The Driver obsession

[GreeBoman]

Re: The Driver obsession

i hit my 3 wood extremely well and my 3r baffler puts me in the fairway @180yds every single time so no point hoping and praying driver will get me another 30 yds.

If you are getting 210 from your driver then there is definitely no point in hitting it.
The risk/reward just doesnt add up for you.
However, if you can hit your driver 300yrds pretty much everytime then that is a massive advantage for you.
The difference between hitting a 3 iron and an 8 iron for your second shot is, in my opinion worth any driver risk.

[slater170]

Re: The Driver obsession

If you are getting 210 from your driver then there is definitely no point in hitting it.
The risk/reward just doesnt add up for you.
However, if you can hit your driver 300yrds pretty much everytime then that is a massive advantage for you.
The difference between hitting a 3 iron and an 8 iron for your second shot is, in my opinion worth any driver risk.

hi greeboman
couldnt agree more!
the more i try to hit driver well the more it screws the rest of my game up

[Martin Levac]

Re: The Driver obsession

If you are getting 210 from your driver then there is definitely no point in hitting it.
The risk/reward just doesnt add up for you.
However, if you can hit your driver 300yrds pretty much everytime then that is a massive advantage for you.
The difference between hitting a 3 iron and an 8 iron for your second shot is, in my opinion worth any driver risk.

The course is measured in yards, the score is counted in strokes. It serves no purpose if the shot went astray and the only shot to make next is to recover. That makes the green one stroke further away than otherwise.

[GreeBoman]

Re: The Driver obsession

The course is measured in yards, the score is counted in strokes. It serves no purpose if the shot went astray and the only shot to make next is to recover. That makes the green one stroke further away than otherwise.

I disagree.
If the best possible outcome of not hitting the driver off the tee leaves you with a 3 iron to the green then Im hitting a driver everytime.

It serves no purpose if hitting a rescue club still leaves you too far away to hit a comfortable club to the green, basically you have just doubled your risk.

I would prefer to hit a driver off a perfect lie (a tee) and then hit an 7/8 iron from the rough or fairway than hit a rescue club and then still have 180 to the green, only *possibly* from the fairway.

[indianagolf]

Re: The Driver obsession

augolfer81

I am not trying to flame you but I have re-read alot of your latest posts and threads. While it may be somewhat true for some people to leave the driver in the bag it isnt true for all golfers. Secondly, you are assuming that everyone wants to be a professional golfer. I know you started playing golf back in september and it is great you are shaping your shots using your oversized cavity back clubs. I for one do take the game semi-seriously. I went from shooting 83-85 consistently to shooting in the mid nineties in one year. I have no explanation for it. My driver was killing me. I went from R7 TP, to a Generic driver, to a 983k (my old staple), to a Ft3 (which i got for free), back to a R7 425, and than to an HS9. I had complete nervous breakdowns when I approached the ball. I fell apart at the TPC stadium course (4 day tournament) Moving to a 3 wood didnt help. Todays driver is a lot diferent than the old wooden ones of past. I am happy to say I am sticking with my new R7 superquad and am hitting it 250-275 down the middle with the occasional heavy draw. It was all in my head. Most of my post is pointless......But do us a favor, don't come on here like you are Dave Pelz or Rick Smith and regurgitate something you heard on the golf course. I gather that alot in your posts. I go to Augusta ever year for the Masters. I have yet to find a challenging course (other than the obvious and Augusta Country Club. I havent played either but have the score card for the CC and it has a pretty steep slope. Perhaps I have come off to harsh and for that I apologize. To those that cant hit the driver do what makes you comfortable. But dont limit yourself because someone says Tiger Woods cant hit the thing. I say buy the big stick and swing it liberally....

[merarmou]

Re: The Driver obsession

And I'll have to disagree with you. The modern driver is sold with a flexible 46" graphite shaft. It offsets any benefit that the larger head may provide. That's probably why the average player still plays at the same level he used to play 100 years ago or at any other time in the past. That you can hit the ball 250 is not average, it's quite above average. That your wife can hit the ball 200 is not average, it's above average as well. The average is about 200 for men and about 150 for women.

If you will compare the average length of professional player's driver shafts, you will notice that it's far from 46" and closer to 43". If the pros prefer to use 43" drivers and even then it's obvious that they aren't so accurate, why do average players expect to send the ball farther by using a longer club if because of its additional length it becomes even more difficult to make proper contact and thus transmit power to the ball?

Where I play, nobody can hit the driver and land on the fairway at will. It's all a matter of chance, it seems. They're all playing the lottery.

The original poster got it dead on. Use a shorter club, hit the ball better, play better overall, score better, have more fun.

Not hitting a fairway isn't the end of the world. I would rather have a short shot from the rough than a long shot from the fairway. For me, I don't score better by using a 3 wood off the tee.

