Drive for Dough???

Bassfisher

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Interesting to read this on the other thread I thought it may be interesting to expand on this?
I recently joined my first golf club , started off going around in about 108 shots average, now I’m consistently nearer 95 and dropping.
I found that my driver was so inconsistent it was getting me into trouble, costing me shots. So I dropped the driver and adopted the three wood, this worked for awhile and now I use my 5 wood off the Tee. This gets me about 210 off the tee and into less trouble, But I will often need at least another 5 wood to reach the greens.
Reading some of the other comments I guess that to start scoring sub 90 then a driver is going to become essential?
 

Backache

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Interesting to read this on the other thread I thought it may be interesting to expand on this?
I recently joined my first golf club , started off going around in about 108 shots average, now I’m consistently nearer 95 and dropping.
I found that my driver was so inconsistent it was getting me into trouble, costing me shots. So I dropped the driver and adopted the three wood, this worked for awhile and now I use my 5 wood off the Tee. This gets me about 210 off the tee and into less trouble, But I will often need at least another 5 wood to reach the greens.
Reading some of the other comments I guess that to start scoring sub 90 then a driver is going to become essential?
Although driving distance does affect your scoring potential.210 yards off the tee with any club should allow you to get around in under 90 on a very regular basis and if the rest of your game is half decent should allow you to get some sub 80's on most courses.
 

G1z1

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Interesting to read this on the other thread I thought it may be interesting to expand on this?
I recently joined my first golf club , started off going around in about 108 shots average, now I’m consistently nearer 95 and dropping.
I found that my driver was so inconsistent it was getting me into trouble, costing me shots. So I dropped the driver and adopted the three wood, this worked for awhile and now I use my 5 wood off the Tee. This gets me about 210 off the tee and into less trouble, But I will often need at least another 5 wood to reach the greens.
Reading some of the other comments I guess that to start scoring sub 90 then a driver is going to become essential?
I break 90 now with a 6 or 7 iron off the tee and only been playing golf around a year. I have stopped using driver,3wood and hybrid last few weeks cause ive started with a new pro and changing things and not worked on my longer clubs yet. I was inconsistent with the driver and could lose 3/5 balls a round but with irons its really rare to lose a ball. So that can save me a lot of shots in a round.
 

Springveldt

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Interesting to read this on the other thread I thought it may be interesting to expand on this?
I recently joined my first golf club , started off going around in about 108 shots average, now I’m consistently nearer 95 and dropping.
I found that my driver was so inconsistent it was getting me into trouble, costing me shots. So I dropped the driver and adopted the three wood, this worked for awhile and now I use my 5 wood off the Tee. This gets me about 210 off the tee and into less trouble, But I will often need at least another 5 wood to reach the greens.
Reading some of the other comments I guess that to start scoring sub 90 then a driver is going to become essential?
If you are getting 210 off the tee and in play, that should be enough distance to break 90 on most “normal” length courses in the UK. My home course on has 2 par 4’s over 420 yards, most par 4’s are in the 360-390 range.

To break 90 you just need to keep it in play, minimise the penalties and work on your chipping and putting.
 

Griffsters

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I'm sure it's different at different ends of the handicap range.

Higher handicappers see dramatic improvements in scores when they get it in play..

Lower down, its holing putts that makes the difference

I'd agree about it being different for different ends of the handicap range, however, I think the old adage about putting for dough is becoming discredited. Not that it isn't important, just that stats overwhelmingly demonstrate that the longer you can get it off the tee (in play obv) the lower your scores will be.

So, with regard to the OP's thread title - it is indeed drive for dough. But of course you need to be able to keep it in play before focussing on this aspect
 

Imurg

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Always thought the driver was the most important shot of the hole but was told by a teaching pro that the 3rd shot is, its either a putt or a chip near to the hole, probably psychological mind.
Unless its another drive as you put the first one OB...
And thats why the drive is the most important, imho.
You can be able to get up and down from anywhere but if that chip is for a bogey you're never going to score well..
 

jim8flog

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I used to regularly shoot sub 80 and I only used the driver about 8 times in a round on my home course. There are courses where drives in the region of 250 that are important but I have never played one where it is essential to hit longer than that. Generally holes over 470 will be a par 5 so for a 470 yard hole driver 250 leaves a fairway wood 2nd - miss the green chip and single putt for par.

I have always maintained for average length hitting amateurs strategy and short game are the main keys.
 

BiMGuy

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Driving doesn't necessarily mean hitting a driver. In strokes gained statistics driving simply refers to tee shots on par 4s and par 5s.

The stats show that driving is far more important than putting.

Being closer to the hole is generally more important than being in the fairway.

This is quite an interesting watch.
 

