Irons only off the tee

[rudebhoy]

My driving was dreadful the last time I played, so decided yesterday that I was going to leave the driver in the bag, and just hit irons off the tee. I hit a mixture of 5 and 6 irons, and it worked out well. Never missed a fairway with them, and was generally only 20-30 yards behind my PPs even when they hit a decent drive. Had a solid 20 points on the front 9, and was going along steadily on the back 9 until i stupidly decided to go with the driver for the last 3 holes - result 1 OOB, 1 duffed drive, and 1 really bad hook into the trees.

I guess it's glaringly obvious, but it did bring it home to me that the driver is more trouble than it's worth sometimes.

The other benefit was that my iron striking was generally very good, no doubt because of the repetition of hitting them hole after hole.

Not sure that irons only is a good long term strategy, but it did prove to me that it's still possible to play well and score well even when the driver isn't working.

 

[Grant85]

I think it's genuinely very difficult to maintain this kind of strategy as you will eventually feel like you want to hit driver and takes enormous discipline to continually hit a 5 iron off the tee. And even more so when you are in a matchplay situation or a medal from the back tees. You are turning most par 4s into par 5s.

I go through phases of hitting the 3 wood as it is probably my most consistent club, however after a few medals doing this (and staying in play) I realise I am giving myself too much to do with second shots and a lot of par 4s become a lay-up with no chance of reaching the green.

The solution for me is to get more consistent with the driver by practising / taking lessons (still working on it). I feel this will help with enjoying my golf so much more.

My next club I am going to look into is getting a custom fit driver and am going to ask about getting a slightly shorter shaft to help with accuracy and control.

 

[dronfield]

I have also done this at times, and generally scored ok - have even looked at buying a driving iron as a permanent tee option.

The obvious downside is loss of distance, meaning that just about every par 4 now becomes a par 5!

A more longer term solution that i have now adopted is to replace my driver with a TM mini driver - 43.5" shaft with decent sized head. Have found this to be pretty consistent - also use my Ping K15 5 wood off the tee.

Rich

 

[jim8flog]

I had a period of about 3 years when I did not carry any woods. I used to carry a 1 iron which I could hit around 240 which is plenty long enough for the course where I play.

At the end of that period (after a suggestion) I started to use a 2 wood.

These days I only use the driver on about 8 holes and firmly believe in the correct club off the tee for the hole being played.

 

[Orikoru]

Quite handy to hit a driver though if you can sort it out. More fun as well.

I wouldn't want to only hit irons as this time of year, I just feel like I'd be miles back and having to hit a long iron again for all my second shots. In summer though I hit 3 iron off plenty of tees and the extra roll made it a very viable and useful strategy.

 

[Garush34]

I did this at the start of the year when I couldn't hit driver. Worked out alright for me, managed to beat a 13 handicapper in matchplay, and posted some good scores. Eventually though I thought I have to try hit driver, irons work well at my course but if I go else where I need to be able to get something out there and not leave too long an approach shot.

For me what worked was going back to a Titleist driver, and just ended up hitting driver off every par 4 and 5 tee, just to get used to hitting driver. Didn't care where it went just had to get used to hitting it. Yeah it cost me some scores in the middle of the year but I'm now at a point where driver is a strength of my game. Also add in one online lesson via the skillest app, which sorted out my big miss. Just wish I had done the lesson earlier in the year.

 

[Crow]

Several years ago this was how I played as I couldn't hit a driver to save my life, I bought a Mizuno Fli-Hi 3 iron as my tee club.

Then had some lessons and the Pro convinced me that this strategy is okay for some holes but you'll never get your handicap right down as driver will get you 30 to 40 yards up if you're hitting it well which on the longer par fours and par fives is significant. So I learnt to hit the driver.

Moving on a few years and I ran into a shanking brick wall (on the longer irons) that lasted a couple of years and I barely hit any iron over a 6, buying myself a Dunlop 9 wood for an option.

Right up to date, the shanks have all but disappeared and I'm loving my irons again. I think that on many courses you can hit an iron off the tee on quite a few of the par fours and not be too disadvantaged, especially as the shorter par fours are often penal if you go off line. On my course from the white tees I'll probably take an iron on three of the par fours and from the yellow tees on five of them.

 

[Dando]

I am quite happy hitting irons off the tee and a well hit 2 iron doesn't leave me that far off where my driver finishes and sometimes it isn't in the trees, pond, next fairway or OOB

 

[Deleted member 21258]

It comes down to why you play golf.

If it is for scoring, then take the club that gets you the lowest score on a regular basis

If it is for the buzz, then you would probably find you cant help but to resist hitting the driver and a result it is the right club. So for me I always hit driver when I can, even though that will probably not lead to the lowest scoring on a regular basis. Yeah I have rounds when I can not hit the planet and will lose 3-5 balls in a round but other drives that are just 'yeah that's why I play golf'

 

[shortgame]

I've done this plenty of times before now, the result was lots of steady rounds in and around buffer but no really low (for me) ones. Longer 2nd shots resulting in too few GIRs so lots of chipping and putting to save pars but not too many real birdie chances.

