does anyone never use their driver?

[rudebhoy]

Had a proper meltdown with the driver last Wednesday, duffed 3 tee shots in a row, so played the rest of the round just hitting my hybrid off the tee and things settled down.

Was playing again on Friday with no opportunity to practice driving beforehand, so stuck to the hybrid for the full round, was about 20-30 yards behind my pps on most holes, but generally straight and true, and never lost a ball all day - generally lose a couple even when the driving is going ok, so that was a nice change.

Sweep yesterday, took driver on the first, promptly duffed it, so decided to revert back to the hybrid. Again, nice and safe, but the loss of distance compared to a decent drive was more of an issue playing off the whites.

Am heading to the range this afternoon to try to sort out the driving, but am aware that even when my driving is good, it still has a big left to right movement, and I need to aim extreme left to get it in the middle of the fairway. This can and does go wrong quite often, clipping trees on the left of the fairway. by contrast the hybrid is generally pretty straight.

I know the answer is to go to a decent pro to sort out the driving, but was just wondering if anyone has given up full time on their driver?

 

[Imurg]

Been there and back again several times. I'm there right now.
At the moment I'm not too wayward with the driver just, on average, not very long.
I rarely seem to get the distance I'm 'supposed' to get. My 3 wood is nearly up with the driver and far more consistent.
Having said that, with softer conditions around the corner, carry might be more important - but the 3w carries a decent amount too.
Played many a comp, and won a few, without a driver in the bag.

 

[Grant85]

I have far more confidence hitting my 3 wood than my driver. And probably the stats would show I would score better due to the driver misses costing me far more shots than the extra few yards I would gain from the decent hits.

Generally when playing a shorter hole, I will opt for my 3 wood. This is usually fine in dry conditions, but obviously you do set yourself back quite a way when it is wet.

Inevitably I don't end up sticking to my plan and take the driver out more often than I have intended. Especially off the back tees.

I am thinking it may be worth getting fitted for a driver properly and maybe getting a slightly shorter shaft in order to give more control and accuracy. Ok, it will cost a bit but assuming I keep that driver for years, then it will work itself out.

 

[jim8flog]

I had a period of about 2 years when I did but it was a long time ago (over 20 years) . In fact I did not carry any woods during that period, a one iron (todays 2 iron) did very thing I needed it to do in terms of length.
It was only when someone suggested trying a 2 wood that the confidence came back.

 

[Jamesbrown]

Gone out a few times with no driver. Just to prove a point. Usually to a mate who’s long but wayward.
Played a par 5 with a 50 degree wedge and made par.
It doesn’t make much difference though is advantageous. It’s your ability to get up and down that’s the most important.
Driver swing is no different to the normal swing. So either you have a hidden fault in your swing which doesn’t show in the shorter clubs or setting up wrong.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I do occasionally. I sometimes do it purely for practice, in readiness for 'that' meltdown day. I'm about 10-15yds shorter with my 3w so on some courses that matters, others it does not. I play quite a long course so I will only do it if necessary, that has been the case a couple of times this year. This year, due to the dry weather, it was quite feasible to use 3w and not suffer so that was great.

It is defintely something to have up your sleeve and if the course you are playing is tight then I would have no hesitation in not touching driver off the tee.

 

[Orikoru]

Starting to think I'd be better off. Driver has been appalling this year. Just when I think I might have sorted it out it goes back to being awful again the next week. I'm basically at my wits end now. The problem is my old fairway wood (not even in the bag now) was never that reliable either, and neither is the hybrid, so I'm hitting the 3 iron off the tee a lot now. It's usually dead straight and reliable, but once summer becomes winter it will be a big loss of yardage I should imagine.

 

[HankMarvin]

I never use driver

On par 3’s

 

[turkish]

I'm down to hitting driver about 4 or 5 times a round and have been hitting my best scores recently. I cost myself a cut on Saturday by taking it on the 18th (ended with a 7) when I've been using 3 wood in my previous rounds.

I think the keys to using it is being wise to when A) you really need to use it and b) when there is evident danger to using it and c) when you really don't need to use it.

There are 4 holes at my course where there's no real danger for me to using it, 2 holes where there's a bit of danger but obvious gains to using it and the rest there's just too much danger of costing me strokes by either lost ball, OB or in the crap which I'd need to hack out of

 

[rudebhoy]

I'm down to hitting driver about 4 or 5 times a round and have been hitting my best scores recently. I cost myself a cut on Saturday by taking it on the 18th (ended with a 7) when I've been using 3 wood in my previous rounds.

I think the keys to using it is being wise to when A) you really need to use it and b) when there is evident danger to using it and c) when you really don't need to use it.

There are 4 holes at my course where there's no real danger for me to using it, 2 holes where there's a bit of danger but obvious gains to using it and the rest there's just too much danger of costing me strokes by either lost ball, OB or in the crap which I'd need to hack out of

It's funny, but with the guys I play with, and just about everyone I see at our place, driver is the go to club on every hole which is not a par 3. That's despite our course having loads of trees, and quite a few narrow tee shots which get punished if you don't go dead straight. It does seem a very flawed strategy.

