Jump to content
IGNORED

Driver: could you play without one?

RichF

By RichF,
in Clubs, Grips, Shafts, Fitting

 Share
Note: This thread is 5957 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Recommended Posts

RichF Great Member

RichF

Driver: probably the most hyped/advertised, bought (and sold) club on the planet.....but if you're good with your mid-irons, could you (or would you?) leave the driver out and stick with a 3-wood off the tee....or do you absolutely rely on the driver to get you as far and as straight as possible?

I'm just asking this with reference to Tiger Woods' 2006 Open victory at Hoylake when he didn't use the driver at all (much to the disappointment of the crowd), replaced it with 2-Iron and occasional 3-wood and ground-out the win.

Are you that consistent with the driver that you could 'never leave home without it'?

TaylorMade R9 460 9.5°
TaylorMade R9 13°
TaylorMade RAC TP MB 3-PW
TaylorMade RAC TP 54°.10 / 58°.10
Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 83
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

REBELKFX Member

REBELKFX

I played a couple rounds with a guy who ONLY uses Irons. Its pretty neat seeing someone knock a 3 Iron straight down the fairway every time past your driver shot
IN THE BAG
DRIVER 460 Super Quad 9.5 Degree, RE*AX Stiff Shaft
3 WOOD R7 Steel 15 Degree, RE*AX Stiff Shaft
IRONS R7 Steel Shaft
Wedge CG 10 Black Pearl 56 degreePutter Black Series #2 Blade 33" Ball BLACK
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Xbmchs12X Established Member

Xbmchs12X

Driver: probably the most hyped/advertised, bought (and sold) club on the planet.....but if you're good with your mid-irons, could you (or would you?) leave the driver out and stick with a 3-wood off the tee....or do you

Definitely, half the time when I play I use my 3-wood of the tee, I hit it about 245, and I hit my driver around 270 so its not like I would lose that much distance.

Driver- 9.5 905R
Woods- V-Steel 15*
Hybrid- Rescue Dual 16*
Irons- 3-P Project X 5.5 Wedges- Vokey 54* and 58* Putter- Scotty Ball- Bridgestone B330-S

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RichF Great Member

RichF

  • Author
Okay, what about consistency?
If you can consistently drive say, 260-280, how accurate are you with it?

How would your game be affected if you left it out and just used 3-wood/2-3 Iron?
TaylorMade R9 460 9.5°
TaylorMade R9 13°
TaylorMade RAC TP MB 3-PW
TaylorMade RAC TP 54°.10 / 58°.10
Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

cwo2lt Member

cwo2lt

Yep. Look at my bag, my driver sucks so I stick with the 3W. I can hit that 220 consistently. Sometimes I even hit it straight! lol

Bag: Old Gunny Sack
Driver: HiBore XLS 10.5*
Wood: G10 15.5*
Hybrid: G10 21*
Irons: Knock off Pings Wedge: CG-11 56* SW, CG-12 52* GapPutter: Rossa DaytonaGrips: Winn ExtremesBall: Water Logged

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wireless Member

Wireless

I have decided to play a few rounds without my driver. I can't hit it consistently straight, but I can hit my 3 Wood straight and 200-220. I'll take 200 straight off the tee over 250 onto the adjacent fairway and see what happens to my scores

In my (looking for a new cart bag):

Driver: AirMax 430-S, 10.5°, Fujikura R Flex
3-Wood: Gigagolf Ozzy Moto, 15°, UST PGH 100 R Flex
5-Wood: Gigagolf Ozzy Moto, 18°, UST PGH 100 R FlexHybrids: Deep Red 17°/21°Irons: Deep Red, 17-4 Stainless, 5-PWWedges: Orlimar SOS Black Oxide,...
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Rambler Dedicated Member

