When is driver off the deck a good play?

[Doctorfro]

You can hit a driver off the deck but it would be almost impossible to hit it on the sweet spot.  It would be hitting a "thin" shot. which will be low and run hot unless you can somehow take a divot.  Three metal is always a better play in my book.

[CuppedTin]

If you need to hit a driver from the deck then you need to be playing from the up tees... They make strong 2's and 3's to hit off the deck.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by CuppedTin

If you need to hit a driver from the deck then you need to be playing from the up tees...

I'll take that under advisement the next time I hit my driver off the deck.

C'mon...

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by CuppedTin

If you need to hit a driver from the deck then you need to be playing from the up tees... They make strong 2's and 3's to hit off the deck.

So.... maybe I've hit a bad tee shot and have a longer second than I would normally have.  Maybe I need to keep my second shot under some low branches.  And by the way, I typically play the middle tees, going for about 6300 to 6500 yards when possible.

What is with the absolutism in this thread?  Do you guys always hit the same shots every time with the same clubs?  I don't.  I've learned to hit a variety of shots with each club, and that includes the driver.  Why should I discard another useful club for a strong 2W or 3W when I don't need it?  I CAN use the driver for that.  Just because you can't hit it, don't be ragging that it's somehow wrong or stupid.  If it works, then by definition, it can't very well be wrong.  Maybe what is wrong is that you guys lack imagination.  I'm always willing to try something new.  If it works for me, then I keep it in my game.  If it doesn't then I let those who it does work for use it and I pass on it.

I carry a 15° 3W, 2 hybrids, and 5 iron thru 56° SW, along with driver and putter - 14 clubs - no room for any more.  When driver off the deck is the right play, then that's what I hit.  I don't play it every round, but I never know when that shot is going to be just the right one.  When I'm playing into a 30 knot headwind, it's a beautiful shot to have in the bag.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by CuppedTin

If you need to hit a driver from the deck then you need to be playing from the up tees... They make strong 2's and 3's to hit off the deck.

I hear what you're saying. A one-off is one thing, but if driver from the fairway is a common shot then you're probably playing a monster of a course, playing in very strong winds, or need a new driver. The good news is if you're hitting a modern driver off the fairway quite often, you'll be in the market for one soon anyway!

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by TitleistWI

Driver off the deck is NEVER a good play.

For anybody?  I've never considered it, but there have to be some conditions where it is a good play if pros do it.

Brandon

[JMaC]

Good topic. I hit a nasty low cutter when I hit my driver off the deck. I play it occasionally on long par 4's or par 5's if I'm in jail on the right side and need 225-240yds to get to an up-and-down yardage (assuming that there's no risk on the left).

[CuppedTin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CuppedTin

If you need to hit a driver from the deck then you need to be playing from the up tees... They make strong 2's and 3's to hit off the deck.

So.... maybe I've hit a bad tee shot and have a longer second than I would normally have. Maybe I need to keep my second shot under some low branches. And by the way, I typically play the middle tees, going for about 6300 to 6500 yards when possible.

What is with the absolutism in this thread? Do you guys always hit the same shots every time with the same clubs? I don't. I've learned to hit a variety of shots with each club, and that includes the driver. Why should I discard another useful club for a strong 2W or 3W when I don't need it? I CAN use the driver for that. Just because you can't hit it, don't be ragging that it's somehow wrong or stupid. If it works, then by definition, it can't very well be wrong. Maybe what is wrong is that you guys lack imagination. I'm always willing to try something new. If it works for me, then I keep it in my game. If it doesn't then I let those who it does work for use it and I pass on it.

I carry a 15° 3W, 2 hybrids, and 5 iron thru 56° SW, along with driver and putter - 14 clubs - no room for any more. When driver off the deck is the right play, then that's what I hit. I don't play it every round, but I never know when that shot is going to be just the right one. When I'm playing into a 30 knot headwind, it's a beautiful shot to have in the bag.

Well, I typically play from 7100 to 7400 and in my opinion it is a ridiculous shot and the driver is simply not designed for it. I have imagination and can assure you that I hit my driver quite well, but the driver off the deck will never be nothing more than a novelty shot. You said yourself that you carry a 15 degree 3 wood, well anyone playing from 6100 to 6500 should be capable of hitting it low under trees... Look, I'm not saying I can't hit it, but to be honest it has never dawned on me to try. And as you said, if you hit a bad shot off the tee, what makes you think you are going to rip it off the deck with the same driver that you couldn't hit teed up... :-)

[CuppedTin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CuppedTin

If you need to hit a driver from the deck then you need to be playing from the up tees... They make strong 2's and 3's to hit off the deck.

I hear what you're saying. A one-off is one thing, but if driver from the fairway is a common shot then you're probably playing a monster of a course, playing in very strong winds, or need a new driver. The good news is if you're hitting a modern driver off the fairway quite often, you'll be in the market for one soon anyway!