Barking_Mad

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Interesting to read this on the other thread I thought it may be interesting to expand on this?
I recently joined my first golf club , started off going around in about 108 shots average, now I’m consistently nearer 95 and dropping.
I found that my driver was so inconsistent it was getting me into trouble, costing me shots. So I dropped the driver and adopted the three wood, this worked for awhile and now I use my 5 wood off the Tee. This gets me about 210 off the tee and into less trouble, But I will often need at least another 5 wood to reach the greens.
Reading some of the other comments I guess that to start scoring sub 90 then a driver is going to become essential?

The first time I broke 90 was an 86 on a 6000 yard course in very wet weather. I hit my (very old) 5 Wood as I didn't have a driver an average of 170 yards. Only hit 2 GIR but scrambled 4 times for par and avoiding a triple bogey.

But sure, length in driving is important, but knowing when to hit driver is equally important. You need to know your misses and dispersion distances with driver when looking at where the ball is going and how much space you have to play with. No use hitting it if it's costing you 2 penalties off the tee each round, so keeping it in play is important.
 
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Griffsters

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Interesting stats:

*Edit: Trust this to have already been posted on another thread* :LOL:

CSS:
<a href="https://t.co/4qFDxoL20G">pic.twitter.com/4qFDxoL20G</a></p>&mdash; Fit For Golf - Mike Carroll ??‍♂️?️‍♂️ (@Fit_For_Golf) <a href="https://twitter.com/Fit_For_Golf/status/1444818554990194689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
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Jimaroid

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Conversely Sam Burns is also the 9th best putter on the whole of the PGA Tour for 2021.

As has already been said, a sample size of one proves nothing.
 

Doon frae Troon

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People who say that they do not need a driver as they can hit a ball better with a 3 wood tend to be kidding themselves.
They are losing 30 yards off every tee shot which is the difference between a 6 iron second shot to a 9 iron second shot.

Having said that, using any club off the tee as a tactical advantage is fine.......Tiger won an Open at St Andrews when he only used a driver a handful of times in 72 holes.

I once managed to get a friend to break 90 for the first time by clubbing him during a bounce game.
He usually lost at least 4 balls a game with his driver.
His 8 iron to wedge shots to the green were always consistently good.
I clubbed him so long holes were roughly 4 iron, 4iron, 6 to W iron.
A decent last couple of holes would have seen him break 80 far less 90.

He got it and was delighted but felt he was not playing 'properly'.:love:
 

BiMGuy

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Conversely Sam Burns is also the 9th best putter on the whole of the PGA Tour for 2021.

As has already been said, a sample size of one proves nothing.

But was 56th this week, and won because he was better at driving and approach play than everyone else.

No one is saying the short game and putting isn't important. But, if a handicap golfer wants to lower their scores and HI, the answer is simply to get better off the tee.
 

Jimaroid

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But was 56th this week, and won because he was better at driving and approach play than everyone else.

Or it confirms that “the field” had a poor day.

All Strokes Gained proves is that you have to be better than average to win and that sometimes someone that is below average can win.

It is the most over engineered statement of the obvious going.

Get good. That is all.
 

Orikoru

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I couldn't play without my driver. It's one of the most consistent clubs for me, and as I'm not a huge hitter, if I'm only hitting a fairway wood off the tee I'd be hitting it again for my second shot a lot of the time. That said I think putting is valued because it has the most direct translation into lost shots. Say you miss a fairway, you can still make par with a good recovery shot. But if you three-putt or miss a short one, then that's one more shot on your score that can't be disputed.
 

Bassfisher

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People who say that they do not need a driver as they can hit a ball better with a 3 wood tend to be kidding themselves.
They are losing 30 yards off every tee shot which is the difference between a 6 iron second shot to a 9 iron second shot.

Having said that, using any club off the tee as a tactical advantage is fine.......Tiger won an Open at St Andrews when he only used a driver a handful of times in 72 holes.

I once managed to get a friend to break 90 for the first time by clubbing him during a bounce game.
He usually lost at least 4 balls a game with his driver.
His 8 iron to wedge shots to the green were always consistently good.
I clubbed him so long holes were roughly 4 iron, 4iron, 6 to W iron.
A decent last couple of holes would have seen him break 80 far less 90.

He got it and was delighted but felt he was not playing 'properly'.:love:
You’re talking about me!
 

Bassfisher

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I couldn't play without my driver. It's one of the most consistent clubs for me, and as I'm not a huge hitter, if I'm only hitting a fairway wood off the tee I'd be hitting it again for my second shot a lot of the time. That said I think putting is valued because it has the most direct translation into lost shots. Say you miss a fairway, you can still make par with a good recovery shot. But if you three-putt or miss a short one, then that's one more shot on your score that can't be disputed.
I hit a 5wood off the tee and often a 5w second shot, if my 2nd shot is reached the green it’s rarely on it! More often nearby or in a bunker
 
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