Should Phill go back to the driver

[teal]

I think the call to driver has more to do with him not being able to control his 3W (apparently) and people are wondering why he hasn't at the least given himself the opportunity to hit the driver, see if he can make that work better. You know how some clubs just really feel on sometimes? Why take the chance to use it away by removing it from the bag?

I would really be interested in knowing if he has hit all 5 wedges in the round. If not - poor decision making by keeping them in and not at the least trying the driver to see if that is working for him.

[Craig Mac]

I like Phil but Phil's mental approach to the game always confused me, it seems like he tries to out smart the golf course(5 wedges, 2 drivers, no driver) he is on instead of just trying to play well. And you know he is under a microscope for these decissions and when it doesn't work out he has to answer all the questions regarding his choices. My guess is that if he decides not to put the driver in play it is out of his own stubborness. I mean if you are going to play "bomb-and-gouge", why not make your "gouge" closer to the green, mostly because that hacked hybrid shot has hurt him more than once. And oh yeah, money is irrelevant to this conversation, it is all about winning a Major.

[rudygu]

I really don't know why he didn't just go with a higher lofted driver. I assume it is for versatility...so he can use the 3w off the deck. But, if he is really concerned with hitting his normal driver too far, he could just use an 11 degree driver with a shorter shaft. The 460 cc head would offer more forgiveness and he just might hit a few fairways. Like iacas said, 5 wedges is insane... he could drop one and keep the normal 3 wood as well.

Phil has that tendency to overthink things. I'm sure when he (or Pelz) thought of it, it sounded great in theory...problem is the theory has been disproven and he (apparently) refuses to believe it.

Edit - I'm watching Tin Cup on tv now for the first time in a while. Now I keep getting images in my mind of Phil snapping the shaft on every club in his bag except his strong 3 wood. "I never miss with my strong 3 wood!"

[iacas]

Had he been using his driver, he would have been in trees.

You don't know that, though. Perhaps he's swinging harder with the 3W, resulting in more errant shots. None of us can really know how he'd fare with the driver, but it's a fairly safe bet he wouldn't have done too much worse.

Hit some fairways and the questions disappear. I'm still laughing at how a guy can hit a 3W 300 yards and announcers are calling for a driver.

I don't recall seeing him hit it 300 yards. 287 once, downwind, and that was on 13 which he parred while Tiger, who hit it 326 (IIRC?) went for the green and made eagle.

I like Phil but Phil's mental approach to the game always confused me, it seems like he tries to out smart the golf course(5 wedges, 2 drivers, no driver) he is on instead of just trying to play well.

That's well put.

[golf_junkie27]

I think the call to driver has more to do with him not being able to control his 3W (apparently) and people are wondering why he hasn't at the least given himself the opportunity to hit the driver, see if he can make that work better. You know how some clubs just really feel on sometimes? Why take the chance to use it away by removing it from the bag?

You have a valid point about giving himself an opportunity. However, do you think he'll be more accurate? Also, if he's ingrained the thought, based on all his practice, that the driver will not work, how do you think he'll fare if he puts it in the bag? As for the wedges, maybe he needed all five options to get himself out of the second cut?

[teal]

You have a valid point about giving himself an opportunity. However, do you think he'll be more accurate? Also, if he's ingrained the thought, based on all his practice, that the driver will not work, how do you think he'll fare if he puts it in the bag?

I don't know if he would be more accurate but there would have to be a mental release knowing he isn't hitting that 3W which has him swinging from the lettuce on every 2nd shot.

Did he practice and determine the driver was bad or did Pelz talk him into the rack of wedges?

[golf_junkie27]

I don't know if he would be more accurate but there would have to be a mental release knowing he isn't hitting that 3W which has him swinging from the lettuce on every 2nd shot.

Based on his practice rounds, Phil decided that he could not keep the driver in the fairway. Therefore, he made the switch to the 3W as length was not an issue. This is all according to Phil. He did say, also, that he would only make the change to Driver if it rained and the fairways got softer. Again, though, with the exception of the Par 5, not having a driver has not hurt him. What's hurt him is not hitting enough fairways and some poor iron shots. He's practiced so much at TP the last few weeks that I believe he knows what works and does not. Plus, he's either stubborn or insecure (maybe both) and making a switch will only screw with his psyche?

[teal]

Based on his practice rounds, Phil decided that he could not keep the driver in the fairway. Therefore, he made the switch to the 3W as length was not an issue. This is all according to Phil.

Hmm - I would love to know just how wild that driver is then - given what we have seen of his 3w.

