MyWay

Ive started this post about playing irons only, partly because there was an interesting post back in 2008 about the same subject and a number of members had dropped driver and some woods as well and had regained confidence, remained straighter and scored better. They were higher handicappers like myself. I like facts and statistics and keep my own records so I can see where I most need to improve. A fact I hate is being 3 from the T wasting 2 shots before Ive even started really bugs me. I was hoping to find other folk like myself who struggle but enjoy the game and how they worked around those struggles. Im most interested in how low it might be practical to shoot with just irons as these are my current trusted tools. But Ive hit a driver brick wall from better players like yourself. Im not disagreeing with any of your assertions about driving and distance, but it won't help me improve currently especially this time of year as its rained most of this week. I have another lesson on Friday and have been practising as instructed in the back garden. Some folk on here though have been keen to firmly state how wrong I am and to be frank I don't get why my irons only method is so contentious, I'm saying it works for me I enjoy it and I don't expect to influence anyone else, I'm not skilled enough to even think of trying. Calling a statement bollocks seems a little fierce and implies touchiness doesn't it? And you did. Anyway Im bored with this subject now, and strangely its made me more inclined to carry on as I was, and I don't say this to incite reaction. As an aside a course in Northern England Brancepeth Castle GC is the best Ive played in the UK I was a member there for a few years and I can't recommend it enough. I imagine you have more great courses to choose from though.

Yes, your going to make me admit its my skill set not the course aren't you?

Burnham on Crouch Essex England, it has OB on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd (effectively) 4th, 5th par 3, 6th on course OB to right FW, 7th ditch and pond 8 - 7i good alternative, 9th OB left, 10th tightens after 200yds, 11th par 3, 12th wide, 13th on course OB left, 14th OB right, 15th par 3, 16th OB right pond left, 17th OB right tightens due to practice field after 200 yards, 18th OB right. there are 3 additional ponds.

Its a good point you make my local course is narrow and only 2 mins up the road so I play there. Time for more variety perhaps, thanks.

Thanks phillyk appreciate your words! my 4i is often my go to club also, Im nowhere near your ability but interesting to hear thanks! Yes and I fully acknowledge this, I have previously stated I will retry my driver. But while Im struggling to use a complete bag Im interested to hear from people who have worked around this. Even Jack Nicklaus in his book said he would use a club 3 times and if it wasn't working drop down to the next one, well Ive sort of done this and ended up with irons.

Well we seem to have got to a tetchy stage of this subject. For those who have bothered to read my replies properly I have thanked iacas etc.. for there thoughts and have said I will retry my driver and further will seek professional help doing it. Im not looking for validation or acquiescence from others, I know my own game and am very aware of my current weaknesses hence playing just irons for now. I own a driver, 3 & 5 woods and a hybrid I just prefer using irons currently and wondered if other folk had experienced the same. Thats it in a nutshell. And as for 'drive for show putt for dough' thats a very touchy subject isn't it. Some delicate egos getting rattled are there? Its a game fellas, it may be a career to isacs but I don't have the skill or inclination for that level of commitment. boogielicious err.... whatever. N M golf distance matters period, do they play from OB on your course? RickK they won't like that here you must use a driver there is no other option apparently...

Back at ya, fella. Yes it does its an analogy its descriptive and pertinent to the post. But there are other options aren't there. I like the sound of saving 12 shots. Bollocks to you may be, Ive heard it quoted many times as playing partners have wang'd their drive OB.

I don't agree iacas, the mountain of evidence is that good players competent with all clubs will give up shots. Im not saying Im a good player Im an enthusiastic amateur who may never develop a text book swing. Im looking at breaking 80, and the best way my particular skill set might achieve this. Interestingly i played a 3 handicapper in a competition a few years back and beat him by Teeing off with no more than a 6 iron, he conceded on our 19th hole. Thats the handicap system working and me playing a little wiser and marginally better than my handicap. It made it virtually impossible for him to beat me. You wouldn't start off a budding racing driver in a McLaren F1 (driver) you'd start in a Caterham 1300 and learn the skill set wouldn't you? Variable swing... c'mon man, less consistent than ideal, needs improvement. I appreciate being challenged on my thinking iacas, but why must every golfer learn to use the longest shafted flattest faced club that is the only club that requires different swing/set up characteristics? Lots of folk mention that they have dropped their drivers and played more consistently. I wonder if its an age thing, if I use woods, hybrids etc... I quickly loose confidence and ability with my longer irons. So tour players practice everyday for hours, Im trying to practice a little each day, I came to the game late (35) and I always feel like Im playing catch up. I embraced the 'drive for show putt for dough' mantra and practiced chipping and putting more than driving. I firmly believe finishing a hole well beats starting it well, every time. Im pragmatic, realist and committed to being brutally honest with myself hence the irons are best for me current situation. There must be loads in there you can rip into iacas 🙂

