Should I mess with driver success?

[jhawker23]

I recently changed to the Nike Sumo2 5900 9.5* Aldila VS65 Proto driver. My driver swing is very consistent and hit most fairways. I'm now hitting my drives with the Callaway Tour i 305 - 310 on most drives with a 280 on slight mis-hits.

Since building up distance I'm wondering if stepping into another club or possibly tuning this head with a new shaft could get me even more distance. I'm certainly not a pro, but 300+ drives have put me in position to drop about 5+ strokes by closing in on the greens.

Is 305-310 about as much as I can ask for on driver distance? I'm not one of those guys who only cares about drives. In fact, I don't practice with my driver, I spend my time on the short game. But I have to say, it is exhilarating to crush that ball down the fairway.

Is it greedy to look for more performance from another driver or change of shaft?

Previously I have played two different cobra drivers over the years. Before the Nike I changed the stock aldila shaft out of the Cobra to the famed pro force V2 and lost distance and saw no real difference in fairways hit.

I would appreciate your thoughts on the situation.

[Shorty]

My driver swing is very consistent and hit most fairways. I'm now hitting my drives with the Callaway Tour i 305 - 310 on most drives with a 280 on slight mis-hits.

Here we go again.......

Go and join the tour, champ.

[whip_it_out]

That driver should did boost your ego.

[1par2win]

I recently changed to the Nike Sumo2 5900 9.5* Aldila VS65 Proto driver. My driver swing is very consistent and hit most fairways. I'm now hitting my drives with the Callaway Tour i 305 - 310 on most drives with a 280 on slight mis-hits.

I think I live a sheltered golf existance. I never play these mid-cappers busting 300+ off the tee. Maybe someday I will but for now I guess I will have to live with my puny non-manly 240-250 drives.

(tounge firmly in cheek!)

[Leftygolfer]

No don't change if you are hitting it well. I really really doubt you mis-hit it to 280. But if so you must be using an x flex shaft and having nothing but wedges into holes. Sounds more like a scratch golfer to me.

[SpacklersEdge]

If I were you, I would go for 330. I mean whats stopping you?! Besides physics and gravity I mean.

[Iowa Hawkeye]

305 - 310 off the tee and playing to a 14? I'm gonna need a shovel to get outta this thread.

I'd say spend about $600 on a shaft and tuning so you can reach your max potential there, Jack Hamm. Switch to a good hard Topflite. I'd pick up that 80* wedge for those pesky little 170 yard approaches on the long par 5's.

[ham_man]

The Hammer

[tonyy]

Are you sure you're hitting it 300+ most of the time? Do you use some sort of GPS? I'm sure you hit it far but being able to outdrive most of the players on tour is hard to swallow. If you are legitimate in your distances then I'll eat my words.

To answer your question, I'm going to say no. If you're hitting it great why change? Like the old saying goes, "if it aint broke, dont fix it" Don't get greedy and try to gain an extra 15-20 yards.

Since you're a 14 handi with driving of 300+, you're short game must be horrendous. I'd work on that.

[Shindig]

If you're having success with your driver, I say don't mess with it.

If you want to gamble, go buy an identical club-head first and gamble with that. That way, you still have the exact club that worked so well for you.

Oh, and do something to figure out how far you hit it. Maybe a friend with a GPS unit, or use a laser range-finder.


As for the guys saying "go join the tour" - hey, even if his distance reported is exactly accurate, it doesn't say anything about his short game. There are plenty of long hitters not on tour, and there are plenty of long hitters on tour who don't win - and plenty of short hitters who do. Corey Pavin has the 9-hole scoring record and Stan Utley has the fewest putts through 9. Both would be elated to get it 270 out there.

[Iowa Hawkeye]

Since you're a 14 handi with driving of 300+, you're short game must be horrendous. I'd work on that.

+1

You should do like RHPM and make a video of your distance for TST.

[Lefty22]

No don't change if you are hitting it well. I really really doubt you mis-hit it to 280. But if so you must be using an x flex shaft and having nothing but wedges into holes. Sounds more like a scratch golfer to me.

I agree with this entire post.

If you're numbers are true then "It ain't broke" so don't "Fix it"... I also doubt that a 14 mis-hits a drive 280. I'd say one of the following would be true: A.) Your wedge/putting game is WAY bad and you should consider asking folks about 75 and in - not asking about 300+ out B.) Your handicap posted on this site is old and you are not a 14 C.) You don't quite hit it 280 on a miss-hit... Just for a bit of perspective here - the average drive on the PGA tour in 2008 was 287.1 - so according to this thread a 14 handicap hits the ball 7.1 yards short of the tour average when they MISS-HIT it. This seems to be more of a conversation for the rant about high handicaps hitting 300+, but crap guys - just don't tell people the numbers, just say you feel you hit it well and then state your question. If you get into these high numbers talking averages and miss-hits while listing a 10+ handicap then no one is going to focus on the intended topic of the thread, we're all playing detective trying to discredit the number (don't ask me why, I've just seen it time and again with these threads). If you do post a thread saying you hit it 300+ then it better be about accuracy or short game because someone who truly hits it 300+ likely has the distance thing sorted. I'd say stick with what you have (and feel you hit well) and get a laser or a GPS...

