Driver off the Deck

[ChiChiIsMe]

I hit the shot once every four or five rounds.

same here.

[iacas]

I aggree. Todays drivers are not designed for that kind of shot. Id rather just punch a long iron in windy conditions and have my pitch shot into the green rather than taking a risky play like that.

I'm not sure what's "risky" about it if you can pull it off 8 or 9 times out of 10. Know what I mean?

I don't practice the shot, but my odds of pulling it off are pretty good. Worst case, it rolls along as far as a 4-iron into that wind would anyway.

[niblick]

It's an awesome shot, but it's not one I've practiced enough to try in a round. Most courses up here in the northwest are fairly short by design because conditions are mud-on-your-ball soft for 9 months out of the year. So you don't end up having room for that shot very often. I've tried it once or twice at the range just for giggles.

I saw Bubba Watson do it a couple times at Chambers Bay. One of them he mis-hit about 280 uphill. :)

[BASHERBAKER69]

Its a very low percentage shot in my view.

[DavidFehertysBike]

I'm not sure what's "risky" about it if you can pull it off 8 or 9 times out of 10. Know what I mean?

It might not be risky play for you, but I know for certain I can punch a 3i 160-170 yards 10 out of 10 times and just have a sandwedge or pitch into a green. Its all about adding the element of the unknown is what makes it risky for me. Its not a shot I would think about practicing.

[NM Golf]

Its not a shot I need, so I don't practice it. And I never hit a shot in competition that I have never practiced. I am long enough with the driver and 3 wood to take care of 99% of distance issues. That 1% if it ever rears its ugly head, well I will just have to lay it up to a good wedge distance and take my chances.

[goblue107501]

I have tried in the past with limited success. I will try it playing in a scramble and a partner is sitting in a good spot. It can't hurt and you never know what might happen. I have played it a time or two when I need to advance a ball up the fairway and have to keep the ball under a tree. The ball stays low and you tend to get more run than hitting a long iron. Unless the fairway is wide open with no trouble on either side, I won't even think about trying to reach a green though. Usually, if I don't think I can reach a green with a 3-wood, and stay out of trouble in the process, I'll just lay up and leave a good yardage in the fairway for the next shot into the green.

[Craig Mac]

I voted no. Never practiced it or tried it in a round.

[LastPrankster]

a) a wedge is nowhere near as accurate as a chip

A chip is more accurate than a chip, but we were discussing driver off the deck. To reach a green 350+ yards away. It is more "accurate" or consistent to hit a long iron or wood plus a wedge, than to hit a driver of deck plus a chip.

You will hit the green more consistently if you hit a iron plus wedge. Anyways a driver off the deck is not going to get you to a green 350 yards away. For c, if you are 400 yards away from a par five green, a driver plus chip will not get it done either. There is no doubt that a driver off the deck is not a wise choice, although is may be a fun challenge to go for it.

[gortyl]

I think I've tried it only a couple times in my life and they were probably all in scrambles where I could place the ball on a perfect lie. In those cases, I can get the ball up and it'll go at least 220-240 range. Without a good lie and a large amount of bail out to the right, I won't even consider it. Additionally, I'd need a strong head wind to have it make any sense for me.

Someone said their dad uses a driver as a fairway wood - my dad does too. He just got a Burner, but he uses his old ass driver from like 1990, that is smaller than my 4-wood, for his fairway wood. And he crushes it every time (for him a crush is 210 carry).

This thread got me thinking about how Vijay was seen at some tournament last year practicing driver off the deck out of the rough! Amazing how perfect your swing has to be to pull that off.

[BASHERBAKER69]

Practising woods off the deck for low handicappers is the best practice there is in my view. However, i wouldnt recommend it for higher handicappers as it will damage confidence severely.

[iacas]

A chip is more accurate than a chip

Typo? Not sure what you meant to say.

but we were discussing driver off the deck. To reach a green 350+ yards away. It is more "accurate" or consistent to hit a long iron or wood plus a wedge, than to hit a driver of deck plus a chip.

I've only ever talked about my game, but it seems to me that you're talking not just about your game, but trying to push your opinions on others (albeit gently). True? Why does it matter to you what I can do?