Thanks badgermat it seems irons only can work fascinating video! Having never shot as low as 5 over I'm mighty jealous!! Vinsk I was fitted for a driver earlier this year and had a driver specific lesson, the day after on the course I used it 6 times and stayed in play, on the 18th hole it bounced back into play having hit some conifers. I then bounced it back into play from the same conifers on 5 separate occasions. After 5 lots of luck I left it at home. I think a variable swing with the hardest club is not a good combination :)

I'm also very stubborn but not as stubborn as my driver. I think I've hit a wall generally with improvement. I'm fairly certain I was making the best of a bad swing, although I was having regular lessons I was scoring worse. I know when you change things it takes time to adapt, but I'd been seeing my previous pro for close to 3 months with a weekly lesson. Im happier with the change of pro this week and have practiced each day taking a divot etc... as previously posted. It's a good time of year to change things hopefully ready for spring.

My target for next year is to break 80, there are always 5+ shots a round that on any other day... 12 irons I guess 3+ of those are wedges? I used a 3W a few years back instead of a driver, but I shot my lowest round with just a 2i as my longest club and so started the irons only idea.

I asked if with irons only on my particular course, he thought getting to single figures was possible, and he said yes most definitely. My course has OB on 11 holes and as is only 6060 yards from the white T's, a lot of the greens are very small and there is water that can effect 6 holes. Accuracy is paramount. With just irons only 2 long par 4's are tricky to reach in 2 shots but I get a shot on both. I think with my current swing a driver is more risk than I need to take and I do enjoy striking long irons, Im also surprised at how there is often very little distance difference between my 1i and friends Drivers. I am known as along hitter being 6'2" & 200lbs and have weight trained for 25 years. That said little Rory would slay me I know, so now its time to improve as many faults as possible.

Thanks Intruder1800 I appreciate your experience, you perhaps verbalised my thoughts better than I did. I've had an interesting lesson today with a (new to me) pro at my course. Interestingly he thinks achieving single figures with irons only is the way for me to play. What I've learnt today is that I'm too passive in the legs, have a classic over swing and drift back with the backswing, I also have a habit of scooping the ball not taking a divot and have an upright shaft at address (it's amazing I contact the ball at all), we are working on a left leg biased swing with fuller turn and taking a divot after the ball. It is so very different to my previous 15 lessons. I do apparently have a perfect on plane backswing so there is some good in there. For me it shows how important it is to shop around with pros as much as any other aspect. Me previous pro had a paper over the cracks approach, where as the new guy is very much spot on technically and teaches many good armatures as well as other pros. So I know what to work on now, and it won't be my driver for the next few sessions, there is much to improve and I am excited to try. I will try my driver also :) All the comments here have been most helpful and thank you to everyone, it's important to be challenged in your thinking and to keep trying.

Ok thanks Vinsk, I definitely do think negatively about using a driver it has become a mystical club for me. I have a lesson tomorrow and will discuss all of this doubt then. I suppose the way I play currently is fun for me because there is less risk. My 2 lowest ever scores have been with a 2i or 5 wood as my longest club. My most recent best score was with no more than a 3i. The real danger is ending up playing with less & less clubs. Thanks again iacas. I feel sufficiently challenged now. Gonna unchain my driver and wheel it down the practice field like Hannibal Lecter and set it free. It's not gonna be pretty...!

Im not talking about every golfer just my situation. I suppose it comes down to 'can I shoot low scores with my preferred choice of clubs'. You would argue no? Im wondering if I spent my time practicing with my irons could I improve to say single figures. Would an 8 handicapper be sufficiently skilled to use just irons around a 6000 yard course to shoot 78? It all depends on the individuals skill set. Ive mentioned a 230 yard 2i shot that I regularly hit I have also struck my 1i 260+yards far less frequently, and a wind assisted 3i 250 from the FW. Im more confident with my irons and staying in play than I am with the prospect of slapping my driver about on a course with many hazards. So my logic still stands a 16' iron with matched shafts to another 8 irons that I can hit from the T or FW v's trying to improve my 9' stiff G400 accuracy, or a higher lofted driver I guess you'd argue. I quite often play in mixed competitions and its interesting to see how female club golfers approach the game, some with a maximum drive of less than 170 yards and using 22' hybrids for 140 yard par 3's. Effectively their drive is my mid iron. Im not talking about getting to scratch here Im looking at my next step. low teens ideally lower. Should the game be played with 14 assorted clubs, probably. Does it have to be... Is there some magic macho testosterone fulled wall every golfer hits who doesn't use a driver. Ben Hogans 1i shot from the FW is still celebrated today, DJ and the new breed's massive drives are impressive but they won't be revered for years to come because we know its the technology + a big dollop of skill. Does lack some purity though doesn't it....?