Great post, a guy came in the pro shop demanding his money back for an R11 that he smashed the head off of. When we finished our round we found out that he took a 2" deep divot trying to hit it off the deck after he topped it off the tee box!

[CuppedTin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CuppedTin

If you need to hit a driver from the deck then you need to be playing from the up tees...

I'll take that under advisement the next time I hit my driver off the deck.

C'mon...

Ok Iacas, honestly how much farther do you hit your driver off the deck compared to your 3? And which club are you the most consistent with? I'm sure you hit driver off the deck, but I also bet it's not because it's your only play! :-)

[GaijinGolfer]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

For anybody?  I've never considered it, but there have to be some conditions where it is a good play if pros do it.

Brandon

Even for the pros its not often a very good idea.  Its fine if you want to hit a low, running shot but if even the pros struggle with this shot then an amateur golfer has no business trying to pull it off.  If you really want to give it a whirl, go right ahead but drivers arent designed for hitting shots off the deck.

[trackster]

The only pro I have seen hit driver off the deck is Alvino Quiros (spelling?).  It was on close to a 600 yard par 5 and he was trying to reach the green in 2.  If memory serves me right he hit a pretty decent shot.

I don't get it.  The sweet spot of a driver can not be hit if you are hitting a ball off the ground.  The best you could hope for is maybe a super far grass burner .

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by trackster

The only pro I have seen hit driver off the deck is Alvino Quiros (spelling?).  It was on close to a 600 yard par 5 and he was trying to reach the green in 2.  If memory serves me right he hit a pretty decent shot.

I don't get it.  The sweet spot of a driver can not be hit if you are hitting a ball off the ground.  The best you could hope for is maybe a super far grass burner .

I've seen it two other times but I don't remember the golfers.

If memory serves, Quiros hit the driver off the deck twice during that round that you're thinking of (2 seasons ago, right?).  He hit it pretty well, but the results were bad.  He had the length to reach in two, but ended up in a greenside bunker.  He did not get up and down for birdie, and instead settled for either par or perhaps even bogie (can't remember).  His playing partner birdied it the conventional way (on in 3).

Brandon

[clubchamp]

I've only hit driver off the deck a handful of times mostly when driver heads were smaller. In fact the only time I remember hitting a 460cc head driver off the deck was in a match play tourney and I was down 1 playing the par 5 18th hole. I was in the rough but my ball was sitting right on top so I thought I might be able to hit it like a drive. I was able to get it up by the green but if my ball was in the fairway I don't think I would have even considered it.

[B-Con]

How good is it to hit on the bottom half of the clubface on a driver? I would imagine a 3 wood could probably go just as far.

That's what I wondered. I would assume that you wouldn't be getting the full sweet-spot impact. The people hitting them off the deck may have the smaller clubheads and shallower faces, though, so it may not be terribly off of the sweet spot. But for those with larger, deeper faces, my guess is that they would be using it for the lower ball flight or increased roll, not the improved carry distance. Regardless, I would never hit my driver off the deck if my actual score were on the line. Goodness knows I have enough trouble getting it off a tee. :-D

[act0fgod]

Bubba Watson played the driver off the deck multiple days this year at Kapalua.

I regularly play a driver off the deck at one of my regular play courses when the pin is on the right side. The hole is a 555 yard par 5 and plays to a wide green with a bunker centered on the green. There is a pretty strong slope on the right side of the green that feeds the ball to the green. The course is also firm by US standards.

Also I thought it interesting that the third poster mentioned hitting his tee shot 250 and then his shot off the deck 260. With wind I could see this as a possibility but never really thought about playing a tee shot off the deck. When I went out to Bandon Dunes in the afternoon with the wind in my face I tee'd my driver just like I usually tee up my irons (very low to the ground) and feel very confident that was the right play with the firm fairways and ridiculous wind.

[bkoguy07]

I play with a 6capper pretty frequently and his ball flight is ridiculously high so he always plays driver off deck.  Does great with it too!  Not sure why he doesn't just tee it lower or anything but Idk  he uses his driver like a utility club and he's great with it.  He doesnt even owns tee's and NEVER tees anything up.  Fantastic player though, its great to see it too

[iacas]

Originally Posted by CuppedTin

Ok Iacas, honestly how much farther do you hit your driver off the deck compared to your 3? And which club are you the most consistent with?

In certain situations? An extra 50 yards. And even if I'm only half as "consistent" (what does that even mean? what are the parameters?) the 50 yards matters.

Just because something hasn't occurred to you doesn't mean it doesn't work. Bubba hit a driver into Kapalua's 18th, remember? He couldn't have hit that shot with his 3W. Guess he should move up a set of tees? That's the problem with speaking in absolutes...