How many of you do not use a driver?

[RyderJ]

Why in the world would an admittedly new golfer want to play from the tips? Especially when you consider he has to really go at it to reach 250...

Originally Posted by sean_miller

I suspect you're not playing from the tips.

[sean_miller]

That was my point.  So many people seem to be worried that their peers won't be able to get around the course unless the pull out their driver on every par 4 and 5. If they're on the proper tees, they shouldn't have to use a driver 14 times per round. Not sure how I could explain that any better, so i'm done here.

Originally Posted by RyderJ

Why in the world would an admittedly new golfer want to play from the tips? Especially when you consider he has to really go at it to reach 250...

[RyderJ]

I get what the point you are trying to make now...

Originally Posted by sean_miller

That was my point.  So many people seem to be worried that their peers won't be able to get around the course unless the pull out their driver on every par 4 and 5. If they're on the proper tees, they shouldn't have to use a driver 14 times per round. Not sure how I could explain that any better, so i'm done here.

[newtogolf]

For most it's simple peer pressure.  Your delusional golf buddies think they are good enough to play from the tips and don't want you to rain on their parade by playing from the proper set of tees.  Instead of supporting your choice they call you names, question your manhood and make you feel guilty for not joining them in slowing down the entire course behind you.

Originally Posted by RyderJ

Why in the world would an admittedly new golfer want to play from the tips? Especially when you consider he has to really go at it to reach 250...

[ghalfaire]

My home course is 6300+ from the member tees and I usually play without using the driver.  I hit the 3W about 230-235 yards (yes GPS measured). But on any course for me to pull the driver there has to be a good reward/risk criterion or I'll bet on my short game.

[The Recreational Golfer]

Originally Posted by GJBenn85

At the weekend warrior amateur level, I really wonder how much better off the average golfer would play if they would just leave the driver at home and use a wood off the tee.

Never hit a golf ball with a club that has less loft than your handicap. :)

[Precis1on]

I enjoyed this quote :).

Played a relatively short course this weekend (average Par 4s: 320-350 yards). Had a field day bringing out the hybrid on the tee and hitting all but one of the fairways for an easy approach under 150 yards.

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

Never hit a golf ball with a club that has less loft than your handicap. :)

[GJBenn85]

Well that is just silly.  I hit my 3w very well and its loft is quite a bit less than my handicap.

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

Never hit a golf ball with a club that has less loft than your handicap. :)

[mdl]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

That was my point.  So many people seem to be worried that their peers won't be able to get around the course unless the pull out their driver on every par 4 and 5. If they're on the proper tees, they shouldn't have to use a driver 14 times per round. Not sure how I could explain that any better, so i'm done here.

This is totally true in general.  You shouldn't play tees where you HAVE to hit driver on every par 4 and 5.

I'd say also though that if you never hit driver when you could get to the green with 3i/8i, regardless of the hole setup, then you need to work on your driver.  I will hit 3i off the tee on tight short par 4s or on days when my driver's off, but if when you walk up to a shortish par 4 with a wide fairway and no punitive trouble where your usual miss goes and you never have days where you think the smart play is to hit driver and get a wedge approach, then you need to work on your driver.

I have days all the time where that's not the smart play, but my lowest scoring rounds have been days when my driver's on fire and I'm hitting greens with my wedges and I can hit driver/wedge to most of the par 4s.

[sean_miller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdl

This is totally true in general.  You shouldn't play tees where you HAVE to hit driver on every par 4 and 5.

I'd say also though that if you never hit driver when you could get to the green with 3i/8i, regardless of the hole setup, then you need to work on your driver.  I will hit 3i off the tee on tight short par 4s or on days when my driver's off, but if when you walk up to a shortish par 4 with a wide fairway and no punitive trouble where your usual miss goes and you never have days where you think the smart play is to hit driver and get a wedge approach, then you need to work on your driver.

I have days all the time where that's not the smart play, but my lowest scoring rounds have been days when my driver's on fire and I'm hitting greens with my wedges and I can hit driver/wedge to most of the par 4s.

[clubchamp]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

If someone can't get their driver to 250, they need to get some lessons, work on their fitness, and then get a driver fitting. OR, they could just play up a tee box (or two).

most amateurs - according to Golf Digest - average somewhere around 195-205 yards with their drivers.