Im talking about if the best players in the world fail 3/10 times then what expectation should the average club golfer have? 50%? lower.... probably lower, so then logic dictates you find a workable alternative. Im sure your right that its statistically poor way to play golf in general, but Im talking about my personal findings, and sadly a driver (at the mo) is not my friend. Yes I agree distance is important only 2nd to accuracy. You may have hit the nail on the head, its my fault that Im not better or not willing to accept the disappointment of being 3 from the T. Perhaps my personal skill set is maxed out with irons. Obviously with your experience and ability I can't really argue, but can you teach all old dogs new tricks? The driver is a very different feel for me. I know lots of teaching professionals say its the same swing for every club but I don't agree. I will however bow to the knowledge and experience here and challenge myself to practice better. Thank you!

Not on my course, thanks for your thoughts/advise though. I think the statistic I was going for was FW hit (if it differs) either way 70% when your doing it for a living leaves lots of room for improvement. Yes driving accuracy is my weakness, my work around with irons seems to be getting a reaction. Is it because the average golfer has limited time and so driver at the range is the easier option? I think it is statistically their best option otherwise why do they use long irons on tight courses. Im not disagreeing with the advice (well perhaps a bit) we are all different and I wondered if there where other folk out there that struggle like me. Strangely when I do use woods and a driver then I loose confidence with long irons very quickly, I like multi use clubs and can hit a 2i from the FW also, where as a driver would only be used on 11 holes where I play. I appreciate your comments, I think Im close to that strategy but with less ability (and less woods) my pre determined plan does have leeway with 5i - 1i options wind direction/strength allowing. Thank you to everyone for your replies its great to verbalise thoughts and get feedback.

My problem is, and perhaps its an age thing. I don't trust my driver I regularly take it to the practice field but it doesn't make it onto the course. I strike my irons so well that it doesn't make sense to risk a wayward drive, even the pros don't have that high a 'greens in reg' % and they have spotters and fans and grandstands to bounce theirs off... I totally get you wouldn't teach college students to delete club options, but I came to the game in my 30's and have spent 15 years concluding (in a risk adverse way) that shorter and in play saves me shots. I play/practice 5 times a week and have a lesson once a fortnight, perhaps its just a lack of natural ability. I can drive 275+ yards but only 25% will be in play and my home course has a lot of OB limiting a shot from the wrong FW. I notice the pros often using long irons for tight courses. No one else like me out there, happy with irons only?

Thanks for your thoughts iacas, I can (8/10 times) hit my 2i 230+ yards and often outdrive some playing partners with my 5i. My whole game enjoyment revolves around staying in play and as far as possible positioning for my next shot. My course plays 6049 yards from the comp T's. My bad swing is a righties out to in, with a 5i not a big problem, with a driver its reload. Im more interested in why so many amateurs shy away from 4i+ and then bandage their swings with hybrids, woods and massage their egos with a driver they constantly fail to hit further than 200 yards. That said can I reach single figures with just irons?

Hi Ive just joined the forum having snooped around for various answers over the past months. I play in the UK on a short-is course, I often watch other players attempt to smash their drivers on all but the short par 3's, and have started to count the number of fairway finders Ive actually seen (its surprisingly few). A number of years ago I started self loathing at the number of good rounds (80's) I wrecked by being 3 off the T or out of bounds with a brave 3 wood from the FW. I play irons only now and have done for 4+ years. Ive just changed from Mizuno MP-15's to MP-18 SC's PW - 3i + I bought MP-18 Fli-Hi's 6i - 2i. Interesting how the Fli-Hi 3i loft is 19' and the 2i 16.5' in my world thats 2i and 1i lofts. My point is that as a keen amateur playing 80's golf I really don't need a driver or woods. I use the yardages to my advantage and work backwards from the green to see what I need to leave no more than a 7i approach. one of our harder holes is a par 5 with out of bounds right and a pond left that takes 183 yards to carry, out of frustration one windy day I T'd off with an 8i (short of the pond) hit 2 x 5i's and sank the put for a birdie... I may be the only person contemplating an 8i from the T of a par 5, but having options is always useful. Anyone else experienced my level of self loathing and left their driver and woods at home?