How many of you play without a Driver?

I should take my driver out of the bag, but I want to hit it! Like you, I can get good distance when I do manage to hit it straight. Had a company league outing yesterday. I hit 5W of 3 tees and hit 3 fairways. Hit 3W off 2 tees and landed within 5 yards of both fairways. Then I hit my driver on 2 holes and hit 2 adjacent fairways! Obviously blew a few strokes trying to get back!

My dad's last round he played without a driver, and surprise surprise, he shot the best round of the season so far.

It's a club that's more trouble than it's worth when there's no control. Sure you can be 300+ yard away, but that's no good if it's 3 fairways over in a bunker, under a tree, and over water.

that's what I've done. I'm a lot like you, 6'3, drive is straightening out, but still wildly inconsistent. My instructor was the first to recommend putting down the driver until my swing is more improved. The logic behind it is you play the course according to the best of your abilities. No need to hit a driver off the tee just cause its what your're "supposed" to do. I dropped down to my 3 wood which i'm very consistent with and consequently Im taking my 2nd shot from the fairway more regularly. Losing maybe 20-30 yards but that's a lot better than losing a stroke plus a penalty. 

I base the decision to bring a driver on the course I'm playing. 

My home course has tight fairways, with about 3 feet of 2nd cut and than really thick nasty rough.  The rough is so thick that attempts to do anything but chip out to the fairway result in real nightmares.  

Last week I decided to leave the driver home and used a Titlelist 910 fd as my driver and bagged an extra 3w instead.  I shot my lowest score there that day.  I plan to keep that setup until the rough thins out or I get more control with my driver. 

I don't even own a driver. Don't need it. Honestly I could get away with just irons. I hit my 4i longer than most men hit a 3w. I've been using my 3w lately and shooting my best rounds of the season, lots of fairways hit. But I play from the whites. If I played blues I'd buy a driver.

the fact that pros only hit the fairway with drivers 60% of the time makes me feel better.. and i feel like im starting to understand how to the my driver right every time.. but who knows.

I can hit my 3fairway wood 19degree really far though.. like 220+ so.. would that be okay to use off the teebox? as long as i have the ball sitting right off the grass on a tee? that's not crazy?

i have a 4fairway wood and 5, also.

key to hitting a driver is to shorten it.      There's tons of information on this on this board alone, but relative to your height, there's nothing that makes hitting a driver easier and more consistent than shortening it.       Makes a world of difference ... believe that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by inthehole 

key to hitting a driver is to shorten it.      There's tons of information on this on this board alone, but relative to your height, there's nothing that makes hitting a driver easier and more consistent than shortening it.       Makes a world of difference ... believe that.

 I notice before I hit good shots I choke up an inch or so. when Im gripping the end it makes me feel like I have to kill the ball. Great advice

But if you shorten the club.. all it does is kill the potential max distance.

But I do enjoy my 45" over my 45.5" I've had to deal with for a few years. Might go shorter if in fact it's better. Since I would like to have a replica swing and positioning as my long irons and fairway woods.

Quote:

Originally Posted by inthehole 

key to hitting a driver is to shorten it.      There's tons of information on this on this board alone, but relative to your height, there's nothing that makes hitting a driver easier and more consistent than shortening it.       Makes a world of difference ... believe that.

I think this is the reason why my best shot of the round is usually my 1st tee shot since I normally don't warm up and just to try to hit the ball, not kill it.

I keep the driver in the bag and play it only when my hitting is consistant or I have a wide open hole where if I do slice I still can play a decent 2nd shot.  I have had rounds where my drive has been decent enough to use for several holes and I have had rounds where I have left in in the bag and tee'd off with my super hybrid.  As a high handicap I go with what I have confidence in.

I am the oddball here. I do sometimes brutalize a shot with the driver but more than 50% of the time it's "around" where I want it. My 3w on the other hand I can't hit to save my live, practice a lot but I tend to drive it into the ground for some reason. I have 4 clubs I can "consistently" hit, my driver, hybrid 4, 7i, and PW. 

Practice will eventually cure this but right now it kills me to be this limited in what I can feel confident swinging. 

If I'm not hitting my driver well, then I'm not going to hit my 3-wood well. That's a given. My 3-hybrid however will probably be working, but my best shot with a 3-hybrid is around 60 yards shorter than a pretty good drive with a driver. That's a lot of distance lost. I just try to work through the trouble when the driver isn't working and sometimes it works out well and sometimes it doesn't. But I know that I shoot my best scores when my driver is working well and I'm hitting around 7 fairways while minimizing my misses.

I have started using the 3 wood more often off the tee.  I hit it pretty straight and get ~ 200-210 carry.  My driver is unpredictable lately and I will use it when I can miss.  But I only get 20 yards more carry with it on good hits.