Driver - how consistently accurate are you?

[Wisco-Kid]

I am curious how many of you out there consider yourselves consistently accurate with your driver.

Do you hit your driver with confidence off the tee box knowing you will hit your target better then 75% of the time?

Or do you aim straight down the middle and pray for a straight shot knowing that the ball could go anywhere?

SIDE NOTE-
If you do hit your driver consistently accurate was it natural for you or did you work long and hard at it?

[Shindig]

I am curious how many of you out there consider yourselves consistently accurate with your driver.

If by "target" you mean "fairway," then yes, I generally hit it more than 75% of the time. I occasionally will hit a bit less than that, but the lowest fairways hit in the past few months has been 9/14 (10.5 is 75%). I have had many rounds with 11 or more, with a personal best of 13.

Whether it's natural for me or not depends. I didn't even own a driver for most of my first year of playing. I had irons 4-P,S and a putter and played par-3 and executive courses. After a few lessons, my irons were reasonably accurate, and this they remain. My most often playing partner is a buddy of mine who is very long with his driver. I learned quickly not to try to compete on distance, so I was naturally making a smooth swing and putting the ball into play. My length has increased, but only naturally: I don't feel that I'm forcing it. I find that my accuracy hinges on my desire to put the ball into play and my confidence with my long irons and hybrids. If you don't need the length but need the accuracy, it isn't too tough to swing easy. Then you get length whether you wanted it or not.

[NM Golf]

I am a bomber so naturally I hit fewer fairways. I am around 60% so far this year in fairways hit. I work very hard on my driving and it improves all the time. If I shoot a high score it almost always means the driver was out of control.

Still, I wouldn't trade my distance for more accuracy as I am not that inaccurate and I believe distance is very important.

[Hustle]

I play alot of courses with tight fairways. So I am in the fairway I would guess 95% of the time with my driver. But with that being said I only hit my driver when it is needed. Most of the time I am using a 3w or hybrid...

[Mr Eagle]

Worst part of my game Wisco hence the high handicap.My natural Draw often turns into a hook,and when I adjust my grip/swing I hit a lovely power fade.Score poorly on tight courses,but normally play better than handicap on wide fairways.


Lots of practice needed me thinks!

[Wisco-Kid]

Worst part of my game Wisco hence the high handicap.My natural Draw often turns into a hook,and when I adjust my grip/swing I hit a lovely power fade.Score poorly on tight courses,but normally play better than handicap on wide fairways.

Eagle I have the same but opposite problem. My fade turns into a slice when I least expect it. Usually ends up being the demise of my round. I am almost always too stuborn to switch to my 3 or 5 wood instead I spend the my round trying to fix the slice. All it takes for me is one good drive and I think I can do it everytime, never happens that way though.

[LottaBalata]

I have a natural fade with many of clubs, the driver is no exception. I would say I'm about 80% confident with the driver. Its usually just a psych-out for me.

For example, on my home course, there are 4 holes that run along side Kinser Pike, when I was 16, I think, I was working my "fade", back then it was simply a slice. . .nevertheless I hit a car, busted a passenger window, covered this little 2 year old kid in glass, I felt horrible. Another time, different hole, I put one right into the windshield of a cargo truck. Scared the crap out of the guy.

So, when I get to these holes that run along the roadside, I either pull the 3wood, or if I'm feeling lucky, I'll hit my driver and slice into the trees, or the adjoining fairway. Somewhere unconsciously, I'm thinking "don't put it in the road." But, anywhere else on the golf course, I tend to hit the fairways 8 times out of 10 I'd say.

[ChiChiIsMe]

SIDE NOTE-

I'm hitting about 70% fairways this season through 9 rounds. Of this misses, 95% have been left.

Last season I hit about 10% fairways, and 99% of this misses were right. I workd long and hard from Oct-Mar at it.

[Undr Par]

I would say that I'm not consistent at all, like last Saturday out of all the driving holes I only hit 1 down the middle of the fairway and another 1 was about 15 feet off the right fairway, other then that I placed myself in some really bad situations off the tee box on the rest....and to be honest there was nothing I did differently on any of the driving holes accept the result.....thankfully my irons and putter were with me that day to be able to manage a 94 or I would have been over 110 easily.....

but then on some occasions I can it my driver well the entire day...... that's why this game is so addicting imho, you never master it and there is always room for improvement

[Drunk Driver]

I pretty much always hit my driver dead straight. I don't ever remember slicing with it on the course (though I do recall a slight hook last week) I would say I find the fairway more than 80% of the time... providing the ball rolls far enough to make it past the ladies tees.

My most frequent bad contact is catching the top of the ball. The ball still tends to go more or less straight but the distance is pathetic. On the flip side when I do get under the ball it tends to go straight as well which I'm very thankful for.

[atltony]

When I'm warmed up...its straight down the middle 3/4 times. If I get to the course, pay and run to the first tee without properly warming up/stretching...its gonna be a hook, or draw if I'm lucky. If the particular course asks me to use driver on the majority of the par 4s I can sometimes tire out a bit and things will start leaking right at the end of the round.

edit- about the coming naturally or not question: My driver was absolutely the club I had to put the most work into in order to see satisfactory results...about a year ago I was one of the dudes who would set up aiming waaay left of the fairway...swing as hard as possible...and if I was lucky land the ball about 220 or so out in the fairway (most often closer to 200 and right of the fairway :<) 6 months ago the driver went on time-out...started playing my tee shots with my 3 hybrid. A few months went by and something clicked and all the sudden I began to swing from the inside. A couple sessions at the range with the driver actually trying to lessen the inside to out swing path and now I can finally nail drives dead straight about 250 (assuming good contact, etc.) carry wise.

[Dent]

I am very consistant and OH MY GOD did I work hard at it. When i was little I didnt have a powerful swing So i could easily hit it straight. Not until 2 years ago Did i finally work out my swing to hit it straight. I tweaked my arms and my swing a little and man does my driver swing look rediculous. It takes such a long time but now I can say I am very accurate with my driver.

[meenman]

I am either hit or miss. I dont mash like my friends but can consistently stay on the fairway until i let someones *advice* get into my head - once that happens my driver is garbage for a round or 2.

[lamebums]

I've hit about 30 or 40 percent of the fairways so far this year (No, I'm not doing good this year, although I was never high in accuracy because of distance.) 90% of my misses have been to the right.

Last year, 90% of my misses were to the left. Go figure.

More often than not if I've made a big number on a round it's because of bad shots off the tee.

[x-forged]

i hit a fairly reliable draw. today when i played i hit a lot of small fades which was kind of wierd. If im off with a drive, i will usually miss right. Compared to many low handicappers, my driving accuracy probably isnt as good. I hit about 70% fairways, but when i miss, im not too far off.

[thedub]

but then on some occasions I can it my driver well the entire day......

AMEN to that!!

but my shot is mostly right, hard. i have ben practicing and reading up and watching videos to get the driver straight...its working. Funny my main problem is i get ansy and lift my head up resulting in my wrists releasing and opening the club face. BUT if i keep my head down and keep my right elbow close to my body and swing slower, then i'm good to go!! always room to improve, couldn't have said it better

[State of Hockey]

When I am on I can pick a tick off a dogs butt. When I am off I could not hit water if I fell out of a boat. Normally have a consistent fade and my miss is a staight pull left. On a normal day I would say 75% fairways is not out of the question.

[dkglf98]

As long as I get to my left side I am money, when I hit off the back foot it can go anywhere.