Driver: could you play without one?

[Shindig]

OK, I gave this a try today on the par-5s. Woodley Lakes, for those familiar with LA courses; white tees.

Par 5 #1: Hole 4, 516 yards. I was just coming off a par on the previous hole. 3-wood, 4-hybrid, 4-hybrid, sank a short putt for a birdie.

Par 5 #2: Hole 8, 476 yards, wide fairway. Tried driver. Hooked into trouble, topped my shot out into a fairway bunker. Made double bogey, and decided I should've tried 3-wood 4-hybrid and then maybe a 7- or 8-iron into the green.

Par 5 #3: Hole 13, 504 yards. Put the 3-wood shot exactly where I wanted it (just short and right of that bunker under the trees). 3-hybrid down the fairway, 6-iron onto the green. Forgot the wind was in my face and had the shot at the front of the green when pin was in back. Two bad putts later I had a tap-in for bogey. That wasn't the 3-Wood off the tee's fault.

Par 5 #4: Hole 18, 537 yards. Wind at my back, 3-Wood is a great choice since I can get the ball in the air better and get the wind to take the ball. 3-Wood, 3-Hybrid, 2nd 3-Hybrid would get it to the green but I hit it fat. Not the 3-Wood's fault this time either.


So... I'm thinking next time I play the course I may hit 3-Wood off the tee on the par-5s. 3-Wood then hybrid gives me great vantage for the third shot, and I'm swinging smoothly because I'm not caring about distance.

I'm still not sure if I'll be doing it for the par-4s, unless I find one under 300 yards or one with a tight fairway.

[TCCcaddie]

You can definatley play without a driver. I can hit my 3 wood 265 and straight and im having some problems with my driver accuracy. I unless i absolutley needed the extra 30 yards i can go without the driver and keep it straight.

[beech]

If I had half a brain I would leave the driver in the bag 50% more

[Elvisliveson]

  ks8829 said:

Today I hit my driver 14 times and got into trouble 1 time. I hit 12 out of 14 fairways with my driver so I usually hit my driver whenever possible. If you want to score you need to be able to hit every club in your bag and not be afraid of anyone as my old friend Tad use to say to me.

I couldn't agree more. Anyone who thinks they are better off hitting something else instead of learning to hit the driver is just kidding themselves.

[The Rambler]

Oh yeah for sure. I hit my 3 wood off the tee if I'm spraying my driver

[Elvisliveson]

  Shindig said:

OK, I gave this a try today on the par-5s. Woodley Lakes, for those familiar with LA courses; white tees.

If you could learn to properly hit the driver, all 4 of those par 5s should be reachable in two.

[Wireless]

  Elvisliveson said:

I couldn't agree more. Anyone who thinks they are better off hitting something else instead of learning to hit the driver is just kidding themselves.

Agreed...but reality is king and you need to do the best with what you currently have in your arsenal. Learn on the range, execute on the tee. So says the man who struggles to break 100.

  Elvisliveson said:

If you could learn to properly hit the driver, all 4 of those par 5s should be reachable in two.

And if a frog had wings, he wouldn't bump his a$$ when he jumped.

[Elvisliveson]

  Wireless said:

Agreed...but reality is king and you need to do the best with what you currently have in your arsenal. Learn on the range, execute on the tee. So says the man who struggles to break 100.

Didn't realize the pursuit of knowledge and practice was the equivalent of growing wings. In reality, with today's drivers, all it takes is a little dedication to make it a dependable club.

[Shindig]

  Elvisliveson said:

If you could learn to properly hit the driver, all 4 of those par 5s should be reachable in two.

Let's take the shortest of those: 476 yards. Suppose it's straight (it's more or less straight). How is that reachable in two when my good drives are maybe 215 yards and my 3-wood off the deck is maybe 190?

If I could dependably hit my driver 250 yards, and appropriate gains from other clubs, then it would be reachable in two. I hit my driver just fine. But why hit it when I don't need to? I love hitting my 7-iron, but if I'm a 9-iron out of the green, I'll hit that.