[merarmou]

Re: The Driver obsession

If you are getting 210 from your driver then there is definitely no point in hitting it.
The risk/reward just doesnt add up for you.
However, if you can hit your driver 300yrds pretty much everytime then that is a massive advantage for you.
The difference between hitting a 3 iron and an 8 iron for your second shot is, in my opinion worth any driver risk.

To score better you need to be hitting short irons into greens. Hitting driver may increase the probability that your second shot will be from the rough but the extra yardage gained if worth it. Why is everyone so scared to hit driver?

[slater170]

Re: The Driver obsession

To score better you need to be hitting short irons into greens. Hitting driver may increase the probability that your second shot will be from the rough but the extra yardage gained if worth it. Why is everyone so scared to hit driver?

think you ahve missed the point!
people are not "scared" of hitting driver as you say they recognise that they are not very accurate with it!
sure im not arsed about hitting out of the rough but what if your shot ends up deep in the woods or even worse OOB

[indianagolf]

Re: The Driver obsession

ill be the first to say I am trying to hit it as far as possible. I want to hit it 290ish every time.......If I get off the fairway then so be it......It is good practice for my punch shots out of the woods. I play better when I hit the driver......the farther the better (within reason)......

[bill reed]

Re: The Driver obsession

hi
think i am in the old school here as i would rather be on the fairway 2 club lengths back than in the rough two shots closer, hitting a 4 iron from the fairway to me is better than hitting a 6 iron out of heavy rough.
most times when i am in rough at my course its tall and heavy and you need a 9 or a wedge to get back on the fairway,i play with long hitters all the time and they lose a lot of shots comming out the rough after there long drives. i would say about 50% of the times they are in the rough they go for the green and dont make it even close.
playing form the fairway is the way i want to play and if that means shorter of the tee with my driver then thats how i play, i only use 80/90% power when using driver and do same with all clubs in my bag apart from putter.
bill

[Matt10]

Re: The Driver obsession

Man, whoever says they want practice playing out of the woods sure doesn't want to see their HCP drop. Make the game easier, hit a drive in the short stuff - have an angle into the green, make some putts and watch your scores drop. The most important stats when I play a round are: Fairways Hit, Greens in Regulation and Putts.

For everytime you have to punch out of the woods, you have to settle for a stupid layup and thus putting you farther away from making those birdies. Relax and hit the ball straight - nothing to it, 240-260 will do just fine.

Remember it's direction for the long game and distance for the short game (Guess who said that...)

[Stillhacken]

Re: The Driver obsession

Take a 425 yard par four and only get 210 or 220 off the tee. Your left with 200 to the green. If you can only hit your driver that far your probably not going to get to the green in two. You better have a good short game. And who doesnt love to hear the crack of that driver face pounding the ball . The tee box is also a place where people you dont know will probably be standing around watching you tee off. Everybody dreams of standing up there and blasting one down the fairway.

[GreeBoman]

Re: The Driver obsession

Take a 425 yard par four and only get 210 or 220 off the tee. Your left with 200 to the green. If you can only hit your driver that far your probably not going to get to the green in two. You better have a good short game. And who doesnt love to hear the crack of that driver face pounding the ball . The tee box is also a place where people you dont know will probably be standing around watching you tee off. Everybody dreams of standing up there and blasting one down the fairway.

OK but isnt the whole point that if you are only getting 220 off the tee and you are not comfortable hitting a long iron or 3 wood from the fairway then you are probably a high enough handicap, say 18.
If you are 18 handicap then you shouldnt really be going for the pin in 2 on the longer holes. In fact you are probably only off 18 because you do go for it in two, make a balls of it and then end up with a 6 wondering what when wrong....

You have to play to your own ability, not your partners or anyone elses. There is a reason for having handicaps, use it.

[bill reed]

Re: The Driver obsession

hi greeboman
think your are spot on with what you say, if your off 18 then play to your handicap and not try and play off scrach.
bill

[golfseeker]

Re: The Driver obsession

Here is my routine when I use my driver. I stand with both feet together and the ball is exactly even with the center of my right foot ( I am right handed). This ball position puts the ball exactly 2 inches from the right edge of my left foot. I then move my right foot out to shoulder width. Tee hight is 3 inches from the ground. I am six feet tall. My stance is square to the target line. I normally hit a ten yard draw. My carry and distance is about 230 to 250 with a regular shaft and 10.5 degree loft. I use the driver every chance I get. My last outing was this past Sunday. I hit 12 of 14 fairways. Almost every drivewas in the center of the fairway. We played in a 15 to 20 mph south wind. My score that day was 86. My putting killed me.....36 on a 72 par course. I have no excuses but I do need to practice my putting. LOL.