A game driver vs. B game driver

[bunkerputt]

I got a new driver.  Man, is it freaking heavy and stiff.  When I'm loose and swinging well and hard, it performs well.  It seems like the harder you go after it the straighter the ball flight.  But it's more of a back-9 club for me, since it takes a few holes for my body to get going.  It's almost not possible to hit it unless you are swinging well.  Wondering if this was a strategic mistake...   Do you fit your driver to your A swing or your B swing?

[Shindig]

I've considered getting a B-game driver.  When my driver is on, it's on.  When my driver is off, I'm mediocre -- and because I'm a relatively short hitter, this means I really can't score.   If I remove my L-wedge, which I barely use, I can fit this easily.

So, I guess my driver fits my A game.  Not sure if that helps or not.  It wasn't really a conscious decision.

[sean_miller]

My B game driver has a 3 on it.

[dbuck]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

My B game driver has a 3 on it.

Sometimes my B game 3  says "Raylor" and sometimes it is shiny with a 1 on it, but I have to have my A game to hit that one.

But seriously to the OP, a good 3 might be your best backup driver.

[ghalfaire]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

My B game driver has a 3 on it.

I second this.

[TitleistLefty]

I agree that if you're not swinging well, pull out your 3 wood. But if your problem comes from not being warmed up, consider getting a swing weight or stretching stick so that you're warmed up and ready to go on the first tee. Hitting a few balls on the range wouldn't hurt either.

[bunkerputt]

My B game is entirely the result of my B game tempo.  When my tempo's off, even a 3-wood doesn't help.  It just gives me a different club to top it with.  I usually take hybrid off the tee in this case.  It's hard for my transition to get quick with those for some reason.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by bunkerputt

My B game is entirely the result of my B game tempo.  When my tempo's off, even a 3-wood doesn't help.  It just gives me a different club to top it with.  I usually take hybrid off the tee in this case.  It's hard for my transition to get quick with those for some reason.

Emphasis added.

If a single digit capper thinks they might actually "top" the ball at any moment, they've skipped right over "B" and they're now their C or D game (maybe even F?).

When most decent players I see have their "B game", they mean their shot shape might be the off or their distance control is poor. They're not outright topping shots - at least not with a driver. I topped my first 3 or 4 drive last year. Then I choked up on both my 3w and driver (forgot that woods have such long shafts these days) and was back to my A game on the back nine. If I'd stayed in that funk all day, I'd have gone with a 5-iron off the tee until I could get to the range.

[lumpuckeroo]

Originally Posted by bunkerputt

I got a new driver.  Man, is it freaking heavy and stiff.  When I'm loose and swinging well and hard, it performs well.  It seems like the harder you go after it the straighter the ball flight.  But it's more of a back-9 club for me, since it takes a few holes for my body to get going.  It's almost not possible to hit it unless you are swinging well.  Wondering if this was a strategic mistake...   Do you fit your driver to your A swing or your B swing?

I don't think I have an A swing, so I would say I fit all my clubs to my B swing.

[bunkerputt]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Emphasis added.

If a single digit capper thinks they might actually "top" the ball at any moment, they've skipped right over "B" and they're now their C or D game (maybe even F?).

When most decent players I see have their "B game", they mean their shot shape might be the off or their distance control is poor. They're not outright topping shots - at least not with a driver. I topped my first 3 or 4 drive last year. Then I choked up on both my 3w and driver (forgot that woods have such long shafts these days) and was back to my A game on the back nine. If I'd stayed in that funk all day, I'd have gone with a 5-iron off the tee until I could get to the range.

I don't know.  I think I'm turning into a pretty decent player...we'll see.  I've definitely got some rough edges, but they're getting smoother.  I top the ball for pretty much one reason:  losing spine angle on the *edit* backswing.  When I don't stay in the shot (usually because of fatigue), and rush to hit it harder, I don't get my head back down and my weight left, so I contact it too low on the face.  Single digit players, we can argue whether that's actually decent or not, can definitely top the ball sometimes when off tempo magnifies swing faults.  Otherwise we might just revoke Ben Crenshaw's tour card for topping it on TV.  While we're at it, we may as well do the same for Kevin Na's 16

The point of my post is really that, in any active lifestyle, our fatigue, strength, and flexibility varies from day to day.  I think the bigger you are the more it varies, simply because there's more mass to fluctuate.  When you go get fit for a driver, you may not be swinging your best or as hard as you can when you're at your physical peak throughout the week, which is when I try to schedule my golf rounds.

[ghalfaire]

Good point made about definition of your "B" game.  For me it is when I'm missing targets with the driver.  That means I am striking the ball OK but just don't quite have the timing or rhythm that day.  Going to a shorter and more lofted club (the 3 wood) seems to be the fix for me on those days.  But if I'm toping the ball of otherwise just not making good contact, I try to slow down and watch the ball until it leaves the tee.

[imtomtomim]

I've found that I can't resort to my 4 wood as a fallback tee shot when the driver doesn't work.  If the driver doesn't work, nothing else works.  It's the biggest club in my bag, huge face, most forgiving, and the ball is suspended in the air infront of the sweet spot.  I just use a shorter swing if I'm sending it all over.

I would think with that x-stiff, straight would be more reliable.  Just try a little chip and pop that ball down the fairway.

[soloredd]

I use my 3 wood or hybrid when the driver isn't working. In fact, I used my 3 hybrid most of last year (and a 5 iron), as my driver was on restriction (0 confidence in it), and it worked out ok. This year my driver has been solid, one of my most confident clubs in the bag.

[wmiller]

I took it one level beyond this: I have two different bags. One is mostly Titleist clubs, the other, Ping.

When I'm playing well, it's the Titleist bag. When my bio is off, out come the pings. Seems to work for me.

[Steel]

Get to the course early and get properly prepared, I  stretch out and loosen up before I hit any balls, then I hit at least a warm up bucket, then I hit some pitch and chip shots, then practice my putt's from inside 5 feet for about 5-15 minutes.  Then I tee it up and play, if you do this I can guarantee you a much better result.  You can probably lower your score by 2-5 strokes, give it a try, get there an hour earlier, you can thank me later.

[Chrepper]

My B game is playing my misses, driver included.

However, If I'm really on my A game, then I'll bust out the 975 D with a steel shaft...

woohoo for old school

[TourSpoon]

"A" game swing is shaping the shots to the situation at hand. "B" game swing is griping down and hitting the baby fade. "C" game swing is dropping down to hybrid just to get it out into the fairway.

For A and B it's the same driver. If you can only hit your driver when you are "on" then it sounds like you don't have the right driver. For those days when you are not connecting, you need to find that one shot you can hit reliably. You will find that is the shot you go to when you are not feeling on, when you are tense, or when you need to hit the fairway to shoot a new low round. When you find it, it may be the one you decide to play the majority of the time, IE your stock shot.

[Gerald]

Haha ....... same with me ....... I can hit straight down the fairway with my driver when I am totally on, but when I am slightly off I just set up for a fade and aim for the left side instead of going for the straight shot ....... the fade is very reliable and I can hit it 14/14 unless trees on the left side are blocking a fade.