How often do you use your Driver?

[Deleted member 1740]

Simple question really.

Over the last few weeks I've been thinking of ways to improve my golf.

Every par 4/5 i'm usually a get the driver out and lash it all over the place type of golfer, but I've been thinking about my shots a bit more.

I played friday and only used it a couple of times and scored the best I have for a long while.

 

[PJ87]

Providing the wind isn't too extreme is every hole that's not a par 3 for me

I don't have extreme distance .. prob 200-220 but it's very straight ..so don't have worries using it in any situation

If it's really windy I'll use a 4 hyrbid into the breeze and driver against

5 wood for long par 3s

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Varies according to wind speed and direction, some rounds it will be 11-13 times, others as low as 2-3.

Did go a few rounds without it in the bag to prove to myself I didn’t automatically need to go for it on every tee, bar Par 3’s.

I’d suggest it’s a good idea for most Golfers to see how they’d play their course without a driver in the bag.

Certainly helps with course management.

 

[fundy]

Every couple of years on current evidence

When playing regularly depends a bit on which course but 7 or 8 times is usually the high end and can be none (Duchess at Woburn Im thinking of you!)

 

[Ethan]

On my home course, around 8 times in the round. One or two holes where it depends on wind direction.

For those who know Bearwood Lakes, that is the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 10th sometimes if wind against but usually not, 11th, 15th, 16th, 17th if wind helping and can get pretty close, and 18th.

 

[Grant85]

Simple question really.

Over the last few weeks I've been thinking of ways to improve my golf.

Every par 4/5 i'm usually a get the driver out and lash it all over the place type of golfer, but I've been thinking about my shots a bit more.

I played friday and only used it a couple of times and scored the best I have for a long while.

At my course there are effectively 15 holes where I can play Driver (which includes a long par 3 up hill).

But probably only 7 where the added distance really makes a difference, i.e. it changes from I can't reach this green, to I can (assuming 2 decent hits). All 7 are long par 4s and in reality I rarely hit the green in 2 shots anyway.

My course is reasonably wide open and so the vast majority of fairways are big targets, so I often find it hard to justify not giving Driver a hit. i.e. missing your Drive usually results in a ball still in play, just with no real shot onto the green. And it can still be reachable on the shorter holes.

In terms of my game, I actually hit my 3 wood far more consistently and confidently, so I'd be interested to know that over 100 hits on course if my Driver averaged more than my 3 wood?

My logic keeps coming back to the Mark Broadie book, Every Shot Counts, which pretty much stated you are best trying to hit the ball as far as you can off the tee... obviously assuming you aren't bringing serious trouble into play like OB or Water.

I guess you might get so far bumping a 3 wood down there, but after a few rounds it would take huge discipline not to try and get some Drives in play - especially on the longer holes where there isn't much risk. And you will always strive for that one round where you put a good swing on 12 or 13 Drivers and potentially set up a great scoring day.

And the final point is if you are struggling with your Driver, then get better.

 

[Foxholer]

At least 11; possibly 14; there's only 2 holes I haven't used Driver on - and we've 6 Par 3s!

 

[Sats]

I normally use my driver 6-8 times a round. But that'll depend on how my swing is behaving that day.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I'll always start with it but if it starts to wobble then I am happy to go to 3 wood. There are a few holes on our back 9, pars 4 and 1 x par 5, where I will use 3 wood whatever.

Take out the 4 x par 3's and I probably use it between 9-11 times in a round.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Playing off the yellows I would say twice a round, usually a good shot but not a lot of distance, 230 tops if downwind.

I tend to reach for my 4 iron first and maybe step up to the hybrid now I am better off the tee with it, really struggled straight out of lockdown with it.

I have a 3 wood but generally poor at hitting it without buckets of course practice, when it’s on the driver is pointless.

I just keep it simple on most holes and iron it down 170 yards and start the hole from there.

 

[GreiginFife]

Previously I would hit driver when ever possible. Bit since I came back to playing my outlook has changed and I seem to be scoring better as a result.
So only 5 holes now I am likely (but not guaranteed) to reach for the driver. Two holes I now take the 5i as it leaves a much better approach distance and my scoring on those holes is significantly better coming in from 100-110 than from 40-50.

 

[Garush34]

Currently only using it twice a round. Could be used on up to 12 holes if you wanted to at my place. But for me I'd rather try taking the safer option and get into a good position for the approach.

If I could hit its straighter more often then I would use it more often.

 

[TerryA]

I hurt my back 4 weeks ago - caused by swinging too hard with the driver ! I only started playing again last week and have left the driver out of the bag using a 5 wood off the tee. Have found that although not as long as the driver I’ve hardly missed a fairway in the 5 games I’ve played.

 

[Robin Hood]

14 out of 18 holes - including a long par 3
I am more consistent with a driver than a 3 wood - perhaps because I rarely use the 3 wood.
I’m not a long hitter so from a course management perspective it works for me.

 

[Imurg]

These days it's about 4 or times and mostly on our back 9 which has some longer holes that are flatter so you don't benefit from slopes...get out of position and it's hard to easily get back...
4 wood gets a lot of use..

 

[Swinglowandslow]

Well this has prompted me to change the way I will play my Course later this afternoon.
Last time I played , my driver was all over the place. My mate thinks he is playing with two partners. Mr Jekyll and mr Hyde.
Straight sometimes, wrong fairway or bushes mostly!
Friday was a disaster, so today I will start with my trusty 7 wood.
I'll see how I score with it, first half.
If good, I'll see if I can take the swing to the driver, second half.
Should be interesting!

 

[Blue in Munich]

We have 5 par 3's (4, 8, 11, 13 & 16), so 13 par 4's or 5's.

I'm definitely hitting driver on 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 12, 14, 18 (8). The tee position, the weather and the match will determine how many of the other 5 holes I use driver on; this morning it was only 15 that I used hybrid on, and of these 5, 15 is the one most likely that driver won't be used.

Probably on average around 11 times per round.

 

[HampshireHog]

16 times most of the year. 15 in the summer sometimes depending on the wind direction and pin on the 10th. Luckily, I am pretty straight with it.

 

[Springveldt]

We have 5 par 3’s so out of the other 13 I’ll hit driver on them all, even although 2 of them have ponds that start at 240 and are reachable for me.

The reason is simple, I’m usually just as accurate with my driver as I with a 3 wood or 3 hybrid and if I put a bad swing on any of them then I’ll be in the crap as my course is pretty tight.

 

[Papas1982]

I binned the driver a few weeks back as just can't get in with it and gone back to an old mini driver.

That being said, I've started trying to hit the required club off the tee more as my irons have improved. So now if a hazard s in range I'll lay up further back confident I can still hit the green.