one I am hitting well at that juncture.

The pioneers in high loft drivers are Bang and Adams. There hopefully are more by now. Another good Bang high degree driver to find used is the Mellow Yellow (good reviews).

Thanks for the reply. I played today using only my 3 wood and did a lot better than when I use my driver. I decided to cut an old Ping G5 I have down to 44", perhaps add a  little lead tape, and see how that goes. If I like it, I'll get my G15 professionally shortened ans swing weight adjusted.

All golf swings are different.  I'm only 5'7-5'8 and play mostly off the rack clubs.  My 45" driver goes 245-ish with the 3-wood getting out there 215 or so.  If you're hitting your 3-wood further than your driver, something is wrong.  I've got to think getting fitted -- not just for length but the actual shaft -- would make a difference.

The "Thriver", as Hireko calls them, is more/less a high lofted driver (460cc head, 14° loft), with a 1° closed face angle, head weight of 210g (about 7-10g heavier than a typical driver head), and a recommended length for men of 44".

http://info.hirekogolf.com/acer/xds/xds-insider-titanium-thriver-driver/

There are several big-box companies (Callaway, Nike, Adams, Taylormade, Ping) making high loft drivers in 12.5° and 13° lofts.  Nike had a couple called the Sumo Lucky 13 and the Sweet 16 (13° and 16° of loft).  Several component and custom brands (Wishon, Bang, Henry Griffitts) make them with up to 20°.

This is a little old, but still a good read:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HFI/is_11_54/ai_109467575/

I prefer a higher lofted driver myself, and play one with 12° of loft with a 1° closed face.

I certainly agree getting fitted is recommended, but, all else remaining the same, I can see a 15* 3-wood going further than a lower lofted Driver for those with slower swing speeds.  They need higher launch for more distance, so the typical 10.5* or lower lofts aren't going to be the best option.  Of course, it depends largely on your swing characteristics as well.

Glock posted some good info.

I've never used a 460cc 3-wood (14 degrees is a 3-wood), but when first playing this game, my 3-wood typically went farther than my driver. Better contact and a higher ball flight will do that. Playing in the wind or trying to hit a big hook the driver was king, but more often than not, a 3-wood off the tee resulted in a lower score.

Maybe you need a new driver, but your club head speed is pretty low, so why not go with the 3-wood until you get the club head to move through the ball quicker. Or maybe get an R11 and adjust it like a 3-wood if you're worried people will mock you for not using a driver on longer holes.

14° doesn't necessarily make it a 3 wood.  Depending on what the company decides to call it, the 3W can be 13° or 15° as well.  Just like saying 41°, 43°, 45°, etc is a 9 iron.  They are all 9 irons..... if that's what they stamped on it.

Plus, I'd think a huge 460cc head with the same loft as the 3-wood would be a bit more forgiving and easier to hit off the tee, but maybe that's just me.

The link you provided basically calls this a 460 cc 3-wood, but since it's built like a  true 3-wood, I guess it isn't. A fairway wood has a thicker walled face, a lower COR, and a leading edge better suited for hitting off the turf than a driver is.

If it looked more like a 3-wood though, then they could stamp whatever they wanted on it to make hackers feel good - it would be a 3-wood. They could stamp "sandgaptack wedge" on a wide soled 54 degree wedge with 12 degrees of bounce, but they'd still be talking about a sand wedge.

Actually, they call it a Thriver....

It’s Not a Driver

It’s Not a 3-Wood
It’s a THRIVER

and it's built like a true driver, not a 3 wood.

To me, it's just a marketing gimmick, just like all the rest of 'em.  Using a play on words to make their product stand out.  An XDS Thriver, at 460cc, 2.20" face height, 4.57" face length, and max legal COR; it's specs, other than being 10g heavier, are otherwise identical to the 10.5° and 12° XDS Insider drivers.

Sorry, I missed an important word in my post.

Grammar are good!

In case it changed the rest of my post enough to cause confusion, the club in your link is not a 3-wood. In fact, it's probably quite useless from the fairway. It's not a driver because it's 14 degrees of loft. It's a crutch. But if you have a broken leg, and you need crutches, you'd be a fool to not use them.  For people who need 3-wood loft to get the most distance, and a club face the size of a driver to keep from skying the ball, I say go for it.

I had a Swing Speed Radar device a few years back. I believe my tested speed when I was 64 (3 years back) was between 80 and 87. I virtually gave up on hitting the 3 wood off the deck (even when I made good contact, the flight was like a line drive with little carry). I noticed that when I made good contact off the tee, the ball went about as far as my driver. So, when I had the opportunity to buy a new Bang-O-Matic 16 degree head for $30 (thanks Martin's) a couple of years ago, I went for it. In case you are not familiar with the Bang-O-Matic, it is a head intended for long drive types (Scott Smith hit one 535 yards with it), but it plays very well for any golfer. I find that my 16 degree goes at least as far as my other drivers (Launcher Comp, FT-3, HipTi 420). The ball really gets up in the air, great for downwind shots and at 44.5", easier to keep in play.

Callaway built a Big Bertha driver that was available from 8° to 14°, even a Razr Hawk in 13.5°.  Cleveland has a Launcher that is 15.5°.  So when does a driver cease to be a driver?  There are drivers on the USGA's conforming list as high as 17°.  If it's built as a driver, and it's used as a driver, it's probably a driver regardless of one's opinion.  I wouldn't call it a crutch.  I would call it a tool for those that have their egos in check.  If a 70 year old man that can barely muster a 65mph swing (or a 30-something with an 85mph swing) hits his best drive with a 14° driver, or even a 18° Bang driver, then that is his driver of choice.

EDIT:  HighSide, you are a perfect example!

I'm not sure who you're arguing with on this. Although I personally would never consider putting a club like that in my bag (I'd rather just use a 3-wood since they're bigger than drivers used to be anyway), I don't begrudge someone using one. I've stated before (on this very site) that many people aren't using enough loft off the tee and probably aren't getting enough out of their swing with a driver.

Well, my apologies then Sean.  Sucky thing about the internet.... hard to tell if someone is with you, or against you!  I did take exception to the "it's not a driver" comment, and thus my last post (#16).

I've tried 10°, 10.5°, 11°, 12°, and 13.5° drivers and found I get the best distance, roll, and accuracy with the 12° head.  Now, if I could just convince my brother to ditch his 9° (and his John Daly back swing) and try a 10.5° or an 11°....  I'm sure he would have more fun playing his second shot from the short grass.  But his ego definitely has the best of him, "I'm not gonna play a f*&$(&*@ 11° driver!"  Sigh....