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Would you ever take driver out of the bag pending the course you are playing?

Louis_Posture said:
The most fun I've seen players have on a golf course happens when they shoot their lowest 18 hole score.
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And I do that hitting the big stick.

Don’t project your insecurities with driver on the rest of us.
 
leftybob said:
And I do that hitting the big stick.

Don’t project your insecurities with driver on the rest of us.
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If you've never played rounds of golf without a driver, how do you know what scores you can shoot without a driver?
I drive the ball consistently good, and driver play is truly the strongest part of my game.
 
Slowmo said:
I know I've told this story before but the first time I ever broke 80 my buddy tossed my driver in the trunk of his car and told me "You're hitting your 3w today" Shot 78
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My best guess is that at least 50% of players would lower their scoring average without a driver within the bag, including some Tour players.
 
Not.
A.
Chance.
 
e1iterate said:
I never used my driver 2 years ago in the club championship and finished 2nd net 🤷🏻‍♂️
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I’m really considering it for my buddies trip, just for the experience of it if nothing else.

But @Golfers Anonymous says I’m not allowed. Team Jen doesn’t lay up.
 
I wouldn’t but I‘ve played a few tight courses where I’ve only hit driver 4 or 5 times. At my home course from the 6,540 tees I hit driver on all of the par 5’s and on only there or four of par 4’s.
 
the wolf of wall street GIF
 
No. There are certainly times when I will take less than driver to make sure I don't get myself in trouble, but I've never taken it completely out of the bag.
 
Louis_Posture said:
If you've never played rounds of golf without a driver, how do you know what scores you can shoot without a driver?
I drive the ball consistently good, and driver play is truly the strongest part of my game.
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I’ve played plenty of rounds with various odd setups. One time I shot even par 36 on 9 holes with just a 7 iron by making 9 pars in a row. That wasn’t a fun round it was an unpleasant grind knowing that the best I was going to do was saving par.

Bombing driver is fun. Bombing driver creates more opportunities to make birdies and eagles.
 
tahoebum said:
I wouldn’t but I‘ve played a few tight courses where I’ve only hit driver 4 or 5 times. At my home course from the 6,540 tees I hit driver on all of the par 5’s and on only there or four of par 4’s.
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I think this weekend I’m looking at twice per round. Just seems so low but we will see how it all goes
 
Hell-*******-no
 
The most significant benefit I've found from leaving driver at home (or swinging it off only 3 or 4 tee boxes per round) is to swing rhythm and tempo.
Consider that the swing one makes to produce long drives may be different from the hybrid or 7-iron or wedge shot needed for the hole's next shot.
I remember being on a driving range watching Payne Stewart work thru a bucket of balls and his swing tempo did not change from wedge to 7-iron to 4-iron to driver. Most Tour pros struggle to do that and that day a few stopped to watch Payne Stewart swing.
 
Nope
 
I haven't before, but I'll let you know after I play Victoria National.
 
Louis_Posture said:
The most significant benefit I've found from leaving driver at home (or swinging it off only 3 or 4 tee boxes per round) is to swing rhythm and tempo.
Consider that the swing one makes to produce long drives may be different from the hybrid or 7-iron or wedge shot needed for the hole's next shot.
I remember being on a driving range watching Payne Stewart work thru a bucket of balls and his swing tempo did not change from wedge to 7-iron to 4-iron to driver. Most Tour pros struggle to do that and that day a few stopped to watch Payne Stewart swing.
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I’ve found that putting work towards improving the skill with the longest club in the bag is beneficial to my game. I’ve also found that regardless of how much time I put towards working on my woods and hybrids, they are no more accurate than driver.
I am fairly certain the only reasons for me not to use driver are when: 1) there’s a chance of hitting through the fairway, or 2) to work on other skills.

But here’s the thing… I would never for a moment feel that whatever works or doesn’t work for me would apply to every other golfer. That’s even more crazy than applying average statistics to everyone’s game.
 
The driver is more consistent than a fairway wood for me. I'd rather choke down and take a 3/4 swing if I need a little less distance.
 
First time I played on Hilton Head, after all the warnings about tight fairways and all that, I practiced with my 5 wood off the tee and really had it down. First round, first hole, 4 groups stacked up in line on the tee box, grumpy old starter, gators catching some sun on the side of the tee box. I proceed to pop up two straight 5 woods right into the pond in front of the tee box. Caught the 3rd slight better and just cleared the pond. What a great start! Switched back to my driver, choked down and by the end of the round was shaping tee shots left and right, it was like I couldn't miss.
So no, Driver always stays in the bag.
 
