The Driver obsession

[kbp]

Re: The Driver obsession

It’s easy to sacrifice some distance for accuracy when you have both. Most players have neither.

[slater170]

Re: The Driver obsession

I think I've posted in the past about my bogey (sorry) hole - a longish up hill Par 5 that 95% of the time plays into a strong prevailing wind and has a nastily placed water hazard.

Even once I got over my habit of swinging as hard over the top as possible because of my perceived need for distance I used to mess this hole up; eight, nines, tens because my ego insisted on trying to carry the hazard.

Now I lay up; take 2 more to reach the green with a chance of a Par and the liklihood of a bogey - even if I make a mistake (3 putt or miss my approach) I can now walk away with a 7. I get at least a shot on this hole - two if I claim the full slightly Slats like 22 - so the course management is a no-brainer.
Which probably explains why it took me so long to adopt it.

dont drag my name into this
im sayin nothin on this thread as at present my driver tee shots are accurate and the distance is acceptable

[bdbl]

Re: The Driver obsession

dont drag my name into this
im sayin nothin on this thread as at present my driver tee shots are accurate and the distance is acceptable

Huh.

Saying nothing on this thread eh.

Apart from how you are happy with your driving thank you very much.



Don't change a thing mate and move on to the next link in the chain - taking advantage of the drive to set up a score.

Might come up to (relatively near) mancstown in New Year - perhaps fit in a round?

[slater170]

Re: The Driver obsession

Huh.

Saying nothing on this thread eh.

Apart from how you are happy with your driving thank you very much.



Don't change a thing mate and move on to the next link in the chain - taking advantage of the drive to set up a score.

Might come up to (relatively near) mancstown in New Year - perhaps fit in a round?

give us a shout mate and we will sort a game out

BTW had my irons adjusted today and they are 200% better plus 3/5 wood 2nd shot coming along nicely.

[jamesh]

Re: The Driver obsession

I appreciate what you're talking about "people's obsession with the driver" and I think it stems from in part the gratification you get from a beautifully struck ball. Recently I played with a person, who used his driver, way too much and knocked the ball out of bounds. So I asked him, how long have you been playing golf? He said 12 years. I thought to myself, if in 12 years you haven't learned to use your driver strategically, perhaps that isn't what you're looking for, and you just want to bomb the ball at every opportunity.



I've been studying David Leadbetter's interactive DVD collection, and the DVD on Power and Distance. I do this, with the club in my hand so I can see what he does, what I do, and perhaps what I should do. With some very minor adjustments, I got huge distance gains, and with that new found confidence, and the driver is one of the best clubs in my bag. But having golfed now for a few years, I realize this will all change very suddenly and that's golf.

I played around yesterday with a friend of mine who often out drives me. I was blasting the ball by him, and at the same time not acknowledging that I was hitting it farther than him. After a short while, he was driving the ball into the woods out of bounds in an attempt to keep up. I loved it. He was talking during my swing, and my putting, and I didn't take exception to it. He always beats me, and I'm starting to turn the tables, he is feeling the pressure, and I take his distracting behavior as the pressure getting to him and it gives me more confidence -- albeit it does cause me strokes.



James

[bill reed]

Re: The Driver obsession

GregJ
thanks for the link Greg, very interesting.
cheers
bill

[golfseeker]

Re: The Driver obsession

Here is my take on this "driver"obsession thread. Like most people who love to play this game I have purchased many, many different brands of drivers through the years. Having played the game for some 40 years I can honestly say that driver is still an obsession. Probably because of my advancing age I still long for extra distance. I play off the regular tee's and usually drive the ball about 220 yards (about 200 meters) and in the fairway more often than not. If I do miss the fairway it is just a few yards off and in very little trouble. Getting back to the driver obsession... I have played the old steel shafted persimmon's from the 1960's to the metals with graphite shafts of today. My own personal opinion is this.... I would like to see a somewhat smaller head on the driver. Maybe back to about 400 cc's. I believe the real change in technology is in the shafts and balls. I've gone to one of those shaft fitting demo's and it is amazing how different the ball trajectory is with the same head but a different shaft. I've hit a 2-wood with 16 degree loft lower than a driver with 10.5 degree of loft.
I would recommend anyone who plans on getting a driver be fitted. Don't select a driver because "Tiger" or "Phil" uses it. Select a driver you get the best results with and stay with it until you wear it out. It also helps to be a better Indian than having nice looking arrows.
That's my take on this driver obsession thread.
Golfseeker

[cyc53870]

Re: The Driver obsession

Eventually, sooner or later, as part of the learning process, golfers will have to learn how to hit a driver confidently.

[bill reed]

Re: The Driver obsession

hi
like golfseeker i like the smaller head drivers better than the 460cc i use a 380cc driver and having the smaller head means i can hit the ball off the fairway and you can't do that with the 460cc drivers as the sweet spot is above the center of the face and the ball has to be sitting up to get that high on the face, with the smaller drivers the face is smaller but the sweet spot is also closer to the center and it means you can play it like a 3 wood. i hit my driver from the fairway about 230/240 yards and it a lower flight than when of the tee, off the tee i hit about 250/260 yards thats run and carry.
my 3 wood i hit about 225/235 but it's lot higher and carry's a bit more and runs less than my driver of the fairway. in the windy conditions i play on links its great have that extra club in the bag and for better for me than hitting 5 yards longer with a 460cc driver.
you have to take in the shots you play and any benefits you get from a driver and thats why I'll stick with my old driver as i get more from it than i could with a new driver.
cheers
bill