No Driver - Maybe

[User 105]

So after years of struggling with the driver I've been experimenting with a driving iron for the past week with pretty good results.

My driver I'll maybe hit 1 in 10 fairways, and the misses can be massive. And i mean massive.

Driving iron I'm probably hitting 8 out of 10 fairways, and the misses are perfectly playable. I'm loosing between 30-50 yards on my driver but I'm still well within reach of all our greens with a mid-iron.

The big downside as I see it is when my driver does behave I can shoot 6-8 shots under my handicap. But it'll only happen 2-3 times a year.

I feel with the driving iron my scores will be more consistent but I don't think I'll be able to shoot as low but maybe low enough more regularly to get me into single figures.

So i think I'm going to bench the driver for now, but boy am I going to miss smashing one out the middle every once in a blue moon.

 

[BTatHome]

I haven't had a driver for years now. 3wood at best, and even hybrid if that doesn't work ... shot best round of year (74, 2 over) hitting hybrid only off the tee.

 

[dankiz]

Gave up my driver 6 months ago! 3 wood and 21* hybrid! way more fairways hit and similar distance 210-220 off tee. Perfect for me, cant see myself ever going back

 

[jim8flog]

I use the driver selectively where I play, at most on 10 of the holes, mainly because a 3 wood gives me all the distance I need, not necessarily because I am straighter with it.

 

[Carpfather1]

You got to do what works for you if I’m driving well I score well. I’ve learnt if the driver doesn’t behave it’s 3 wood ,hybrid or a 4 iron off the tee pointless battling with it .i been driving the ball better than I ever have lately and got confidence with it again and I’ll be honest it makes the game so much easier if you can drive the ball well especially in the current conditions .

 

[Orikoru]

Have to be honest, golf just wouldn't be as much fun without a driver in the bag. I have recently started hitting a 3 iron off tighter tees where I absolutely need to be straight, which worked well, but that's probably only around 3 holes on my course. Still hitting the driver 8 or 9 times.

 

[Mattyboy]

Funny you should mention this as I got my Ping Eye 2 + 1 iron out of the shed this afternoon and hit it well this evening. It felt like my girlfriend in my teens coming back to me!

It actually didn't look that low lofted and hard to hit. The flight is a bit low (I guess due to lower spin rates of balls these days) but the 'miss', whilst further back is still playable. Wow, does it roll out atm!

So the hybrid is out of the bag for the time being.

 

[User101]

I use the driver selectively where I play, at most on 10 of the holes, mainly because a 3 wood gives me all the distance I need, not necessarily because I am straighter with it.

if you're hitting it 10 times, you're only leaving it out 4 times in reality.

 

[bobmac]

What do you do if the driving iron starts playing up, swap to the 3 or 4 iron?

 

[User 105]

What do you do if the driving iron starts playing up, swap to the 3 or 4 iron?

Haven't had that problem to deal with yet, but if I'm struggling to hit the driving iron I'm probably dropping back down to a 6 or 7i. I seem to hit my irons really consistently.

Honestly wish I could get the driver working. Tried pretty much everything over the past 5 years. I know how to hit a driver and have had many lessons with different pro's and practised endlessly. At best it might work for a round or 2 then falls apart again. I just can't consistently execute. It seems more a mental block for me now.

I still plan to keep working on the driver on the range, maybe the break from it on the course will help.

 

[Orikoru]

Haven't had that problem to deal with yet, but if I'm struggling to hit the driving iron I'm probably dropping back down to a 6 or 7i. I seem to hit my irons really consistently.

Honestly wish I could get the driver working. Tried pretty much everything over the past 5 years. I know how to hit a driver and have had many lessons with different pro's and practised endlessly. At best it might work for a round or 2 then falls apart again. I just can't consistently execute. It seems more a mental block for me now.

I still plan to keep working on the driver on the range, maybe the break from it on the course will help.

Driving is such a weird concept sometimes. Last year my driving was so consistent, this year up and down like a yo-yo. I suspect that spraining my ankle back in February just threw out my balance and/or rhythm, but I'll be damned if I can get it back to what it was now. It's like forgetting the words to your favourite song. You just make up new ones and convince yourself they were the right ones all along! :rofl:

 

[MadAdey]

I think dropping a driver from the bag is fine if you still get it out there far enough with something else. I only use a driver 5 times a round on 6900 yard course. I hit a good distance but not crazy long. If your comfortable with your irons then why not make sure your playing from the fairway. I'm far more accurate with a 5i from the fairway than an 8i out of the crap.