250 is a tall order... I agree with everything you say but reality is none of them will happen.

[RyderJ]

I'm not trying to be controversial, but really? Golf Digest is the source you're claiming? Might as well have said your kids jr. high golf coach said it imho...

Originally Posted by clubchamp

most amateurs - according to Golf Digest - average somewhere around 195-205 yards with their drivers.

250 is a tall order... I agree with everything you say but reality is none of them will happen.

[GJBenn85]

I believe it.  Most amateurs greatly overestimate their distance with their drivers and woods.  I love watching people on the range whose balls barely fly 180-200 yards with their drivers yet when a buddy walks up they talk about "pounding it 250+ yards."  Really feel like saying "Sorry bud, I happen to know the blue flag is 200 yards, the tree is about 180, and you're just barely making the tree."

[RyderJ]

So you're saying that the majority of amateurs hit their driver as far as I hit my 6 iron? I just find that difficult to believe. Novices and beginners, perhaps, but anyone with any remote knowledge of how a golf swing works should be able to hit a driver farther than that imho...also assuming the individual has a reasonable fitness level.

[meenman]

Originally Posted by clubchamp

most amateurs - according to Golf Digest - average somewhere around 195-205 yards with their drivers.

250 is a tall order... I agree with everything you say but reality is none of them will happen.

I would tend to believe that number.  Honestly I see + handicaps that generally hit it 260-270, and the kids that claim everything they hit is 250 when 220 is more like it.

Factor in the old guys that hit it 185 down the middle every time.

[Bananarama]

Im going to disagree with most of you.  My reasoning is that my current goal is not to go around in as low as I can, but rather to become better so I will shoot or give myself the chance to shoot lower scores in the future.

I have recently started back with my driver from "Iron only".  I decided that I didnt like hitting 4 iron or 5 iron onto 400+ yard greens (my lowest iron is a 4 iron which I hit ~210 yards) as I would often miss then have to save par.  Mix in the occasional duff that goes no where too.  With a driver or 3wood it decreases the approach to the green to 9iron or less which is more accurate.

Thing is, I dont play golf to sit back and let the day go by - I want to be able to use my driver, call it self improvement.  I dont waste my time at the driving range practicing something i never use!  So I started using my driver, my scores have gone up considerably, mainly due to penalty spews off the tee.  Im not so worried about this though as I have taken a hit now but I can see it getting better (driving at the range is completely different to driving on a course imho) and I am atleast giving it a shot.

As they say, it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all...

[ghalfaire]

Like every other club in the bag you select a driver when you believe it is the best chance to achieve the lowest score on that hole.   Golf is game that is about getting around the course in the least amount of strokes and every shot (club selection) should be based on that criterion alone.  I have a buddy that his driver is probably the most accurate club in his bag and he hits in on every par four and five.  He isn't very long with it but in the short grass most of the time.  Me, I can hit my driver probably 60 yards further than he does, but not nearly as often in the short grass.  So seldom do I use it more than 2-3 times a round and on tight courses I might not use it at all.  Like everyone I have good and bad days so the number of times I hit the driver on a given course will vary with my attitude and confidence that day. But I always am looking at minimizing my score and try to not let ego or other things get in the way of that goal.

[dbwood]

Believe it.  If you're your average 6i is 200 yards you're quite literally "exceptional", most avid (let alone "average") golfers don't hit as long as you.

Couple of thoughts about fitting: The average height of a US male is 5' 9.5" and many new drivers are at 45.5" and 46", that's awfully long.  Also I see many golfers using 9* or 9.5* lofts to "get more roll".  A shaft that's too long combined with a 9* head can be a hard thing to control.  I think the average golfer with the average 85 mph swing speed who's not confident could use a bit of time with a 43.5"-44", 13* driver to hit some more fairways and develop some better mechanics.  They could go to a lower loft later if they really needed to.  An athletic high speed swinger could use it and call it a 2 wood.

Originally Posted by RyderJ

So you're saying that the majority of amateurs hit their driver as far as I hit my 6 iron? I just find that difficult to believe. Novices and beginners, perhaps, but anyone with any remote knowledge of how a golf swing works should be able to hit a driver farther than that imho...also assuming the individual has a reasonable fitness level.