Driver Off the Deck

[saevel25]

Back when i had my Titleist 795D, i was able to. The reason, that club could spin the ball like crazy, different times different Tech. Today with low spin drivers, its hard to get the ball to travel up the golf club and get any good height on it. If its not with in 3-wood distance, just lay up. Better than topping one and leaving you with a 3-wood shot.

[rebby]

Since trading my 2-iron for a 13' 3-wood, I really haven't felt the need to hit the driver off the deck. I haven't tried it lately but I doubt that I'd gain much over the 3-wood by hitting my driver off the deck. I can keep the ball flight pretty low w/the 3-wood.

[montru]

I hadn't tried it for a long time and then last week I was playing in a charity scramble, we were on a long par 5 and about 240yds out, one of the guys hit his 3w down the middle and suggested I tried the driver, I hit it pure and it rolled up on the green to about 8ft, what a feeling

[sean_miller]

I used to think it was one of those impossible shots to do.

Are you talking about hitting driver off the deck or off the fairway? I've always thought hitting a club "off the deck" meant choosing to not use a tee, when using a tee is an option within the rules. Like on the "tee box".

Anyway, on the teebox if I need to hit my driver lower, like on a windy day, I tee it lower. I take advantage of the absolutely perfect lie that teeing the ball up provides. Even it's only up a few millimetres, at least it won't shift in the wind during my swing. My old Callaway with BB Warbird soleplate was supposedly good off the fairway, but there's never been an opportunity where it seemed like a more logical choice than a 3-wood. I should have tried it though - because now I'm curious.

[James_Black]

Are you talking about hitting driver off the deck or off the fairway? I've always thought hitting a club "off the deck" meant choosing to not use a tee, when using a tee is an option within the rules. Like on the "tee box".

I can do both now.

It's a brilliant shot when you pull it off.

[Tiger Spuds]

It's nice to be able to do, sure.But as someone else said earlier, it does produce a very low ball flight.Can you really hit it any further with that kind of trajectory than you could with a 3 or 5 wood that you can get up in the air?I doubt it.But sure, for windy days it's a very handy thing to be able to do.

[ApocG10]

I have never tried this, and now im curious. I figured it'd be impossible to hit the sweet spot on a 460cc off the deck.

[Shindig]

I did it once successfully, and felt like a very good golfer for quite some time. But the ball was practically teed up, the way it was sitting in the light rough.

Yet to attempt it from a normal, or even good, fairway lie. Maybe I will before too long.

I love that shot of Arnie at his invitational that the TGC shows on 18 where he hits driver off the deck to 20 feet.....priceless.....

Was that tournament sponsored by Mastercard back then? It is now, and I'm not sure if that's why you chose the last word... but I agree.

[sean_miller]

I love that shot of Arnie at his invitational that the TGC shows on 18 where he hits driver off the deck to 20 feet.....priceless.....

For Arnie, chasing a driver up the side was the right choice in that situation. There's no way he could have carried a 3-wood there - it woulda been wet. Even if he came up short with the driver, on the line he took, he was still in play.

[Shanks A Million]

I actually think the opposite I used to hit driver off the deck when the heads were smaller. I think drivers with a 460cc head is harder to hit off the deck. I sometimes hit punch shots with mine but that's about it.

I have a fairly deep driver, so it's impossible to hit the sweet spot from the deck, but you can really nail a worm burner with the thing. It goes about 200 yards, maybe 6 feet off the ground, then rolls.

Back in ancient times (the 1970s), this was the shot people used to show they had "the touch." All the single-handicappers where I caddied tried to hit the "driver off the deck" (DoD) on long par 5s.

I can still hit my old persimmon drivers off the deck, those were much easier. The modern tall clubface is hard, but certain models, like the HiBore and Sumo are easy to hit from the ground.

[RIduffer]

I started hitting my driver off the fairway alot this winter, trying to get more yards on cold windy days. The driver I play is a smaller head (350cc) so it may be easier, as people mentioned. For me, it is difficult to hit anything but a low cut shot.

[James_Black]

it might help to note that I hit a high draw with my normal clubs so I'm probably adding a couple of degrees extra loft to the driver at impact making it easier to hit.

[DJYoshi]

I use a HiBoreXL driver and will hit it off the deck every now and again... on a cold windy Sunday...around 25 mph winds and 42 degrees... I caught my driver off the deck pretty good... was 230 -240 away into the wind and came up about 5 yards short and to the right... my driver off the deck ALWAYS has a slight cut to it.

[Dub]

I was at the range yesterday and watched a kid from the local high school team warming up. At one point, he was showing off with his friends and hit a few shots with his driver - without a tee. Must say I was pretty impressed.

I did many years ago....back in the original Big Bertha Warbird S2H2 days. I haven't tried lately with my large volume driver.

[Ping for life]

It's more mental than anything, you also need the right situation do do it in. Short cut fairway with a hard ground underneath is risky at best, I used my G10 of the deck when needed and when possible. My playing partners are amazed but it really is not that difficult if you have parcticed it.

[sean_miller]

I did many years ago....back in the original Big Bertha Warbird S2H2 days. I haven't tried lately with my large volume driver.

I agree with the Warbird - they were made for players who hit that shot. With new club and ball technology though, a current model 15 degree 3-wood probably goes farther than the Warbirds did.

[Mjohn]

I was at the range yesterday and watched a kid from the local high school team warming up. At one point, he was showing off with his friends and hit a few shots with his driver - without a tee. Must say I was pretty impressed.

I do that at times, its usually only with a 3 wood though.

[Fourputt]

My Mizuno driver is a 9.5°, 460cc, and I hit it off the deck all the time. Did it twice during my round yesterday. For whatever reason, it's easier for me to hit than my 3W or 4W. I usually get a bit of a fade, but that's not a problem... just play for it. It isn't that hard a shot.