Took the Driver Out of My Bag

[onthehunt526]

All you guys talking about taking the driver out of the bag has gotten me thinking: I know they're a little harder to come by now, but what about a higher lofted driver say 13° or more? I know for higher-handicaps driver is a difficult club to master (i.e. have consistency with). 

In the past, I've had my own issues with driver. These days drivers are much more forgiving than they used to be. It's the Indian and not the arrow.

[mcanadiens]

Every single time I get it in my head to stop hitting the driver, one thing is virtually certain. ... The most god-awful, snap-hooking, tree-seeking 3W you ever saw.

Besides, being a short-hitting 42 y-o, those bastards make me hit from the white tees just because I'm under 60 years old. Covering that distance with less than 1W ain't happening.

At least for me, (and I don't hit it particularly well) not hitting the driver has never been the answer.

[Eric C]

I haven't used a driver for a few years.  Played with my hybrid off the tee for the first year that I ditched it, then switched to a Ping G400 3W about two years ago with really good results. I have still managed to shoot mid to low 80's, but adjusted the tees that I played from to accommodate the lack of length off the tee. My problem is that when you put a driver in my hands my swing changes completely - no idea why, of course I need lessons but haven't had the time with work and family.

My father, who taught me to golf (including all my bad habits, I'm sure) passed several months ago and his estate recently settled.  This past weekend, because he would have wanted me to, I went and bought a brand new set of Ping G410 irons/hybrids along with the G410 driver.  I'm going to give it another shot, and make time over the course of a few weekends to take some lessons with it.

[Waddaplaya]

9 hours ago, Shindig said:

Was it fit for you?  And how often is the miss behind those trees, and can you adjust your aim with it to bring that big miss out of play, perhaps by putting the right rough into play?

It was not fit for me no. I bought a used g25 driver off of ebay instead of spending a ton of cash for a fitting and a new driver. I've watched driver fitting videos where not only are you paying for the fitting but you are shelling out 500 dollars for a new driver and then 3-500 dollars for the shaft they put you in. At the moment using my 5 or 3 wood occasionally on tight fairways vs spending 1000 dollars for one club seems to be more realistic to me. However, I could be persuaded otherwise. 

10 minutes ago, Eric C said:

My father, who taught me to golf (including all my bad habits, I'm sure) passed several months ago and his estate recently settled.  This past weekend, because he would have wanted me to, I went and bought a brand new set of Ping G410 irons/hybrids along with the G410 driver.  I'm going to give it another shot, and make time over the course of a few weekends to take some lessons with it.

First I am very sorry for your loss especially because I imagine golfing in general is connected to the relationship you had to your dad. 

I have a G25 driver I bought off of ebay that I hit relatively well however not as consistent that I would like. I recently did the UTRY program from global golf and tried out the new Ping G410 and I will say that I hit it much better than my current older driver. My misses were much more manageable. They are much easier to hit than older drivers. So maybe you will have some more success. I just don't want to spend 500 dollars on one golf club..... UGH 

[klineka]

1 hour ago, Waddaplaya said:

I've watched driver fitting videos where not only are you paying for the fitting but you are shelling out 500 dollars for a new driver and then 3-500 dollars for the shaft they put you in. At the moment using my 5 or 3 wood occasionally on tight fairways vs spending 1000 dollars for one club seems to be more realistic to me. However, I could be persuaded otherwise. 

FWIW, a lot of driver fittings make the fitting free if you order a club through them. 

Also, you can always spend the $50-100 for the fitting, which will likely be with the current model year drivers, then go buy just the head of the previous model year of that driver you were fit for (could buy used) and buy the shaft separately and likely will save some money.

Not all shafts are 3-500 extra, most manufacturers are offering a number of different shafts at no additional upcharge.

[Shindig]

3 hours ago, onthehunt526 said:

All you guys talking about taking the driver out of the bag has gotten me thinking: I know they're a little harder to come by now, but what about a higher lofted driver say 13° or more? I know for higher-handicaps driver is a difficult club to master (i.e. have consistency with). 

In the past, I've had my own issues with driver. These days drivers are much more forgiving than they used to be. It's the Indian and not the arrow.

If I were tempted to remove the driver from the bag, I'd instead get a high-lofted driver, perhaps with a shorter shaft.  It's be a 2-wood for use only off the tee, but it'd be a lot better (in forgiveness, accuracy, and distance) than a 3-wood would be if I carried such a thing.