 

[hairball_89]

Is it worth dropping it?

If it's costing you shots, absolutely. I was certainly in this position at the start of the year, it's still not perfect, but by god I'm having fun with it now. 18º fw or hybrid off the tee where there's serious danger still, but I'm so glad I've spent time persevering with it as it really does make the game easier... And there really is NOTHING in the game like creaming one straight out the middle and watching it fly!

 

[Dasit]

Watching this thread closely as very relevant to me!

On a par 4 400 hard average hole at my course, trees both sides if I hit a perfect drive I might have 120 into the flag, this is maybe a 1 in 4.

If I hit 4 iron 3 in 4 the time I will have 170.

The miss with the driver tends to be much wider due to distance...

From strokes gained point of view using driver seems to be the negative choice currently for me

 

[Papas1982]

Watching this thread closely as very relevant to me!

On a par 4 400 hard average hole at my course, trees both sides if I hit a perfect drive I might have 120 into the flag, this is maybe a 1 in 4.

If I hit 4 iron 3 in 4 the time I will have 170.

The miss with the driver tends to be much wider due to distance...

From strokes gained point of view using driver seems to be the negative choice currently for me

Looks like a no brainer for you imo. If i was hitting a 4 iron 230 then i'd be doing that on any tee with trouble around as 170 must be a 9 iron or so. I generally try and hit the club off the tee that will leave me something between 8-pw into the green.

 

[Dasit]

Looks like a no brainer for you imo. If i was hitting a 4 iron 230 then i'd be doing that on any tee with trouble around as 170 must be a 9 iron or so. I generally try and hit the club off the tee that will leave me something between 8-pw into the green.

I think this time of year it makes sense. I don’t carry a 4 iron 230 but 200 to 210 is more realistic and then it rolls out for 20 to 30 more on the baked fairways.

It is hard to put average strokes from distances as I don’t have my personal data, but 120 might be an average of 3.2 strokes extra on average to hole out for me while 170 is 3.5 strokes.

 

[Papas1982]

I think this time of year it makes sense. I don’t carry a 4 iron 230 but 200 to 210 is more realistic and then it rolls out for 20 to 30 more on the baked fairways.

It is hard to put average strokes from distances as I don’t have my personal data, but 120 might be an average of 3.2 strokes extra on average to hole out for me while 170 is 3.5 strokes.

But how many times will the driver leave you 120 and opportunity for 3.2 strokes....
Generally we will all feel we can play to our best if we play with the driver performing, but if you started using the 4 iron more then maybe you'd improve from 160-180 as you'd be playing that shot more?

I still have a driver, but atm i use 2 3 woods, one set at 12.75 and one at 16.5. I seem to be able to fade the lower and draw the higher with some regularity and have hit a bit of form recently as im playing from the fairways 60/70 percent of the time.

I think I'll go back to the driver soon enough, but it's handy to have confidence in the club below.

 

[bobmac]

4 iron 230 and a driver 280?

Something doesn't look right there.

I would suggest you need to learn self analysis which helps you analyse your faults as they happen on the course.

 

[Dasit]

4 iron 230 and a driver 280?

Something doesn't look right there.

I would suggest you need to learn self analysis which helps you analyse your faults as they happen on the course.

How specific do you need to get with self analysis?

I pretty consistently shoot 80 to 83 at my course and would love to be shooting in the 70s, but am not really sure how to take the next step.

I thought it was be smarter of the tee not taking driver/3wood everytime then improve my up and downs.


As for distances hit I track my shots, on a par 4 330 yard straight hole I had 100 on the dot to middle of green after hitting a 4 iron off the tee, if you consistently have a 230 difference between the tee and and middle of the green for your approach would you put that club at 230y distance?

 

[bobmac]

How specific do you need to get with self analysis?

I pretty consistently shoot 80 to 83 at my course and would love to be shooting in the 70s, but am not really sure how to take the next step.

I thought it was be smarter of the tee not taking driver/3wood everytime then improve my up and downs.


As for distances hit I track my shots, on a par 4 330 yard straight hole I had 100 on the dot to middle of green after hitting a 4 iron off the tee, if you consistently have a 230 difference between the tee and and middle of the green for your approach would you put that club at 230y distance?

Self analysis helps you to know why you hit a bad shot so you don't hit it again.

As for the distance question...…..
If you hit your 4 iron 230, I would expect you to hit your driver way over 300yds