How often do you hit driver off the tee?

[Dr. Slice]

About 90% of the time with a par 4 or 5 i will hit my driver off the tee, but that sometimes gets me in trouble.

I notice that most pros don't usually hit their driver off the tee especially it its a tight fairway.

Also when you don't hit the driver, what club do you use?

I looking to get a new 3 wood, right now i have an adamsgolf insight that is about 4 years old. After that, my next longest club is a 4 hybrid that i hit about 220-230.

If I'm at a tight fairway and i need to hit in the middle (about 240-250 yds) what club would be the best for me? Im looking at the rbz 3 wood or the rescue club. But i don't know if an rbi 3 wood would help anything wince it is supposedly supposed to be so long it would almost seem like I'm hitting a driver.

Also, i hit my driver about 280-300 yards

[bradsul]

If it's straight away I like my approaches on par 4's between 150 and 100 yards so I'll hit whatever club will get me in there.  Otherwise I will let the hole design dictate the club to lay up or carry a hazard or whatever.

For a par 5 I will hit a driver unless the hole design dictates otherwise.

If a fairway is really tight I'll probably drop down to my 7W which I'm really comfortable with in terms of accuracy.

[justtapitin]

I tee off with driver only when I see no problems on the right side so maybe once or twice per round.

I usually tee off with 5 wood ( I don't have 3W) that I can hit about 210 and I'd hit 4H if I need more of controled shot.

I have confidence in my 5W and SOMEHOW I can hit it with small draw.

Why can't I do it with driver???

[NuclearMike]

My driver, except for my last time out, is my go to club on the tee. Unless I think that I'll drive the ball to inside 75 yards I'll hit driver.  I want to have a full shot into the green and my play inside 75 can be sketchy sometimes.  I've been getting better at it, though, with a lot of work being put in from 110 and closer.

[bossanovawitcha]

Originally Posted by justtapitin

I tee off with driver only when I see no problems on the right side so maybe once or twice per round.

I usually tee off with 5 wood ( I don't have 3W) that I can hit about 210 and I'd hit 4H if I need more of controled shot.

I have confidence in my 5W and SOMEHOW I can hit it with small draw.

Why can't I do it with driver???

might be shaft flex too weak - I have the same issue, I hit a tight rocket draw with my RBZ 18.5* Speeder 757, but often feels like a high 'block' with my Rapture V2 Diamana White 63g.  I'm starting to suspect the shaft in the V2 might need a little more heft, but I don't hit driver half as well as my hybrids, so I dunno..

[justtapitin]

Originally Posted by bossanovawitcha

might be shaft flex too weak - I have the same issue, I hit a tight rocket draw with my RBZ 18.5* Speeder 757, but often feels like a high 'block' with my Rapture V2 Diamana White 63g.  I'm starting to suspect the shaft in the V2 might need a little more heft, but I don't hit driver half as well as my hybrids, so I dunno..

Sounds cool!!!

My clubs are given from friend and driver, 5W, 4H are all Stiff (Mizuno Fubuki)

I don't think my SS is more than 100 though....

[bunkerputt]

Depends on the course.  Not a whole lot honestly.  Even on long holes, I feel pretty confident hitting 200 yard approach shots in pretty tight.  If I can go without driver and get in there 150 or so to give me something around a PW-8 approach, that's all I need.  Why hit driver and give yourself 63 yard approaches all the time?

[John King]

Originally Posted by bunkerputt

Depends on the course.  Not a whole lot honestly.  Even on long holes, I feel pretty confident hitting 200 yard approach shots in pretty tight.  If I can go without driver and get in there 150 or so to give me something around a PW-8 approach, that's all I need.  Why hit driver and give yourself 63 yard approaches all the time?

That is the approach I have taken this year and I have played consistently played better because of it.

[saevel25]

Depends on the course, but usually 8-12 times..

[showtime583]

I'll typically hit a driver on any hole measuring more than 400 yards. The exception would be if there is significant trouble or the potential to hit through a dogleg, etc. At the 5-6 courses I frequent, I average hitting driver 10-12 times per round.

[x129]

I am guessing your accuracy with a 63 yard shot is a lot better than with a 150 yard one.  10% off on a 65 yard shot is 6.3 yards. You would need to be ~4% off from 150 to have the same accuracy.  Now leaving a 60 yard shot 20 feet from the hole feels a lot worse than leaving a 150 yard shot 20 feet from the hole. Obviously if you are going to be facing a lot of these partial wedge shots/long pitches you need to practice them. It gets more interesting on courses where the fairway stops 75 yards from the green. Do you prefer a 50 yard shot from the rough or a 100 yard shot from the fairway. The numbers there can be really close.

Originally Posted by bunkerputt

Depends on the course.  Not a whole lot honestly.  Even on long holes, I feel pretty confident hitting 200 yard approach shots in pretty tight.  If I can go without driver and get in there 150 or so to give me something around a PW-8 approach, that's all I need.  Why hit driver and give yourself 63 yard approaches all the time?

[Jameshooper]

It depends on the hole, as well as how well I might or might not be hitting the driver that day. on a par 4, it's what ever club I can hit off the tee that will put an 8, 9 or wedge in my hand. And on par 5's, If I have no chance of getting there in 2, why hit driver if there is trouble all around, make it a 3 shot hole and hope to one put for birdie.

[Fore Left]

I don't carry any fairway woods or 'hybrids'  because I have never hit a hybrid,  and I've never been very accurate with the fairway woods,  but I think I might pick one up just to hit from the tee.   I don't mind hitting my 3 iron from the tee,  but wouldn't mind getting more distance than that on those tight holes.

[Zeph]

Depends on the layout of the hole. Always a risk, reward issue. I want as short an iron into the green as possible, but if I have to bring too much danger into play, I may hit something else. I often hit irons off the tee on par fours and fives. If I can get there with a 3 iron and a middle iron, it's a pretty safe route. If I can't reach a par five in two and the fairway is narrow, I'd rather hit 3-wood or a long iron to stay in play.

[GaijinGolfer]

If its a nice, wide-open hole without much trouble and Im swinging the driver well that day, I'll hit driver.  However, if there isnt much margin for error or if Im just not hitting the driver well that day, I will hit 3-wood or a mid-iron instead.  The 3-wood/mid-iron is a much safer play because it has a shorter shaft and is easier to control.

Only hitting it 200 yards but in the fairway beats hitting it 250 yards in the rough or in the woods any day.

[Jimdangles]

I will almost hit the driver when possible. Inside of 150 I feel pretty comfortable from 50 or 150. I also feel pretty confident with the driver now a days. If i am having a bad day I may try the 3 wood but it is probably not hitting well if my driver isnt.

[anthony]

Depends completely on the hole. I played a short'ish course last week and I only hit my driver 6 or 7 times the whole day. Only twice on the front 9. If it's a par 4 and I can give myself 160 or less to the green, I'll hit my 4 hybrid or a 5 iron just to stay in play. I generally won't pick my 3 wood in lieu of a driver because I feel like I just as likely to hit a bad shot with it as I am the driver.

There's a par 5 on my course that I hit 4 hybrid off the tee because the hole bottlenecks right where I usually land the ball and there's almost no room for error. Sometimes you gotta take your medicine.

[Limpinswinger]

Whenever there's a nice big landing area at the right distance to hit my driver to.