 

[Andy]

Wouldn't be without it, it's Epic.

 

[turkish]

It's funny, but with the guys I play with, and just about everyone I see at our place, driver is the go to club on every hole which is not a par 3. That's despite our course having loads of trees, and quite a few narrow tee shots which get punished if you don't go dead straight. It does seem a very flawed strategy.

It's really player dependant though isn't it- some players I play with it's there go to club and they are very straight and consistent with it... If I was as straight as them I'd use it more often

 

[Garush34]

I have on many occasion gone with out the driver. I did for about 2 months earlier this season as I just could not hit it. Luckily my course doesn't really need driver I can get round with just my hybrid and hit every fairway. The only issue is that having to hit a few long irons into greens which isn't a great strength of mine.

Decided to work on it and it has just gradually got better over time, with now as of last week and a change in hand path, that I have stopped cutting across the ball and can now hit driver. Went out this morning and hit driver on most holes just for the practice and am getting good flight and distance with it. Its just a shame that the course has softened the last couple of weeks so am missing out on the extra roll etc.

 

[Grant85]

I'm down to hitting driver about 4 or 5 times a round and have been hitting my best scores recently. I cost myself a cut on Saturday by taking it on the 18th (ended with a 7) when I've been using 3 wood in my previous rounds.

I think the keys to using it is being wise to when A) you really need to use it and b) when there is evident danger to using it and c) when you really don't need to use it.

There are 4 holes at my course where there's no real danger for me to using it, 2 holes where there's a bit of danger but obvious gains to using it and the rest there's just too much danger of costing me strokes by either lost ball, OB or in the crap which I'd need to hack out of

Did you roll into the burn?

For me, 18 is definitely a driver given I can't reach the water (although maybe when It's very dry I will revisit this) and it is a pretty big target.

 

[Orikoru]

I'm down to hitting driver about 4 or 5 times a round and have been hitting my best scores recently. I cost myself a cut on Saturday by taking it on the 18th (ended with a 7) when I've been using 3 wood in my previous rounds.

I think the keys to using it is being wise to when A) you really need to use it and b) when there is evident danger to using it and c) when you really don't need to use it.

There are 4 holes at my course where there's no real danger for me to using it, 2 holes where there's a bit of danger but obvious gains to using it and the rest there's just too much danger of costing me strokes by either lost ball, OB or in the crap which I'd need to hack out of

Agreed. On my course I used to use the driver on 12 holes. This was ok back when I used to be able to hit it properly. Since it started going pear-shaped, I now only hit it on 5 or 6 holes - and they are the longer par 4s (and one par 5), which a relatively wide and not too much trouble on the right hand side where a slice would be a score-killer. The tighter tee shots and shorter par 4s I just go with an iron now and the results are usually far better.

 

[turkish]

Did you roll into the burn?

For me, 18 is definitely a driver given I can't reach the water (although maybe when It's very dry I will revisit this) and it is a pretty big target.

No I sliced it into the hill up on the right..... I then hit my 5 wood into the burn :-D

it's a long way with the 3 wood on that hole so there is merit hitting driver but if I don't get it right I end up doing what I done Saturday.

 

[Grant85]

No I sliced it into the hill up on the right..... I then hit my 5 wood into the burn :-D

it's a long way with the 3 wood on that hole so there is merit hitting driver but if I don't get it right I end up doing what I done Saturday.

I also sliced mine right, but hit a wee tap down into the fairway short of the burn and made a decent 2 putt 5. 3rd shot saved me, with a very good hybrid onto the green.

 

[Rlburnside]

I always use my driver I'm not a big hitter but they generally go straight, one time I was forced to use a 3 wood as I arrived at a course straight from the airport and my driver was damaged, the loss of distance was only around 5-10 yards.

It's obvious it's a swing issue with your driver, if you can hit a hybrid straight of a tee there is no reason with a little advice from a pro you can't hit a driver straight.

I'm no expert and perhaps Bob will give some advice but what I would say is give up aiming left to try and get the ball in the middle of the fairway, this might help sometimes but it will just mask the problems with the swing and never improve in the long run.

You never know one lesson with a pro might fix the problem and you can have fun with the driver.

Good Luck

 

[Captainron]

There are plenty of rounds where I don't take driver and just hit irons off the tee. I am plenty long enough so don't normally even need to go with it. I do like hitting it though.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Used to play with a guy, that would almost never hit driver, he hit 3 wood and he played to a good standard. He was really consistent with his 3 wood but when he went to hit driver, he just wasn't. Funny old game.

Me personally I almost always hit driver, I think it is probably a easier club to hit as it has a big head and is more consistent than my 3 wood. Generally will hit driver unless it is taken out of my hands, for example on a dogleg hole or a tree fairly close to the tee that I cant hit driver up and over quick enough.

Hit what works if that is what you are looking for from golf.