The Rambler

You could, yes. Sometimes my 3 wood goes just as far as my driver

Driver: 10.5* SuperQuad TP 1st Edition All Black V2 Stiff
5 Wood - 585.h 19* DG S300
Irons: 3-PW S59 Stiff
Wedges: Rac TP 52*, 60* MP-T 56*
Putter(s): Anser 3 TP Black ballGET TO SINGLE DIGITS!Goal: Beat a certain admin that lives in my town

Link to comment
Share on other sites

La Costa Golfer Well Established Member

La Costa Golfer

I think the name of the game off the tee is to be long and placement. So if you find that you can hit a different club (whatever it is) to be longer than the so called named driver...use it. If you can hit a broomstick longer than your driver...do so.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

hypergolf Dedicated Member

hypergolf

I played without a driver for 8 months before I bought my 907D2. You can definitely play without a driver. Score is pretty much consistant. Just needed to use longer irons to target green but it was a good training for me. Now that I got a driver I use it about 50% off the tee but the rest of the other 50% with 3 wood and hybrid.
Driver
909D2 9.5º w/ Grafalloy Prolaunch Platinum Stiff

Woods
909F2 13.5º w/ Aldila Voodoo Fairway Stiff 909F2 18.5º w/ Aldila Voodoo Fairway StiffIrons MP60 3-PW w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold Sensicore S300Wedges Vokey Design 200 Series Tour Chrome 52-08 w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold S200...
Link to comment
Share on other sites

SuaSponteMn Dedicated Member

SuaSponteMn

5 years ago, I would have said yes; today I'm not so sure.

Drivers off the tee are probably more forgiving than the 3w, higher MOI and larger clubface. That being said, I still find myself hitting 3w off the tee if I'm worried about getting into trouble, I also find myself hitting that 3w directly into the trouble I was worried about .

Now I can hit my hybrids right down the center, pretty much every time. So I've contradicted myself

So yeah, I guess you don't really need one, but I wouldn't play without one.

In My Bag:

Taylormade: Superquad 9.5 Aldila VS Proto 'By You' 70-S
Sonartec: SS-07 14.0 Aldila NV 85-S
Cleveland: Halo, 3i UST Irod 83-SPing: i-10 4-UW AWT-STitleist: Vokey Design Spin Milled 54.10 & 60.08Slighter: Handstamped Tacoma, 350G in Black Satin w/Sound Slot
Link to comment
Share on other sites

dbornack Well Established Member

dbornack

Why would anyone want to? I know I would certainly notice a 300+ yard shot missing from my bag.. I can adapt to a 3-wood or 1-iron, and hit those near 300 if I really try.. but, I have no reason why I would want to do that..

Driver: SUMO 5000 8.5* w/ Aldila Proto-65 X 45.5"
3-wood: SQ w/ Diamana 83 X +1"
Hybrid: SuMo 2h w/ Project X +1"
Irons: MP-33 1-PW w/ TT X100 Sensicore +1"
Wedges: Vokey Oil Can 54 + 60 +1"Putter: Red X 34"Me: 6'3" 220lbs. - 0-4 Handicap, depending on how much I work ;); NJCAA All-American,...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Zakko Established Member

Zakko

At my 'home' course, for 18, I hit driver about 3 times throughout the round; two par 5's and a reachable par 4.

The difference between my driver and 3 wood is ~20 yards. Driver: 280; 3 Wood: 260.

Driver: Sumo2 5900 10.5*
3+ Utility: 3DX Utility 13.5*
Hybrids: 4DX 18.5*
Irons: MP-30 3-PW
Wedges: Vokey SM54.10 & SM60.04Putter: T.P. Mills StudioBall: GamerBag: Warbird Stand

Link to comment
Share on other sites

CurtisBen Member

CurtisBen

I played almost all summer without a driver just got one last week. I never noticed anything different in my scores just longer shots into the greens.

