Do you play rounds without a driver?

[Bamberdele2.0]

Used to be my favourite club in bag - now it’s my least.

I finally made an investment this week and purchased myself a 5W.

Since playing my longest iron is a 5i and only ever carried a Driver and a 3 Hybrid in the bag.

After hitting a few balls on the range with my 5W it has given me a new air of confidence where I’m contemplating leaving the driver in the bag this weekend. My 5W is nowhere near as wild and pretty easy to hit.

Anyone in or has been in the same boat?

 

[Orikoru]

No chance. I'm not a long enough hitter for that. If I wasn't hitting driver I'd be hitting 5 wood off the tee - similar accuracy but only 200-ish yards instead of 220-230. Not much benefit there - just makes the hole longer.

 

[PJ87]

If I could hit my 3 hybrid constantly 200 straight I would drop the driver ..

 

[LincolnShep]

I sometimes play the back nine without a driver - if it misbehaves on the front nine.

 

[BiMGuy]

I sometimes do when I’m playing off our front tees when playing with the boy. But in a normal round, not a chance.

 

[Imurg]

I've played, on and off, without a driver many times.
To say my driving was erratic is a massive understatement.....I'm much better now and wouldn't be without it
But, between 5 and 15 years ago, I played in and won many comps and got my handicap down to 6/7..
Mainly used a 17 degree Cleveland Launcher..on a good day I'd hit that 230+..I don't know why but it just went miles.
Tried many a driver that didn't work and I never found a Mini Driver that bettered the 4w.
Use what works.
Although every bit of distance is useful there comes a point where it goes the other way if you're not leaving yourself a shot and having to chip out.
That doesn't gain you anything.
Until you're able to keep the ball in play with the driver I'd leave it alone.
But don't neglect it...work on it
A working driver is good friend to have.

 

[patricks148]

had a year where i couldnt hit anything but a big block, left it out the bag for most of it. When i play Fortrose i don't tend to take it esp if its really windy and when the old Torvean was open i would often just play with a set of irons no woods at all.

 

[Albo]

I broke mine a couple of months back and played 6 or 7 weeks without it. Got very good with the 3w off the tee and by the end of that period I’d say my scores were pretty much as good without it.
It’s back in the bag now and behaving!
I really love hitting driver on 1 as it gives me the confidence behind the ball of knowing I’ll get club on ball. Never felt that with 3w even though I always did

 

[Orikoru]

I broke mine a couple of months back and played 6 or 7 weeks without it. Got very good with the 3w off the tee and by the end of that period I’d say my scores were pretty much as good without it.
It’s back in the bag now and behaving!
I really love hitting driver on 1 as it gives me the confidence behind the ball of knowing I’ll get club on ball. Never felt that with 3w even though I always did

This is how I feel with driver. I know everyone's different and some people struggle, but it's my favourite club to hit off the tee - the head is massive, it feels like you can't miss??

 

[BiMGuy]

This is how I feel with driver. I know everyone's different and some people struggle, but it's my favourite club to hit off the tee - the head is massive, it feels like you can't miss??

Same here. I will hit driver at every opportunity. They are much easier to hit than a 3 wood. The face is massive, so as you say. Difficult to miss.

 

[Slab]

I need driver to work. Even using it I get out driven by FW, hybrid and even irons

No chance I can afford to play in a comp without it at 6500 yards I still use virtually all my shots getting to greens

 

[RichA]

Like a lot of things, it depends on the course. Even for a decent bogey golfer, with 8 long par 4s at our place, leaving the driver in the garage is automatically accepting a 90+ score.
I used to do it when I was really struggling, but now I can't imagine playing without it.

 

[MACM85]

Personally I don't carry a driver in the bag. I use a 5w as the longest club in the bag. Generally hit it 230 total on a decent day.

 

[Dando]

yeah, i will often go out and leave the driver at home.

Tomorrow i will probably just have my 3 iron as the longest club in my bag

 

[KenL]

My course is 6600, no way would I consider not using my driver. Into the prevailing wind on the back 9 I already can't quite reach some of the holes. Par 4s of 457, 460 and 2 of about 435.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I sometimes play the back nine without a driver - if it misbehaves on the front nine.

I sometimes do the same. It's been a while thankfully but I have done the same. I drop to my 3 wood. If that misbehaved as well .

 

[Orikoru]

I sometimes do the same. It's been a while thankfully but I have done the same. I drop to my 3 wood. If that misbehaved as well .

Could be a long day if I worked on this basis. I'd be teeing off with 9 iron by the 12th hole.

 

[jim8flog]

On the longer holes on our course there was a time when the driver only came out about 8 times
I never take the driver out with me on our 9 hole course
I had a period of a few years about 30 years ago whereby the longest club in my bag was a 1 iron . Back then I was a far better iron player than I was a wood player but it was in the days when a driver head was the same size as about a a modern 3 wood

 

[Billysboots]

I always carry my driver but very often it won’t come out of the bag for several rounds.

This is especially true in summer, or any other time the fairways are running fast and the rough really punishing, when my 2 iron does the job just as well.

This time of year, with the course playing long, driver is more of a regular option.

 

[Orikoru]

On the longer holes on our course there was a time when the driver only came out about 8 times
I never take the driver out with me on our 9 hole course
I had a period of a few years about 30 years ago whereby the longest club in my bag was a 1 iron . Back then I was a far better iron player than I was a wood player but it was in the days when a driver head was the same size as about a a modern 3 wood

My mate bring his driver shaft last weekend, so he brought out the only other driver he had at home - a 9° Callaway Big Bertha that was probably 20-25 years old. He gave it a fair go but it was a nightmare and he gave up on it before the back nine. Gave me a new appreciation for the likes of John Daly would would smash those things 320 yards. It didn't look fun to hit at all compared to my driver.