It's a common misperception that everyone has the potential to hit their woods more accurately than their driver. Some folks do, others do not. I went a couple years with a 3h as my longest club. My penalties percentage off the tee was about the same plus I lacked the distance.

Don't get me wrong, if my accuracy were to improve by pulling less club, I'd do it all day long. That just isn't the case with my game.
 
JonMA1 said:
It's a common misperception that everyone has the potential to hit their woods more accurately than their driver. Some folks do, others do not. I went a couple years with a 3h as my longest club. My penalties percentage off the tee was about the same plus I lacked the distance.

Don't get me wrong, if my accuracy were to improve by pulling less club, I'd do it all day long. That just isn't the case with my game.
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You consistently reference how your game is unique and, or the common perceptions about golf are not applicable to you.
I ask now if you've ever had instruction from a Class A PGA teaching professional?
 
Louis_Posture said:
You consistently reference how your game is unique and, or the common perceptions about golf are not applicable to you.
I ask now if you've ever had instruction from a Class A PGA teaching professional?
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Yep. Many lessons with different PGA certified instructors. Some have helped my game, others not so much. I will take most of the blame for instruction that hasn't helped.

And you're missing my point when I talk about something not being applicable to me. I don't reference my own game because I'm narcissistic. I do it because that's the only game I really know. But common (mis)perceptions are often not applicable to a lot of folks. Everyone's game and everyone's ability is unique. And that is my point.

Yet so many people want to take their anecdotal experiences - or even legitimate data - and apply it to every individual. Once people are convinced their opinion is fact, so many disregard any evidence that is contrary to that opinion and over emphasize evidence that supports it. That's just human nature and we're all subject to it some degree.

That was a big reason why I started tracking my rounds back in 2016 (I discontinued doing that this year). And it's also a reason why I've given just about every opinion out there a solid chance. I may be the worse golfer on this forum, but it is not from a lack of knowledge of what has or hasn't worked.
 
JonMA1 said:
Yep. Many lessons with different PGA certified instructors. Some have helped my game, others not so much. I will take most of the blame for instruction that hasn't helped.

And you're missing my point when I talk about something not being applicable to me. I don't reference my own game because I'm narcissistic. I do it because that's the only game I really know. But common (mis)perceptions are often not applicable to a lot of folks. Everyone's game and everyone's ability is unique. And that is my point.

Yet so many people want to take their anecdotal experiences - or even legitimate data - and apply it to every individual. Once people are convinced their opinion is fact, so many disregard any evidence that is contrary to that opinion and over emphasize evidence that supports it. That's just human nature and we're all subject to it some degree.

That was a big reason why I started tracking my rounds back in 2016 (I discontinued doing that this year). And it's also a reason why I've given just about every opinion out there a solid chance. I may be the worse golfer on this forum, but it is not from a lack of knowledge of what has or hasn't worked.
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I read what you've written but disagree if you are implying that particular techniques or strategies are not suitable for some players.
For example, Nicklaus teacher the late Jack Grout refused instruction to players who did not want to adopt the fundamentally sound grip technique. His reasoning was that otherwise would be a waste of his and the student's time. And he was right. While it's true that some Tour players have managed to have playing success using an unorthodox grip technique, doing so makes achieving a consistently effective swing much, much more time consuming and difficult.
And regarding club selection, I expect any PGA professional will agree that a 7-iron is easier with which to strike consistently solid-straight shots than is a 5-iron. The shorter shaft length and higher loft makes this an absolute, not subject to debate or interpretation. So, the same logic should be applied to driver versus fairway wood from a tee box. I understand some (most) amateurs claim they hit their driver straighter than their 3-wood, but that is a swing technique and, or psychological issue.
 
FWIW all data on amateur golfers I've seen has shown that, on average, there is hardly any difference in accuracy between 3-wood and driver. Golfers who get substantially more accurate when dropping down to 3-wood are the exception not the rule. Here are studies from shotscope and arccos showing that the average amateur hits about 1% more fairways with 3-wood than driver. Interestingly, both studies show that the highest handicap golfers actually hit more fairways with driver than 3-wood.

https://shotscope.com/blog/stats/driver-versus-3-wood/

https://ca.arccosgolf.com/blogs/com...is-the-accuracy-worth-the-sacrificed-distance

Honestly, this doesn't surprise me at all. While the shorter shaft and higher loft make the 3-wood more forgiving than driver, the much smaller head makes it less forgiving. Pretty much every amateur I know is more likely to top a fairway wood than a driver.
 
I’m only rolling 12 clubs right now so no need and I really can’t imagine not having a driver at all in the bag.
 
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