[Donnie_Brasco]

280 mishits?

damn i wish i could mishit it 280

myself, im a consistent 240 off the tee, sometimes i will go 260, and 1 time a round i will catch it just right, hit that spot on the fariway that kicks it forward an extra 20..

my mishits are the in the slice variety going out about 180 and cutting hard another 20 to the right..

but if their is any truth to your original post, like the other replies have stated, u must not hit a scoring iron or wedge worth a damn..

keep the driver you have and learn to hit a short iron

[walfice]

Who in the world would want to mess around with their driver when they are hitting 300 yd drives in the fairway?

[CG031]

I agree with this entire post.

280 mishits?

Lets not forget he's from Colorado. The ball does travel further there than almost anywhere else in the country - just a thought.

And I know people who can bomb it off the tee but the rest of their game is below-average, therefore that would make him a 14 handicap...which isn't even that bad by the way but...

[bioman]

I'd say work on your short game and putting because it must be pretty bad.

Not sure why so many people bash you (true or not), guess its just human nature.
Look at my handicap and I can hit the ball 300, but only 1 out of 20 drives will it actually go that far and straight for me, if that.

[BirdIsTheWord]

I know I'm new here and probably don't have the post #'s yet to ask, but I have to. Is it just me or is it that everytime someone brings up the fact that they hit far, they get scolded like its a bad thing or they are lying?? Is that the majority opinion here? I joined just a couple days ago, and it seemed like a cool place. Is it just that some people refuse to believe that some people hit farther? Do they not want to do the same or something? Maybe if they believed someone else could, then maybe they would believe that THEY could. That would be the first step in accomplishing just that. Is this a site where people don't strive for their best? Wouldn't a shorter hitter want to glean something off of the longer guys? Are they honestly saying they have never seen someone hit the long ball? I sure hope not because I guess I won't be welcome here...Or I'll be in fear of activating someone's defense mechanism. People who hit long drives shouldn't have to hide it, lol. That's pretty rediculous. Isn't that what so many people strive for? Or do they just learn to lay down and adapt to being a short hitter, and then criticize others for achieving more? It's true there are liars out there, but they are only lying to themselves. Longer hitters have an advantage, that's a fact. Should they back off and let everyone feel better? Wouldn't that be like letting your 5 yr old nephew beat you at basketball, so he wouldn't get discouraged and give up? I may have just read the wrong 5 or so posts, and I don't mean to step on anyone's toes or anything. And I have no need for internet enemies, lol. But that all seems kinda backwards to me. Stack two identical short games next to each other, and have one player hit 50yrds farther off the tee. Who do you think wins? One has five less clubs or so coming in to the green. Since when is that a bad thing?? Maybe I don't have a short-hitter mentality, so I can't grasp it. And I know there a braggards out there, but sometimes confidence comes through as arrogance. So be it. Even if I'd hit 350yrd avg. drives (which I don't), I'd still want to hit 351. Guess that's just me. And I know distance ain't everything, but it's part of the whole. Who in their right mind would want to , say, hit less GIR? Anyone ever hear someone say "man, I wish I could sink LESS putts" ?? I haven't. Anyways, I hoped to meet some cool people here. You won't catch me bragging, but you will catch me telling the truth, sorry about that, lol! If long drivers aren't welcome, just let me know now, I'll be on my way.

[Shorty]

I know I'm new here and probably don't have the post #'s yet to ask, but I have to. Is it just me or is it that everytime someone brings up the fact that they hit far, they get scolded like its a bad thing or they are lying??

The point that people are trying to make is that if someone hit it 300 and 280 on a mishit, and hit "most" fairways, but couldn't break 80, they'd be asking about their iron play and short game. Anyone who hits it 250 and straight isn't going to be wanting to improve their driving. If you hit it 300 and stright you could go around in the 70s if you carried nothing except a putter a 9 iron as well as your driver.

I played my course this morning and there are 2 300 metre par 4s. The idea of someone driving through them is just ridiculous. Get a reality check and work on the rest of your game which must be so abominable it would make your playing partners sick. Now.....if you'd said. "I hit my drives well, but can't score, I need help...." things might be different. Do you really think that if you were in a pro am with Adam Scott and Vijay you'd be up there with them off the tee? Get a grip.