I guess if I was getting beat by a guy (Tiger or not) who hasn't walked 18 holes in 2 months, just come off knee surgery and several (here anyway) figured he might not even make the cut, on my home course, pride would kick in and I would be sacrificing chickens in the club house if I thought it might help. I would be changing whatever I could in an effort to win. Kinda like when a coach says player X gives the team the best chance to win, Phil must feel that whatever he is doing gives him the best chance to win, well okay but I know I would be doing some serious reassesment of that game plan.

[golf_junkie27]

Hmm - I would love to know just how wild that driver is then - given what we have seen of his 3w.

Agreed. I would examine what I was doing wrong and why. I just don't know if Phil believes he's doing anything wrong or if he's capable of playing it smarter. See Winged Foot.

I hope he can turn it around. Dave Pelz said this morning that he feels Phil is capable of a 66 or 67, today. We shall see.

[teal]

Dave Pelz said this morning that he feels Phil is capable of a 66 or 67, today. We shall see.

I know Pelz is a guru and all but if Phil goes down on this course in ball of flames, does some of that come back on Dave? Of course the most talked about deal (unless Tiger wins) will be the 5 wedges, no driver, poor play on his home course and Dave saying Phil can do this or that. (writting checks Phil has to cash). You know (and I have said it myself) that Pelz has something to do with 5 wedges in the bag. Pelz makes his living teaching the short game.

I would tell Dave to keep his mouth shut about what I should or could be shooting. If I just hung something in the mid 70's on the board and I am spending a lot of time off the fairway, the last thing I want is a big named guru telling everyone what I should be shooting or could be shooting that day. That can't help the nerves.

[CG031]

He SHOULD go back to the driver for sure.

[RX Phoenix]

Does the great short game player need 5 wedges? Phil could probably get by with 2 and just open or shut the club face to adjust. Maybe he should be carrying 2 3woods? .

Phil often does things which look good on paper but don't work out in application. Why is he missing fairways, probably swinging too hard. I predicted Phil had no chance to win because of the obvious reasons . . . that he's bound to find a way to outsmart himself . . . just didn't think he would do it before the round even began.

[teal]

Does the great short game player need 5 wedges?

That's it right there for me. The guy is a professional golfer with a celebrated short game and in the hip pocket of the short game guru in Pelz. If anyone should be able to get around the track with less, it should be Phil and maybe 3 wedges. Does anyone here know of ANYONE else (pro or not) with 5 wedges in the bag? I mean I can see owning 5 wedges, just not carrying them at the expense of my game/driver.

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

I think he needs to at least carry the driver. Maybe a mix between drivers and 3 woods depending on what tee. He's not only missing fairways but some of these aren't even close. He can still hit his 3 wood most of the time but having the driver gives him options, especially if he's offline.

I'm somewhat sick of hearing about Phil's bag (but the conversation is justified) but I'm mostly sick of hearing Dave Pelz talk about it. The guy seems so proud of himself when talking about Phil's 5 wedges, lack of driver and 3 wood accuracy. Well Dave, it's not working, and Phil's not accurate. At least when Tiger employs a strategy like this he makes it work (British Open).

I do hope Phil plays well today

[iacas]

At least when Tiger employs a strategy like this he makes it work (British Open).

Plus, Tiger kept the driver in the bag.

The way Phil's hitting it, maybe he should do that just so he can get a little extra length on the inevitable penalty drops he's going to be taking if he keeps hitting it the way he is.

[Avid Golfer]

I'm in general agreement that Phil shouldn't need five wedges in his bag for this tournament. I doubt that he has used all five during each of his rounds. There isn't enough different types of lies on that course to warrent that many wedges from what I've seen.

As for the driver isn't that what Butch Harmon is supposed to be helping him improve? It seems when Phil gets his leg overactive (which I thought Butch was trying to encourage him to reduce) he is all over the planet with his shots.

Here is a video clip of him hitting a driver not too long ago, and while he still has a lot of leg action it doesn't seem to be as excessive as it has been this week:
http://www.golfdigest.com/instructio...hescenes_phil2

I don't think it will matter if its a driver or (modified) three wood he hits if his lower body isn't stable. Friday he hit into at least one fairway bunker that I can recall, and if he'd had a driver in the bag and used it the bunker(s) never would have been a factor. That being said if he is going to miss it I think he is better off in the bunker (most of the time) instead of deep grass.

[Scratch-Hopeful]

I think one of the ESPN announcers (not Berman) pegged it yesterday by saying that Phil often "over-strategizes" and this is a case of such a thing. Yes, I know he can really crush his 3 wood but his driver is obviously significantly longer than the 3 wood. Plus, he's seven (right?) strokes back, so the conservative driver-less play needs to go if he can make a run.

[FlopShotArtist]

What's to lose if he goes back to his driver? He's hitting 6 fairways anyway...