How do you play a course with tight fairways?

[ScottyCameron]

When you absolutely got to hit it straight off the tee, what should you do?

Particularly with the driver.... I don't want a "just hit your 3 wood instead" kind of answer.

Thanks!

[enduro]

Just hit your hybrid instead?

[alf174]

If you insist on hitting driver I'd choke down on the shaft a bit - give up some yardage for accuracy.

[Lovgoel]

How do you play a course with tight fairways? from the rough.

seriously though, you shouldn't have to change your swing. you know you're perfectly capable of hitting straight drivers without changing your swing, so why mess with it? If there WAS some change that would straighten out your driver, why wouldn't you do that EVERY time anyway?!

[Leftygolfer]

I play very tight tree lined courses. I just alway stick to my draw. I think going away with what you are used to doing is the kiss of death. A fade might be easier to control but it is really hard for me to hit so I just aim down the left and hit a draw. I choose to play because they are the best maintained for the price and happen to be very tight.

[David in FL]

I'm not terribly long, but I can find most fairways with my driver and a fade.

240ish in the fairway doesn't hurt my feelings at all.

[opie]

Typically I hit it in the woods. Throw a tiger tantrum ( ). Go punch out or take penalty and try to make par/bogey the hard way

[SpringBokVol]

I am a straight hitter so it wouldn't bother me at all.

But some options are:

Play a cut - they are very easy to control.

Or choke up, shorten your backswing and grip the club a little tighter for a straight drive.

[Uber$winG]

When I find that I am having some accuracy issues with my driver during a round, I grip down on the club and tee the ball just a bit lower.

[MiniMoe]

To be quite honest, not every shot has to be hit with a driver. I don't like to hit a draw with my driver. I like to hit it dead straight, or with a slight fade. I can aim down an O.B. line left and know it's not going there. So if a hole requires a draw, I'm hitting my 3-wood every time. If I really catch it, it's not going to be that much shorter than my driver anyway.

[TheNatural]

Im playing a short 6300 yard, tight course today. real short, there are no 400 yard par 4's.

My 7 wood worked well last nite 220-240 slight push.
If that isnt clicking ill use my 8i off the tee and drop the hammer for a steady 180-200 down the middle. I am putting the big stick away just for tomorrow.

[Greg]

Slice it over into the next fairway and play from there, isnt that how everyone does it? :D

[jambalaya]

I buy a lot of new balls and curse frequently.

[Greg]

Im playing a short 6300 yard, tight course today. real short, there are no 400 yard par 4's.

Wow, you can hit your 8 iron 200 yards, thats right up there with phil mickelson, im lucky to get 130 yards out mine. I guess if you can hit your other irons equally as far, you wouldnt need a driver very much.

[alf174]

Wow, you can hit your 8 iron 200 yards, thats right up there with phil mickelson, im lucky to get 130 yards out mine.

Its the internet; fluff it up.

[Grahaman]

The sign of a maturing golfer is their understanding that accuracy sometimes trumps distance. I am inconsistent with my driver and thus have taken right out of my bag. I play a 13 degree 3 wood or a 3 iron off tees depending on the narrowness of the fairway. I can hit my 3 wood +270 and outdrive most peers drivers with it and hit my 3 iron 220. Since I have taken this strategy my scoring has improved nicely.

[Dub]

The fairways have certainly shrunk on the courses I've played this month. I played on last in April and the other May.

The newly grown rough has certainly put a premium on driver accuracy now.

I had been aiming to spots that would give me the best angle to approach the flag from on my next shot.

Now....I pick a distant target that puts me safely centered in the fairway and swing freely to this target.

Fortunately my driving has been good on the last two rounds. My irons and wedge play has grown rusty.

Going to try to get a round in next week with some warm up time on the range first to retune things.

[Fat Slice]

I try really hard to hit it straight.