Ditch the Driver to lower your H/C .......

[Macster]

I see a lot of posts on here about this Driver, that Driver, and whether to change Drivers etc, seems that a lot of you search for that magical club that can transform your game ?

The thing is, and I mean no offence, in all likelihood, for anyone over mid teens H/C, the Driver is the club that gets you into the most trouble in any given round ?

I have been, until Sept, off 12 H/C for many years. In all that time, I NEVER used a Driver until 2 yrs ago, when I finally picked up a G5 and got on with it.
It has undoubtably helped my game, helped me reach the longer holes in 2, and now I'm hoping that my new CF 909 can help me more.

Until 2yrs ago, I'd used a copy 3W and then a Callaway Deuce, and even then, sometimes erratically.

I remain absolutely convinced that for any higher handicap player, you could knock shots off your round even using a 3Iron off the tee, 5Iron down the fairway, and pitching on etc.

Drivers, unless you hit them well, just compound your problems.

Discuss.

*runs for cover*

 

[Robobum]

I don't see how a 3 iron would be any easier to hit for a high handicapper, I don't think many carry them with the introduction of Rescues.

I agree that there would be merit in perhaps a stronger lofted Rescue being the biggest club in the bag. Failing that, and if they cannot do without a driver, something with as much as 12 or 13 degrees of loft on it??

 

[funkyfred]

Have to agree ChrisMc, although I'm a new club member I have been banging the white ball around (unfortunately not the same one)for a number of years. Although i have 3 driver's, two hand me downs and one bought, I have never taken them out on to the course.
Reason being that my natural shot is to fade, but with the big stick on the range it transforms itself in to a horrible slice. So its a 3 and 5 wood for me.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Alot of high handicappers are decent off the tee and poor off the deck from what I've seen.
In fact, I reckon the big new drivers are the easiest clubs to hit.
I think some high handicappers should avoid using irons if they wish to come down.

 

[mansell]

I see a lot of posts on here about this Driver, that Driver, and whether to change Drivers etc, seems that a lot of you search for that magical club that can transform your game ?

The thing is, and I mean no offence, in all likelihood, for anyone over mid teens H/C, the Driver is the club that gets you into the most trouble in any given round ?

I have been, until Sept, off 12 H/C for many years. In all that time, I NEVER used a Driver until 2 yrs ago, when I finally picked up a G5 and got on with it.
It has undoubtably helped my game, helped me reach the longer holes in 2, and now I'm hoping that my new CF 909 can help me more.

Until 2yrs ago, I'd used a copy 3W and then a Callaway Deuce, and even then, sometimes erratically.

I remain absolutely convinced that for any higher handicap player, you could knock shots off your round even using a 3Iron off the tee, 5Iron down the fairway, and pitching on etc.

Drivers, unless you hit them well, just compound your problems.

Discuss.

*runs for cover*

Fair comment,

 

[andiritchie]

I think a driver would be easier to hit with its big forgiving head.

As long as it has plenty of loft and a suitable shaft they work well its not like we using persimmons anymore

In my case the 3 wood is the harder of the two to hit consistantly,i tend to use it to hit the right side of the fairways as its easier to shape than the driver but far less consistant

 

[minty18]

However, I dont have a driver in my bag at present, i'm testing a demo for our club pro at the moment that he fitted me with. I shot my best ever round with it.

I think the key is knowing what holes to pull the big stick out on.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I suppose the problem with the driver is that it's more of an "all or nothing" club.
If it does go wrong it can do so spectacularly.

 

[haplesshacker]

I would tend to agree with the OP regarding the driver.

My driver is 12.5 degree, and I even struggle with that most of the time, though when it does go, wow! But in what direction, slice, push, pull or hook!!

I bought a 17 degree rescue for teeing off, but couldn't get on with it, so it stays at home until I get a bit better. Next came the 20 degree rescue, that I could hit better but it lacked distance. 3 iron came out of the bag pretty quickly, but 4 iron stayed, until recently when a threw in a £10 donnay 7 wood of 24 degree. Much easier to hit off the fairway and for those longer par 3s.

Having chatted things over with the club pro I'm now using a G10 3 wood 15.5 degree. The driver doesn't get used anymore, but, it's still in the bag.