Buying a driving iron helped as a 'fairway finder'- especially in the hot dry summer (lots of run).

Works as a short solution but long term solution really has to be to learn to hit driver.

 

[rudebhoy]

I have also done this at times, and generally scored ok - have even looked at buying a driving iron as a permanent tee option.

The obvious downside is loss of distance, meaning that just about every par 4 now becomes a par 5!

A more longer term solution that i have now adopted is to replace my driver with a TM mini driver - 43.5" shaft with decent sized head. Have found this to be pretty consistent - also use my Ping K15 5 wood off the tee.

Rich

Was moaning about my driving to a 12 handicapper the other day, and he said he struggled until he bought a mini driver, and reckons he is far more consistent with it. Might have to look at one of them!

 

[need_my_wedge]

I've done this many times, and still do for the main, but there are a couple of holes where I just can't resist getting the driver out. My longest iron is a 5 iron, which even on the par 5's at ours is long enough off the tee if I could just get past the driver urge. The simple solution is to leave the woods at home - which again I have done on occasion, it removes the temptation. When it's behaving, my hybrid more than suffices, but it has been on the naughty step for most of this year. Have been on the look out for a driving iron, but haven't pulled the trigger on a purchase yet. Irons only is a sound policy, but we're mostly blokes on here and the blokey thing to do is smash the big stick

 

[rudebhoy]

I've done this many times, and still do for the main, but there are a couple of holes where I just can't resist getting the driver out. My longest iron is a 5 iron, which even on the par 5's at ours is long enough off the tee if I could just get past the driver urge. The simple solution is to leave the woods at home - which again I have done on occasion, it removes the temptation. When it's behaving, my hybrid more than suffices, but it has been on the naughty step for most of this year. Have been on the look out for a driving iron, but haven't pulled the trigger on a purchase yet. Irons only is a sound policy, but we're mostly blokes on here and the blokey thing to do is smash the big stick

Did think yesterday morning that I should just leave the driver at home, but couldn't bring myself to do it!

 

[dronfield]

Was moaning about my driving to a 12 handicapper the other day, and he said he struggled until he bought a mini driver, and reckons he is far more consistent with it. Might have to look at one of them!

Certainly worth condideration, they made them in 12, 14 & 16 degree lofts. I tried the 16 for a while, but as only for use off the tee, reverted to 14 degree. I know some bought the 16 and also use it on the fairway.

You should find one easily on Ebay - Callaway made a similar model.

Rich

 

[IanM]

Whatever gets you on the short grass with managable distance more often as not, will improve your score.... simple as. 3 off the tee is always that! (Currently )

Been leaving my driver at home recently and score are miles better....

 

[Imurg]

Whatever gets you on the short grass with managable distance .

This, for me, is the important part.
If your mid-long irons deliver you to a point that's acceptable distance wise then it's often a shrewd play.
I know some can hit 2 irons or similar a goodly way and that can negate the need for a fairway or driver
But your average golfer isn't likely to be able to hit a 5 iron more than 180 yards.
On a 400 yard you're not hitting the green in 2 - because if you're using irons off the tee you sure as hell can't hit a fairway wood off the deck. You're relying on your short game too much
So your handicap isn't going to improve.
It can be a short-term plaster but everyone needs to find a club they can reasonably reliably hit 200 yards with.

 

[Junior]

I'm all for scoring well but i always find it surprising that someone can hit a 3i / 4i / 5i and not a driver or 3w with the same degree of consistency.

 

[Curls]

Yeah I reckon there's a limit to what you can achieve by doing this. It depends on what you want from your golf. As has been said, learn to hit the driver, it's a slightly different set up but other than that I think people make too much of it being a very different swing, in fact if you could swing your driver with the smoothness of a long iron you'd be doing quite well. How did you come about the driver btw? I wonder if the shaft isn't suited to you, could be that a whippy shaft is making you lose the clubhead and you're constantly adjusting with little sucess. Or it could be too stiff/boardy for you to activate. Worth looking at imo, as Junior just said if you can hit a long iron off the turf you should be able to launch a decent driver more often than you are doing.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

From time to time when out of an evening by myself playing a part-round I'll just use my 3i or 4i off the tee - not that my driving is ropey - it's not - but just to practice hitting longer irons. I know that if I manage to hit these clubs OK then 5-PW will usually follow suit. And yes - like the OP - I usually score well - but then again on a good day I hit my 3i about 210 yds. And I get more kick out of a good strike with a 3i than I do from belting a driver 260yds.

 

[Dando]

This, for me, is the important part.
If your mid-long irons deliver you to a point that's acceptable distance wise then it's often a shrewd play.
I know some can hit 2 irons or similar a goodly way and that can negate the need for a fairway or driver
But your average golfer isn't likely to be able to hit a 5 iron more than 180 yards.
On a 400 yard you're not hitting the green in 2 - because if you're using irons off the tee you sure as hell can't hit a fairway wood off the deck. You're relying on your short game too much
So your handicap isn't going to improve.
It can be a short-term plaster but everyone needs to find a club they can reasonably reliably hit 200 yards with.

I have been known to hit a wedge 200 yards. just a shame I only needed to hit it about 80!!!