Any low handicapper who doesn't use driver?

[very handicap]

Hi,

Any low handicapper here who doesn't use a driver and only uses 3 wood off the tee?

I currently play in the low 90s and realize that on the days when my driver is well behave, i can hit into the green with a 7-9 irons and 2 on. On the day when my driver mis-behave, i will be playing near 100.

My question is, i want to be consistently playing around low 90 or even break 90. I find my 3 wood quite consistent and can find the fairway easier. Only problem is that it usually leaves my second shot with either a 5i, 4 hybrid or even 5 wood and i ended up 3 on. Should i switch to a 3 wood? Any advice?

[enis750]

No....driver is always in the bag

try choking down on your driver to gain consistency

[ISC03]

I would say you never take the driver out of your bag, but it is not needed on every par 4/5.

On most courses I play, I only hit driver on 4-6 holes. It's more important to worry about course management then how far you can hit it.

[Ignorant]

Hi,

5 wood? 3 on? I wonder how you have such a huge difference in distance between 3W and 1W? I drive 220-225 m on the avg and 3W takes my ball 200+, so the difference is only appr. 20 m. This accounts for 2 steps in irons, i.e. 7I -> 5I or 9I -> 7I but certainly not more.

Normally 3W is more accurate than 1W and even with pro's the difference in distance is no more than 25-35 m. So one would imagine that in the long run the improved accuracy would even up the difference in distance due to a larger number of fairway hits.

[James_Black]

I remember my old pro saying he didn't use a driver until he was in single digits.

[mattttt25]

My buddy is an 8 and rarely uses a driver. He often tees off with his 3 iron. If your first shot can be 230ish straight down the fairway on every hole, you can obviously score very well.

With that said, we've been working on his driving and he's really getting consistent and smoking them. i think he's going to shave a few shots quickly this year.

[Quinn07]

I would say you never take the driver out of your bag, but it is not needed on every par 4/5.

I totally agree; I usually only use it on long par 4's and par 5's and even then that's not a given. I would imagine that a low handicapper could go around a course without his driver and still shoot a decent score. Their short game would have to be pretty darn good, but then it's tough to become a low handi without a decent short game.

[mapa94]

I agree with ISC03 and others. Many high handicaps make a poor choice by automatically hitting driver on every par 4 and par 5. 3 woods are more accurate with only minimal distance loss. I'm a short hitting (230 yd driver) midhandicap and driving accuracy is my strengh (I hit over 65% of fairways) but I use my 3 wood off the tee if the fairway is narrow, on short par 4's, or if there is a good chance that hitting driver will land in trouble. My 2 cents is to think about course management and to hit 3 wood off the tee when appropriate but don't disregard the driver completely. Like any other club, you will need develop confidence hitting it and there are holes where driver is the right choice.

[uttexas]

Those days are probably over. Drivers are so much easier to control, and with the larger club face more forgiving for some than a three wood off the tee. The only time I would use my 3 wood or 2H to start a hole is to lay up off the tee short of trouble.

[Elvisliveson]

Those days are probably over. Drivers are so much easier to control, and with the larger club face more forgiving for some than a three wood off the tee. The only time I would use my 3 wood or 2H to start a hole is to lay up off the tee short of trouble.

I couldn't agree more. Having grown up in the era of persimmon drivers, I would say anyone who can't learn to hit today's drivers probably has little chance of becoming a low handicapper. And anyone who can hit a driver but doesn't hit it off every tee where there is no distance restriction is just over-thinking things.

[very handicap]

Thanks for all the comments. In my case, my driver usually doesn't stray that much. The thing that really get me irritated is i don't hit it on the sweet spot. When i first started golfing, driver helped to get me over the "first-tee-fright" since the driver head is so large and you can never miss the ball. At that time, all i could care about was to launch the ball into the fairway and not worry about how far it landed.

These days, i get really irritated when i get a nasty vibration on my hands from not hitting the sweet spot and the ball fly 200 yards. The reason i have problem hitting the sweet spot is due to my leaning forward during my downswing and this is something i'm working hard with my coach to correct. While doing that, i'm thinking wouldn't it be better if i try to hit with a club that has a smaller club face and train myself to aim better.

Any thoughts or comments?

[Ignorant]

Those days are probably over. Drivers are so much easier to control, and with the larger club face more forgiving for some than a three wood off the tee. The only time I would use my 3 wood or 2H to start a hole is to lay up off the tee short of trouble.