[Elvisliveson]

  Shindig said:

Let's take the shortest of those: 476 yards. Suppose it's straight (it's more or less straight). How is that reachable in two when my good drives are maybe 215 yards and my 3-wood off the deck is maybe 190?

You aren't hitting your driver just fine if it's only going 215 yards.

[tiger_who]

NO WAY there is no way i would leave my driver at home i love it i never hit 3wood off the tee unlees the hole is less than 270m driver is the best club i hit it off every tee and i average about 11 fairways it is the best and most fun club i hit a consitant draw and can play a fade when needed AND im getting the titleist 907 d2 for xmas OMG SO EXCITED YAY lol and when i get on the pro tour in the next 5 year hopefully i reacon i would b the number 1 driver on tour well at least in the top 5 :D

[Shindig]

  Elvisliveson said:

You aren't hitting your driver just fine if it's only going 215 yards.

I'm a scrawny computer nerd. The scrawny part is going away. What's wrong with 215 yards when I've only been playing a year and a half?

Now, on one hand, you're right: there are plenty of folks with my body type, height, and weight who can just drive it forever: Charles Howell III, for example. That having been said, my chipping, pitching, putting, and sand play really hold my game down. It's a rare day when I'm in trouble more than once off the tee. It's rare when I'm not within 30 yards of the green within regulation. But it takes me as many strokes within there as it does away, and I'd like to fix that. So, in short, you're right, but "just fine" in this context means "suits me fine." Do I want more distance? Sure. But I have higher priorities at the moment.

  tiger_who said:

when i get on the pro tour in the next 5 year hopefully i reacon i would b the number 1 driver on tour well at least in the top 5 :D

You're a 14 handicap and talking about being on tour in 5 years, staring down the likes of Adam Scott and Jason Day. I mean this as a positive thing, by the way: you're exactly the kind of student Dr. Rotella says he loves. Go to it man! Are you looking at any of the Australian schools where you can major in playing professional sports?

[Bowker]

Just like saying. . .

Putter: Could I play without one?

answer-no.

[tiger_who]

  Shindig said:

yeah im dreaming big but im gonna try so hard next year i wanna get down to a 5 handicapt but will b hard as i am in year 12 next year then after school im gonna take the year off and just play golf and also get a part time job some were and try to get my handi down to 2.4 and try out for q-school for the australasian tour. i just finished my VET golf (i hav no idea what vet stands for its some high school thing) course at victoria uni which every wednesday i took the day of school and got tought golf at uni in the morning we would do theroy and then in the arvo we got coached it was so awesome it went over two years and hav come down from a 27 handicapt to a 14 handicapt i should b off less but havnt practist as much as i wanted to but im gonna really try and devote my self but also having a social life to dont want to lose all my mates to golf. my dad wants me 2 do this new course at uni its the worlds first golf degree which has been going for a while now. its a 3 year course at uni which is entiely golf related but it cost 20k a year :( i dont wanna spend 3 years at uni im not a school person lol i just wanna paly golf its the one thing that i actully love to do and will concentrate for hourse on the range but wont spend 20 mins reading a book lol. i also hav to find a new coach i hav not currently got one at the moment how wouls i go about finding a good pro. the pro at my course it good but i want an awesome coach :) i can hit the ball really well ppl say i should b of single figurs my putting has improved so much as well im so confident with my putts i was sinking some massive 20 footers 2 day :)

also were can i get my lie angles checked can i take it to my local golf shop or take it to my pro shop and how much does it cost thx guys this si my longest post ever lol

[Titan124]

No doubt in my mind that I could play without the driver, in fact, I sometimes find myself hitting my 3 wood farther than my drive, especially if the 3 wood is a line drive. I like drivers because they're the most fun to hit, and can give you an advantage on a hole. Sure they're overhyped, but to me it's still one of the if not the most fun club to hit.

[Titan124]

  Elvisliveson said:

You aren't hitting your driver just fine if it's only going 215 yards.

Could've fooled me and just about every other person I've ever played with (not that any have been that good). I know a near scratch golfer that hits 240 yards from the golds, and I know someone being recruited by just about every school for golf who can only hit it 260 or so.

[tiger_who]

golf is won and lost around the green

[aholeinone]

I really need my driver