I didn't give any yardages, because they'll vary for everyone, but if you want to play that hypothetical I'm game. From 300 yards, with a good headwind, I can get 250 with a driver 8 times out of 10 and keep it well within play (the other two times I'll catch it a bit thin and it'll go 200). Thus, that's by far the smarter play than a 3-wood that's gonna go 200 or less and leave me with a shot that's long enough that it too will get up into the wind. A "6-iron/wedge" wouldn't get me there and, if it would, is still less accurate than a chip or a 50-yard shot. Move the green out to 350 and, depending on the wind, it could be anything from two 3Ws to a 3W and a mid-iron, neither of which are going to be more accurate than a driver and a short iron.

You will hit the green more consistently if you hit a iron plus wedge.

An iron and a wedge might not get me there in some cases, and in every case where it will, a driver (given the right conditions) and a pitch/chip/whatever will be more accurate (particularly into the wind).

For c, if you are 400 yards away from a par five green, a driver plus chip will not get it done either.

If I'm 400 yards out, a driver's still going to get me closer to the green than a 3W or a long iron. Again, that leaves me with a shorter shot in. In some winds, you might not even get there with two long irons from 400.

Besides, I'm more accurate with a driver and a short iron than two long irons.

There is no doubt that a driver off the deck is not a wise choice...

"... for you." You forgot to add that part.

Additionally, I'd need a strong head wind to have it make any sense for me.

That's usually a component, though I'm confident enough with mine to hit it when I'm - like Rod Pampling yesterday - just a little bit out of my longest 3W range and am feeling okay about the other conditions. Worst case, I'll thin it a little and it'll roll out 200 yards, which is no worse than a slightly mis-hit 3W.

This thread got me thinking about how Vijay was seen at some tournament last year practicing driver off the deck out of the rough! Amazing how perfect your swing has to be to pull that off.

The rough is sometimes easier. The ball can "sit up" like it's on a little tee from the rough. I've seen Vijay swinging a weighted driver at balls from the driving range, and THAT is tough.

Vijay's rough/driver drill is usually done on a little hill and is meant to encourage him to to get to his left side (up the hill) through impact.

[obsessedgolfer]

I could do it with the smaller, older drivers. But not with the compact cars we call drivers these days. I just added two inches to my 3 wood and it gave me the extra 20 yards when I need it, is all.

how do you control a 45inch 3 wood?

[CG031]

Since my Ping G5 driver is 13.5 degrees loft, it's not that hard to pull off. It's basically a strong 3 wood with a big head. When I connect, I can hit in 230 - 240...but the thing is, it's still hard to get that fat face to lift the ball up.

I've been working on it at the range (the range i go to you hit off fairway type grass, not matts) so i've been getting better. Not sure if i wanna take it to the range yet. i know my sisters old b/f used to hit his 8 degree driver off the deck and hit it about 320, it was disgusting.

[LastPrankster]

Besides, I'm more accurate with a driver and a short iron than two long irons.

So you're more accurate with a drive of the deck, and a short iron than two long irons? Maybe you are better than most pros, and can accurately hit a driver off the deck, or you need to work on your long irons. I don't know, how accurate you are with a driver off the deck, but 99% of good players would not do it.

I'm not attacking your ability, but driver off the deck is a bad choice for ALL people.

[Jeepthrills]

I don't use it all that often, but I do know it's there if I really need to hit it. There are just not too many times I would have to.

[Avid Golfer]

I aggree. Todays drivers are not designed for that kind of shot.

I agree with todays drivers I don't believe it provides any advantage. Modern drivers are designed to produce the best shots when hit from the middle or upper section of the face (where you get the best launch angle and spin rate). Hitting the ball low off the face of a driver hitting (off the deck) will not produce as powerful of a ball flight (since spin and launch angles will not be good). A fairway wood has the launch conditions optimized around the club weighting and loft, and is designed to hit off the fairway lies. While I can hit a driver off the deck I don't feel it is as useful shot as it was 10-15 years ago.

[Three Putt]

I'll pass.
.
.
.
Just like I dont like people in a scramble sitting in their cart to my right and a little in front of me.

I kindly tell them "Last time I checked I don't get paid to play"...that usually gets them out of the cart.