Well, it is not only the size a club face but also loft and very much length of shaft. One inch makes a lot of difference in shaft length as does a difference of 4-6 degrees in loft.

To continue from that and to support the view of enis750, it is quite rewarding to grip the driver 2-3 inches lower and swing steadily. Also a good shot against the wind - low and heavily rolling.

[Zeph]

I couldn't agree more. Having grown up in the era of persimmon drivers, I would say anyone who can't learn to hit today's drivers probably has little chance of becoming a low handicapper. And anyone who can hit a driver but doesn't hit it off every tee where there is no distance restriction is just over-thinking things.

It may perhaps come as I get better, but for me it's oposite. The driver is heavier, longer, more unbalanced (clubhead vs shaft) than the 3 wood. Hitting a club is more than hitting the face of it, accuracy is about clubface angle at impact. Smaller heads are easier to control, offer less resistance in the air and shorter shaft give better control. I don't understand why the drivers need such a huge face. They are by comparison way larger than the average 3 wood, which just keeps getting smaller. If you can hit a 3 wood, why should a driver with smaller clubhead and 10º of loft be any different? The driver is the only club with such a huge clubface. When designing drivers, they should focus more on control than hitting area.

Even on the PGA Tour you hear them saying that they hit a 3 wood because it was a very narrow fairway. Course designers also place bunkers around 200-250 meters, where a lot of the drives fall down. It is sometimes better to hit a shorter club and make sure you find the fairway and hit a longer iron into the green. One thing not mentioned yet is fitting. A very important detail I'd say, when it comes to the driver. The shaft is longer, clubhead larger, it is a longer swing, harder to get right. If the shaft or club doesn't fit you, you'll have to make compensations to hit it well. We focus a lot on getting fit for the irons, drivers should be equally prioritized. I do not have a driver that is fit for me, but my next will, if my wallet allows it. : -P It would've been interesting to test shaft lengths from 40 to 45 inches, different shafts and flex, and various club head sizes on drivers.

[sean_miller]

I couldn't agree more. Having grown up in the era of persimmon drivers, I would say anyone who can't learn to hit today's drivers probably has little chance of becoming a low handicapper. And anyone who can hit a driver but doesn't hit it off every tee where there is no distance restriction is just over-thinking things.

I'm surprised more local members don't mix things up by playing different clubs off the tee. It's fun and it's a good learning tool.

Imagine playing the same medium length par 4 half a dozen times. Use everything from driver to 5 iron off the tee - you'd have a variety of approach shots and would see the hole slightly different each time.

[Elvisliveson]

Even on the PGA Tour you hear them saying that they hit a 3 wood because it was a very narrow fairway. Course designers also place bunkers around 200-250 meters, where a lot of the drives fall down. It is sometimes better to hit a shorter club and make sure you find the fairway and hit a longer iron into the green.

But, That's just the thing. Most amateurs aren't playing courses where the fairways are that narrow or the rough as high and brutal. There is no reason other than their inability to hit it that they can't go with driver 12 or more times around. They simply think they are being smart not using driver because "that's how the pros do it", not realizing the reasons and situations the pros do it are not likely to be encountered by them on the golf courses they normally play.

[Zeph]

Most amateurs don't hit their drivers because they are slicing or pulling it into oblivion. The longer the shot, the further you are into the trees if it curves off. If you could hit the driver consistently straight and with good distance, of course people would hit it. They don't hit it because it usually give them more trouble than other clubs.

[Elvisliveson]

But, addressing the question of the OP, if most amateurs have aspirations of becoming a single digit handicapper, IMO they need to learn to hit the driver. And in this day and age of advanced technology there is no reason IMO, that if they build a sound swing comiserate with their desire to become a low handicap, that they can't handle the driver. If a high handicapper tries to continue with thesame swing that causes them to slice wildly, etc..., they have almost no chance of reaching their goal of obtaining a low handicap.

[cody west]

i dont hit a driver at my home course. i play at i tight course with lots of dog legs. honestly if i were to hit it i would most likely end up through fairways because litterally every hole that isnt a par 3 on the front 9 is a dog leg and all but 2 on the back are. i keep it in the bag because if im falling behind and need to make something happen i can take it out on the 2 strait holes and try to put myself in birdie position but at my home course there is no advantage to me hitting a driver. the difference is 30-40 yards and it would be through the fairway because of all the dog legs