Taking the Driver out of the Bag?

[RollinThunder]

My course is fairly short, but very narrow, so a driver is often a risk, and it made me think whether there is even need for one in the bag. So many times I've picked up the driver, and curved it into the trees, then wasted one, even two strokes to get back onto the fairway, or even worse, ended up with a lost ball or OoB. The distance you get from a driver is good, and you can cope when it's in the rough, but it's pointless when you're in the trees or OoB. That has been the case with myself over the last few comps, and I'm starting to feel that taking a 3W, hybrid, or iron off the tee would hit the fairways, keep me out of trouble, and improve my scores.

Keeping it in the bag, but not using it is difficult for me, as I'm not a very strong person, so when I see the rest of my fourball reach for their big dogs, I feel the need to use mine. I often reach for it when I'm overconfident, or quickly trying to recoup my losses, often with dire consequences .

A lot of members don't use woods in general at my club, and if I played at a wider course, I wouldn't hesitate in giving it a swish, but the course is VERY narrow, and there isn't much room for error if your driver decides to do what it wants.

I've got the last club major on Sunday, so I'm strongly considering taking my driver out of the bag, and replacing it with a 5W. Has anyone else done this, or removed the driver from their arsenal, to hit more fairway? Has anyone taken any club out of their bag to remove any silly temptations, or does anyone have any thoughts?

 

[Imurg]

I've shot many a good round driving with a 4 wood in the past.
I used to be very erratic with the driver - Hell, I still can be but its better than it was.
Often I'd drop it or not use it and use the 4 wood instead.
As some on here can testify, I seem to get more out of a fairway than a driver,not as long but certainly long enough.
If your driver puts you in the first cut then its worth keeping, if it puts you in the Bundu maybe try a Mini Driver........

 

[t0m]

When I played the other week I had to play with no driver as I sold it I used a 3w off the tee. Was getting around 200 off the tee is the extra that important

 

[turkish]

Was just about to post a similar thread. I got my driver at the start of the season and absolutely loved it until recently when I've just not been getting on with it. Paid £300 so it's seems a bit of a waste but there's no point keeping it in if its gonna cause me worse scores so for the moment it's on the naughty step and in its place I've got an extra wedge.... Probs a bit too many!!!! Pw, w48, 52, 56, 60

 

[Oddsocks]

When my swing was on I used to wack a 3w off the tee on any hole where position for your next shot was vital , but since my swing has been off its not been the case.

To me if you have faith in a 3w/4w, it's priceless

 

[JustOne]

I don't see the difference between hitting a 3w into the trees or a driver.... so I just stick with the driver when necessary. I don't think I'm good enough nowadays to even THINK I could hit the fairway with any given club, hell most of the time I'm just happy if I can get the club on the ball!! I would say that my driver is probably my favourite club as I just hit it, and enjoy doing so, wherever it goes

 

[Green Bay Hacker]

I've got a bit of the Kevin Na's going on with my driver at the moment so I dread taking it out of the bag. Perhaps I should start a thread (or twelve) about making the driver heads bigger. The problem is that I cannot stop over swinging despite slowing the back swing right down. This then takes all my focus on trying to stop it when I am teeing it up and it becomes hard to start the swing. My latest self fix solution is to hold the club at the bottom of the grip, thus shortening the club so that it reduces the over swing. Not the long term answer but we will see how it pans out on Saturday.

 

[GG26]

For me the driver is the one club I feel reasonably confident with off of the tee. I have constant problems pulling or hooking my 3w, hybrid and irons, whereas I rarely seem to do this with the driver, such that I have no confidence in anything other than the driver at the moment.

 

[RollinThunder]

Over the last 18 months I've gone through a phase of slicing, then hooking, then back to slicing, and now a hook's starting to creep back in, although I'd take a hook any day of the week over a slice. When I'm playing well, the hook sets in, and when I'm playing badly, the slice does. At the moment it's one or the other.

As a newcomer to the game, I almost feel like it's obligatory to use a driver, and that by not using one, it's making me less of a golfer. It's the macho image of hitting things with a big stick I suppose

I feel that my course is more suited to straight, accurate shots, rather than long, and often wild shots. A common report about the course is that you have to use every club in your bag, and that's true! At just over 5000 yards, self-proclaimed long-hitters' eyes light up, but most of them will come away with a worse card than a shorter, straighter hitter. A driver would have it's place in someone's bag who can confidently hit a narrow fairway, but if not, you're better off with a hybrid or an iron, otherwise you'll just waste shots playing out of trees, playing provisional balls, etc.