This I think is the crux of the matter. Yes, us high h'cappers should leave the darn thing at home, but, part of our (my) ego can't quite leave it behind.

What else would I put back into my bag if I took it out?

As for teeing off with a 3 iron. I wouldn't recommend it to a high h'capper. Maybe a 5 wood or equivilent rescue club would be a good 'long' club to use.

 

[Dodger]

You played off 12 then started using a driver and your handicap came down....what was it you were saying about not using a driver?

 

[minty18]

I struggled with my tee shots for ages right up untill this winter infact... I can now stand confident on the tee with my rescue, 5wood, 3 wood and driver and give them a good bash. As I said, it's knowing when to use each club that makes the difference.

If you're playing a 350yd par 4 which is fairly tight then hit a 3 or 5 wood and still have a shot in to the green. If you are playing an open par 5 then smash the living daylights out of your driver.

 

[Macster]

Nothing to do with the Driver itself dodger - I hadnt played regularly for some years, once I started to again, I tried the G5.
I didnt get down to 11 until 6mths ago,.

Its my irons and short game that has got me down, GIR etc.
My new set of AP2's and Vokeys take some credit for the 1 shot reduction so far !

 

[DCB]

I only partly agree with you on this. The driver is a difficult club to use if you have no confidence. However, you could say exactly the same for any other club in the bag.

At the moment my confidence is low with the driver, however give me a month and I'm sure the driver will be okay and the putter will be cold or the wedges will be cold. Yes we can put ourselves into a lot of difficulty off the tee, but a three put or a shanked wedge are equally destructive.

Its all about confidence and playing within yourself. Don't try and melt it 285 down the middle, hit it cleanly and be satisfied with 220 and see how your score changes.

Anyway, off out to practice with my recalcitrant wedges !

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Nothing to do with the Driver itself dodger...........Its my irons and short game that has got me down, GIR etc.

A good GIR is difficult to achieve without decent driving, what are your GIR & Fairways hit %'s?

 

[Mike_j_golf]

Hi,
If we are all supposed to have the same swing for all clubs how could a club with a sweet spot bigger than a 3 iron be harder to hit off the tee i think aqnyone who hits a modren driver badly is just as likley to hit a 3 iron badly meaning you would have put the same bad strike on it but be 100 yards behind where the driver would have landed you are also puting a lot of pressure hitting long irons into greens as around the green is where we loose more shots so if we are hiting longer clubs into greens we would miss more greens, it would be ok to hit something off the tee that u get 230 yards up the fairway if a high handicapper can do that with a 3 iron than why has he a high handicap.
Mike

 

[SammmeBee]

It would be much easier to play a 400 yard par 4 by hitting 3 8 irons (assume you can hit is 135) and then 2 putt for a 5, move on the next and continue in the same vain - par 3's are played with 2 PW's and 2 putts for 4s.....

I can't understand how anyone could be off of more than 18 using this method - and if you used Dr Bob's mind mumbo jumbo and a Sky Caddie to get the right distances then I really think 12 handicap is really quite realistic.....

Personally, I prefer the hit it, find it, hit it again method...

 

[andiritchie]

Iam the hit it,find it hit it again player myself or bomb and gouge as ive be told

 

[SammmeBee]

Iam the hit it,find it hit it again player myself or bomb and gouge as ive be told

Good man...golf is meant to be FUN after all.....

 

[welshjim22]

I joined a new club last month my first full size 18 hole. My previous being a 9 hole with no par 5's and only one par 4 over 310 yards. My scores having been floating around the 102 mark for some time but last weekend i replaced my 3 wood with a new Callaway diablo and have been using it over my driver more often than not. I played an 18 hole round this week and scored 96 and yesterday played 9 scoring 43 paring 5 holes. I have less bad shots with the 3 wood and even when i hit a bad one it tends to be fairway bound but short. I think too many of us try and hit it harder with the driver as we expect distance. I won't get rid of my driver, although i thought about it, but a bad shot gets you in more trouble than the other clubs most of the time so it only comes out when working well.

 

[minty18]

By the way, is there anything worse than hitting the safe club and fu(king that one up?

Really gets to me!