2 hours ago, Waddaplaya said:

It was not fit for me no. I bought a used g25 driver off of ebay instead of spending a ton of cash for a fitting and a new driver. I've watched driver fitting videos where not only are you paying for the fitting but you are shelling out 500 dollars for a new driver and then 3-500 dollars for the shaft they put you in. At the moment using my 5 or 3 wood occasionally on tight fairways vs spending 1000 dollars for one club seems to be more realistic to me. However, I could be persuaded otherwise. 

Oh, given those choices, I agree completely.  If the expenditure were closer to $150 would you be more in line with it?

I took up golf when I was in graduate school.  I had my mom's old putter (from when she was in undergraduate school, at the time the last time she played regularly), a set of beginner's irons (assembled by a friend of a friend) and a 5-wood.  To top it off, I'm cheap, even now that I make good money.  So believe me when I say I wasn't eager to spend $1000 for one club, or even $300.  In fact, I was several years into a paying career before I had a new-as-in-new driver in my bag, and a fitted one too.  

And, to top it off, when I did go for a fitting in graduate school, I later found out they were fitting everyone into the same expensive shafts, but I found that out after dropping $1000 and having some clubs changed/adjusted.  And the outfit was owned by a former U.S. Amateur champion, too.  

I'm saying this because I want to make it clear, I'm not going to suggest spending a lot of money, and there are a lot of options between "it's a driver" and "let's find the globally optimal head and shaft combination."

Let's talk driver fitting.  I don't mean "let's find the driver you would want if your life/income/satisfaction depended on the getting the best driver you can get."  We might not find the globally optimal driver for you.  But let's figure out if that g25 is working against you, and see if we can inexpensively find a better one for you.

How did you pick that driver?  What are its specs?  And what are the specs of your fairway woods (and how did you pick them)?

For specs, what sort of grip, loft, and shaft (make and flex) are you using?

BTW, if you want a good first approximation of your fit, go to a demo day for any OEM and ask them to try drivers.  See what they suggest;  they'll often help you find a good loft and flex for your driver for free.  That's what I did in graduate school, and I then went to the used bin and picked out a used driver (Cobra F-Speed) with the loft and flex I was fit into.  Suddenly, I had a driver that worked great for me for quite a while. 

[Eric C]

7 hours ago, Waddaplaya said:

First I am very sorry for your loss especially because I imagine golfing in general is connected to the relationship you had to your dad. 

I have a G25 driver I bought off of ebay that I hit relatively well however not as consistent that I would like. I recently did the UTRY program from global golf and tried out the new Ping G410 and I will say that I hit it much better than my current older driver. My misses were much more manageable. They are much easier to hit than older drivers. So maybe you will have some more success. I just don't want to spend 500 dollars on one golf club..... UGH 

Thank you.  Golf was our common bind in a sometimes difficult relationship, and I do miss spending that time with him.

FWIW, I absolutely went through the entire fitting process, tried a variety of irons, drivers, shafts, etc. and it will be a few weeks before everything arrives.  Despite having the foreknowledge that having a driver in my bag is about as helpful to my game as the umbrella I also carry, cost was less an issue with this refresh given the circumstances.  Hope springs eternal that with better technology and a fitting, as well as a commitment to practice and lessons I might be able to learn to hit it effectively.

[onthehunt526]

9 hours ago, Shindig said:

If I were tempted to remove the driver from the bag, I'd instead get a high-lofted driver, perhaps with a shorter shaft.  It's be a 2-wood for use only off the tee, but it'd be a lot better (in forgiveness, accuracy, and distance) than a 3-wood would be if I carried such a thing.

It's funny that you mention the obsolete "brassie". I knew a couple of high schoolers when I was on the varsity team from other schools, that had the old Callaway Steelhead 2-wood.

I honestly believe a high-lofted driver with a shorter shaft as you mentioned may be the way to go for those who struggle with hitting the driver. The main issue with getting a driver with a shaft that is literally only one inch shorter is swingweight. However if you could find say a SLDR HL or something like that (Tour Edge had one in the Bazooka Max-D45 line) after shortening the shaft, there are ways to get the swingweight up to the standard or desired specification.

[yellowboy]

Try a more lofted driver. I have 3 different ones  an 11.5, a 13, and a 13.5. The 13.5  is one I can adjust I can adjust higher but I don't .  You can get away with a mishit on a more lofted driver and the bigger head (compared to a 3 wood or hybrid) is also more forgiving.  I laugh when I see guys that can't hit a 5 wood straight off a tee  hitting a 9.5 degree driver and cant figure out why they cant break 100 !!