 

[glasgowbeginner]

Got a driver in the bag, but its lucky if its out twice a round, my course is very tight so it only comes out on the more open holes. I get around 180-200 with the 3 wood and its straighter so I usually use that instead.

 

[Rooter]

My home course is short and tight too, under 6000 from yellows. I have gone with a mini driver. Accuracy has improved a lot! OK approach shots are a club more now, but i am much happier playing from the fairway or first cut than slashing a wild one which is a lost ball at my place. I dont care what other people take for their shots

 

[garyinderry]

I put a new 3 wood in the bag this year and shot my lowest score ever without reaching for the driver once.

 

[Junior]

I'm as equally as pants with the driver as a 3w. Also, there is not much in difference between the two with regards to distance. I therefore go with the driver (bigger head and less likely to knob it) and then drop to a 4w.

 

[njrose51]

I'm playing with a 5 iron off the tee at times as I'm an utterly anxious topper/hooker/slicer of the 3 or driver! Now focusing on a hybrid with my pro to replace the 5 iron and build confidence with the big sticks. So go with what ever club you feel gives you the most confidence and will put you on the fairway. I'd rather be 30 yards back on the fairway then 3 off the tee or buried in rough behind the ladies tee!

 

[Deleted member 18121]

I'm always one to take the driver out....and personally I think the time invested in learning to hit it is massively important. I'd much rather be another 60-80 yards down the fairway and hitting a wedge into a green than hitting a long iron.

 

[lex!]

My course is long and flat so the driver gets used frequently. I am ok with the driver, not a long hitter but can sometimes find the fairway. The club I struggle with most is the hybrid and I am thinking of not carrying one. I would like to learn to use it though. There was a 5 handicapper in our group on Saturday who had an Adams hybrid and he could really nail it. It was good to watch.

 

[RollinThunder]

I'm always one to take the driver out....and personally I think the time invested in learning to hit it is massively important. I'd much rather be another 60-80 yards down the fairway and hitting a wedge into a green than hitting a long iron.

I agree that learning to hit the driver well would be the best thing to do, but until you can hit those fairways with confidence, personally I think it's better-off not bothering. I'll definitely be working on it at the range and in my practice rounds, but at the moment I believe that it's better off at home. There are too many strokes wasted trying to play out of trees, going OOB, or hitting bunkers that could be easily avoided with a shorter and straighter club, and at the moment, they're the strokes that could win me a comp.

My course is long and flat so the driver gets used frequently. I am ok with the driver, not a long hitter but can sometimes find the fairway. The club I struggle with most is the hybrid and I am thinking of not carrying one. I would like to learn to use it though. There was a 5 handicapper in our group on Saturday who had an Adams hybrid and he could really nail it. It was good to watch.

A hybrid is a lovely club to pure. I had some lessons on how to hit a hybrid, and the pro mentioned that some like to be treated like irons, and hit down with, and some like to be treated like woods, and used with more of a sweeping motion. A lot of die-hards at my club don't use a hybrid, and either stick with long-irons, or even woods, but I imagine a lot of them do it out of protest, with the "I've used a 3-iron for 30 years, I don't need these modern hybrid things!" sort of mentality.

 

[99problemsbutapitchaint1]

Modern drivers are painfully easy to hit, if you feel you need to take it out the bag, go get a lesson
Amateur golfers do not even know where the sweet spot is on a modern driver (Clue it aint the centre)

 

[pokerjoke]

I don't play a driver even though I have tried many times and have had many models.

Luckily I hit my 3 wood well and more often than not its on the short stuff which is the key.

I do believe one day I will get good with a driver and it will be beneficial,as has been said it comes down to practice and confidence.

 

[lex!]

A hybrid is a lovely club to pure. I had some lessons on how to hit a hybrid, and the pro mentioned that some like to be treated like irons, and hit down with, and some like to be treated like woods, and used with more of a sweeping motion. A lot of die-hards at my club don't use a hybrid, and either stick with long-irons, or even woods, but I imagine a lot of them do it out of protest, with the "I've used a 3-iron for 30 years, I don't need these modern hybrid things!" sort of mentality.[/QUOTE]

What did the pro tell you to do with your hybrid? Do you hit down on the ball with it? Think its a mental thing with me but my shots just bend round left.