Home course: www.tupelocountryclub.org

Link to comment
Share on other sites

beung Well Established Member

beung

The major problem for most rec golfers is that the driver tends to get them into more trouble and cost them more strokes then it saves them. They swing so hard thinking that the harder they swing the more distance they will get. They do get more distance but usually in a sideways direction. If they swung at like 80%, they would probably get more forward distance because they have less side spin.

So weather you hit a driver say 260 into the heavy rough or trouble and have to punch out or you hit an iron off the tee only like 220 or so, it is still going to take you 3 shots to get on the green. which is safer, the chance of you losing your ball off the tee with an iron is much less then driver because most times you can't hit it far enough to reach the kind of trouble that swallows up golf balls.

I would say no, a driver is not a requirement, especially if it costs you more strokes then it saves when you use it.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

dbornack Well Established Member

dbornack

Id also like to add, that my driver exposes a weak part of my game for me. The 100 yards and in shot. I don't have the time to practice, and pretty much never do.. So on most Par 4s.. I'm stuck with 50-120 yards left. It's frustrating to say the least, to bomb it 320 down the middle and make 4 or 5. Looks like I nede to start practicing the short game. :)

Driver: SUMO 5000 8.5* w/ Aldila Proto-65 X 45.5"
3-wood: SQ w/ Diamana 83 X +1"
Hybrid: SuMo 2h w/ Project X +1"
Irons: MP-33 1-PW w/ TT X100 Sensicore +1"
Wedges: Vokey Oil Can 54 + 60 +1"Putter: Red X 34"Me: 6'3" 220lbs. - 0-4 Handicap, depending on how much I work ;); NJCAA All-American,...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

niblick Dedicated Member

niblick

Yes, but not as well.

Breaking 90 was a goal for this year, and I achieved it largely because I finally starting hitting driver with some consistency. There's about 40 yards between 3 wood and driver for me, which is a wedge instead of a 7 iron. My wedge game is probably my strongest area so hitting driver plays to my strengths. I used to not even carry a driver - now I do and I hit it as often as I feel is smart. What used to be my biggest liability is now one of my strengths thanks to some lessons and alot of range time, and my index has come down about 5 points as a result.

Titleist 907D1 10.5°
Titleist 906F4 15.5°
Titleist 906F4 18.5°
Wilson Staff Pi5 3-P
Titleist Vokey 56.14Cleveland CG12 60°Scotty Cameron Newport Two

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shindig Incredible Member

Shindig

Driver: probably the most hyped/advertised, bought (and sold) club on the planet.....but if you're good with your mid-irons, could you (or would you?) leave the driver out and stick with a 3-wood off the tee....or do you

First, I think Tiger did hit a driver during his 2006 victory at Hoylake. Once, on one day. I think. But you're right, he more or less played without it. The issue is, for Tiger, the extra distance from the driver would get him into trouble, as it did for other prominent players. They would drive through the fairway, or bring tough fairway bunkers into play, and so on. Tiger would place his shots into the fairway at convenient locations, avoiding danger. Smart man, that Tiger. As for me, the first regulation course I played didn't mow the rough any different from the fairway for most holes. You could tell by the map or trees if you were supposed to have been in the rough or fairway, but as long as I hit it in the general green-like direction, the driver didn't cost me strokes. When I switched to a course that had rough and a fairway, the fairways felt incredibly choked (although they now feel fine). I used 3-Wood off the tee more often than not, although I now use driver at that course. To me, the advantage of getting used to hitting 3-Wood off the tee so frequently is that I never tried to kill my 3-Wood shots. I gave a controlled swing, and hit it generally straight. Hitting my driver is much like that now, a huge asset. Others have also pointed out that my driver is more forgiving, so as long as I get my alignment right, I'll be fine. So, could I play without one? Yes! Will I? Probably not. One other thing - it is not unheard of for good players to move up a tee box and use a long iron off the tee as a way of mixing things up.

-- 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. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Awards, Achievements, and Accolades
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

Note: This thread is 5957 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.

  I accept
The popup will be closed in 10 seconds...