Driver off the Deck

[Ruari]

I'd say, swing slow, swing smooth and even if you thin it, or hit it off the bottom of the club, then the chances are it will go a long way. Better than your punched 4-iron, into the wind, in my view and experience.
Thinking about it, I probably use it once every 2-3 rounds, on long holes with no trouble in front of me, and into the wind.
It also reminds me to swing slow and smooth on the rest of my shots!! So it's not a bad option at all, in my view.

[Left Is Right]

for some reason i practiced this on the range yesterday i hit it really low and it went about as far as my 3 wood, only it was a lot uglier

I guess i would do it if i was really far out ond there was a lot of wind

[Big_M]

You do have to hit down on the ball a bit. It'll lift. I took a small divot with my driver today.

I think this is the hardest part... it is easy to bounce that big light head up and into the ball if you hit a little behind it.

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

ALL... I think you should probably stick to not giving out this foolish type of advice just because you can't do something. Last I checked a 12 capper doesn't have the answer for EVERY golfer in EVERY situation.

Finally... to answer the original question... I have tried it in the strong head winds at a links course (off Lake Erie) where we get some pretty serious winds at times and the FW's give decent roll... the results have been mixed. I've probably tried it 4 times last year, and 3 times I hit a decent shot, while one I carved out into the water (and I had plenty of room).

[The Rambler]

Hitting driver off the deck is the least of my worries. I have never had to do it, ever, which might me good

[Eore]

i can do it on the range pretty well, but i won't ever do it on the course unless i'm in a scramble.

[dave39]

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.

Ditto!! I can't hit a 460cc driver off of the deck. I use to be able to hit some of the smaller mizuno drivers off the deck but that was it. I find that my 3 wood goes fairly low when I hit it off the deck so there really is no reason for me to try to hit driver and end up toping it or putting some whacky sidespin on it.

[Long_Ball_Bogey]

As a 36-capper I would try it all the time after duffing tee shots & only got it to work rarely. Of course, I didn't have a reliable swing either...

Last summer, I gave it a try again during the middle of a round & snapped the head off. After getting it fixed, I tried it again on the range a couple weeks later with the same result. I figure my swing is too upright, so I am coming into the ball at too steep of an angle. So for me...it doesn't make sense financially! -LBB

[x-forged]

I tried it a couple times on the course a while back. One was just a duff, and the other was a decent shot, really low screamer with a slight fade. I did it just because I saw Vijay do it on T.V. and wanted to try for myself. not a bad shot to have if youre area has howling winds.

[jamesbei]

Yepish

Can do it when i have to, usually good at links courses, good shot but when no wind wuold rather hit F'way wood

[chingali]

I hit driver off the deck quite often, it really doesn't bother me to do so at all. I'll hit it off the deck so long as there is a margin for error right as that is where a mishit will go.

[iacas]

So you're more accurate with a drive of the deck, and a short iron than two long irons?

Yes.

Who wouldn't be if they can keep their driver in play (as I - and many, many other people - can)? At that point it's simply "long iron vs. short iron" and I doubt you'll find a golfer who's more accurate with his long irons than his short irons on a consistent basis.

Maybe you are better than most pros

I never said that. Most pros almost never need to hit driver off the deck. It's precisely because I'm not as good as most pros (in terms of distance) that I have to hit the driver off the deck occasionally.

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

Now you're being insulting. Again, a short iron is more accurate than a long iron for virtually everyone. I don't care if you're Tiger Woods, you, or me. My long irons are fine.

I've already answered the accuracy question. I can keep my driver in play and get it airborne and 250+ yards 8/10 times. The 2/10 misses tend to be thin - they still go straight and roll a lot, usually 200+ yards. Hitting a driver off the deck straight is the same as hitting your 3W straight. There's no real difference. The shaft's a bit longer - but the physics of "hitting the ball straight" don't change much. Square path, square clubface.

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

Gee, tell that to Rod Pampling. Or to these two folks:

I'd say, swing slow, swing smooth and even if you thin it, or hit it off the bottom of the club, then the chances are it will go a long way. Better than your punched 4-iron, into the wind, in my view and experience.

I hit driver off the deck quite often, it really doesn't bother me to do so at all. I'll hit it off the deck so long as there is a margin for error right as that is where a mishit will go.

So, again, the question was for YOU to answer for yourself. I don't appreciate that you're trying to tell everyone ELSE how to play golf.

[blackxpress]

I actually own a fairway driver (Taylor Made Burner) but I don't carry it any more. It's too low percentage. You have to hit it pretty much perfect to get the desired results. Right now, the longest fairway wood I carry is a 5W. I'd say 9 shots out of 10 I hit the 5W longer and straighter than the fairway driver because it's so much more forgiving. As for my regular driver, I wouldn't even consider trying to hit it off the deck. I don't even see how I could make solid contact with it if the ball isn't teed up pretty high.

[LastPrankster]

Now you're being insulting. Again, a short iron is more accurate than a long iron for virtually everyone. I don't care if you're Tiger Woods, you, or me. My long irons are fine.

If you will read my pervious point, you will clearly see that I was not insulting you. I said "I'm not attacking your ability," but just making a point.

Hitting a driver off the deck straight is the same as hitting your 3W straight. There's no real difference. The shaft's a bit longer - but the physics of "hitting the ball straight" don't change much. Square path, square clubface.

This is my entire point. Just hit a 3 wood, the little extra distance gained in a driver off the deck is not worth the inconsistency.

[iacas]

If you will read my pervious point, you will clearly see that I was not insulting you. I said "I'm not attacking your ability," but just making a point.

You're completely failing to make your point, and it seems to me that your primary fault is not reading what I've written. In addition, you persist in telling ME what to do rather than answering the original question - can YOU?

This is my entire point. Just hit a 3 wood, the little extra distance gained in a driver off the deck is not worth the inconsistency.

Again, please read what I've written! 50 added yards is 3-5 clubs less into the green. It is worth it. And I'd hardly call 8/10 "inconsistent," particularly when the other 2 are not bad off.

[walk18]

I've tried it, and couldn't get it more than a few feet off the ground. I might use it to get out from under a tree, but that's about it.

[rusek]

The driver off the deck is more of a use once a year shot rather than a regular type shot.

It IS a low % shot compared to the alternatives, and thats why you don't see good players use this shot in tournaments (please don't spout off how some pro used it once, or other such thing, because we see more pros lay up on par 5s quite consistantly rather than hitting a driver off the deck.).

[ERC7.5]

I was at the range yesterday and I took a couple of stabs at this shot with my driver. I didn't think I had much of a shot at it with such a low lofted driver (7.5°) but it seemed like a shot that I could see myself using occasionally.

I wouldn't say it's a low percentage shot if played under the right circumstances as has been stated before in this thread. Room to the right, no hazards to contend with, etc....which isn't often the case when you see the pros laying up. They lay up because that's the shot that the course dictates to them.

It becomes a low percentage shot when it's played without caution.

[BGPro]

It's one of the most fun shots you'll ever hit! If you really make an effort to release the club and not hang on you'll be fine. I look at it like this... I'm 280+ out from the hole on a par 5. If I duff it, I'll be 200 out and I can hit a 4 or 5 iron into the green. If I hit it, I'll be up by the green. It 's a risk-reward type deal. The thing is though, you MUST release that club and hit down on it. If you don't, you can bet the bank that the ball is going right.