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How often do you take driver off the tee?

Jman

Jman

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Why not spark a little chatter here eh?

Was thinking about this my last round out, I'm one who falls into the habit of just grabbing for the driver automatically every par 4 and up without giving playing to my numbers enough thought until AFTER the fact. Some of this for me is due to testing, when reviewing a driver its my job to hit that driver, so slowly that bleeds into my general mindset on scoring rounds too...bad for me.

So, how often do you take driver off the tee? Are you a grab it and go no matter what golfer? Or do you play to your numbers and for the second shot with what the hole gives you?

I'm easily at 12/14 Par 4's/5's that I pull driver on my course, and honestly, thats about 2-3 too high.
 
As often as I can given distance and width of the fairway. However, if the hole is less than 340, I will usually pull the hybrid. I am not a great driver of the golf ball accuracy-wise, but it is just so much more fun hitting driver.
 
When the distance is 350+, I'll go driver. If there is a dogleg that is less than 350, I'll club down.
 
I grab driver the majority of the time, unless it's a shorter par 4 and I'd have a much safer shot taking something else off the tee. At my home course, I play driver on 3/4 of the par 4's and both par 5's. Yet there were a few holes of a course I played in FL where driver off the tee didn't make sense, so I went with a 4w.
 
Totally agree with you on the testing part. I think I've sacrificed some course management in order to test out driver lately. If I can get inside 150 with less than driver, I'm probably going to do it unless it's a very wide open hole. I wish I could get more comfortable with my 3H and 3W to have more options, but right now it's driver or 4I.
 
I had in the past because I couldn't hit my 3 wood straight. Weird I know, but I had more confidence in my driver so I pulled it almost every time. With a few new additions this year that could very well change, once the snow melts and I can get back to playing. If it does then I may start approaching certain holes differently.
 
As often as possible as long as the extra distance doesn't bring additional trouble into play.
I feel just as confident hitting driver/partial wedge into a green than hybrid/full wedge or 9 iron
 
Always
 
Driver

Driver

Jman said:
Why not spark a little chatter here eh?

Was thinking about this my last round out, I'm one who falls into the habit of just grabbing for the driver automatically every par 4 and up without giving playing to my numbers enough thought until AFTER the fact. Some of this for me is due to testing, when reviewing a driver its my job to hit that driver, so slowly that bleeds into my general mindset on scoring rounds too...bad for me.

So, how often do you take driver off the tee? Are you a grab it and go no matter what golfer? Or do you play to your numbers and for the second shot with what the hole gives you?

I'm easily at 12/14 Par 4's/5's that I pull driver on my course, and honestly, thats about 2-3 too high.
Click to expand...


Sadly I grab my driver more often than I should. Though there are 1 or 2 holes that are Par 4's that I can hit an iron and have a wedge from inside of 100. Despite not being able to hit it far, if there's any "albeit slim" chance of me getting to the green with a driver, I just have to try it
 
8 times out of 10. With the 2 exceptions being the one scramble a year where I ALWAYS start on a par 3; and when I play ddec's wonky home course.

And I know I'm doing it ​wrong.
 
There has certainly been ocasions over the last few years when the answer was zero. I expect that to change quite a bit this year after getting properly fit and having the right tool for the job so to speak.
 
As many times as I can. At the courses I play most often, it would be around 90%+ of the holes.
 
Good question, I have 2 clubs I play the majority of my golf at. The club in my 'hood I play driver on 10 of 14 possible holes, on my other club I play it 11 of 14 times. If the wind is helping/hurting these numbers may change from round to round.
 
If I can get to 150 left or less without it, I won't. If I can get to 170-180 left without it, I think about it. Might pull it out on par 5's if I feel I can reach in two. I use my driver probably around 4-5 times a round. I'm long enough with my 3 wood that it doesn't hurt me unless it's a long par 4.
 
I tend to take less than driver a lot. If the hole is wide open, then I pull driver and don't think about it.

I usually want to leave myself with 9 iron or less into the par 4's, so I use that as the main factor in which club to hit off the tee.
 
I'm one who would do a lot better to start playing to the 130-150 range more, I scored my best when I did that instead of bashing driver to high lofted wedge-world and non comfy numbers for me.
 
I've changed over the last couple of years. I used to be "Go big or go home" off the tee if it was a par 4 or 5. Over the last two years I've learned a bit about course management and find myself taking "less than driver" on par 4s and even some par 5s to stay out of trouble. If it's a short par 4 and my longest possible shot with a driver will either leave me with an awkward distance, bring a hazard into play or just create a less than ideal 2nd shot I have no issues taking out a 5 iron and taking the safe route. By doing this I've managed to lower my scores quite a bit.

Also, I'll consider how well I'm hitting my driver. If it's just not happening and I don't feel comfortable with it I'll hit something that keeps me in the short grass, instead of hitting driver and punching out from under a tree.

So, to answer your question, James, I would say that I hit driver about 10-12 times in a round.
 
Jman said:
I'm one who would do a lot better to start playing to the 130-150 range more, I scored my best when I did that instead of bashing driver to high lofted wedge-world and non comfy numbers for me.
Click to expand...

My scores were night and day once I started doing that. Plus I'm in the fairway WAY more by cutting down on the driver usage.
 
Usually way too much.

And it's the reason I was on the hunt for a fairway finder so I'm really hoping my course management continues because of this.

Golf is so much easier being played from the fairways.
 
I'll pull driver as much as I can, unless the fairway is split or runs out quickly and I need to play it safe, but most of the course its on every 4 & 5.
 
Jman said:
Why not spark a little chatter here eh?

Was thinking about this my last round out, I'm one who falls into the habit of just grabbing for the driver automatically every par 4 and up without giving playing to my numbers enough thought until AFTER the fact. Some of this for me is due to testing, when reviewing a driver its my job to hit that driver, so slowly that bleeds into my general mindset on scoring rounds too...bad for me.

So, how often do you take driver off the tee? Are you a grab it and go no matter what golfer? Or do you play to your numbers and for the second shot with what the hole gives you?

I'm easily at 12/14 Par 4's/5's that I pull driver on my course, and honestly, thats about 2-3 too high.
Click to expand...

At my home course, on my homemade tees? 8 or 9 times. From the tournament tees? Can be as few as 5 times (but that's a lot of conservative golf in the mix).
 
I always look at the yardage of the hole. If the 3 wood puts me at a good number I wont even consider driver.
 
At the course I frequented here I would play driver on 11/15 par 4 or 5 holes, but I could (should) play it on 9/15. There are a few holes where a well struck driver would carry trouble (read penalty strokes) easily, but a mishit brings it into play. There I play an iron where there is no way I reach the trouble. A few shorter, tighter holes I should leave driver in the bag, but I haven't been bit by that top much. If I'm around the 150 marker, I'm a happy camper.
 
My good friend Johnny Mojo taught me about the 150 game...what club leaves you 150 yards out off the tee? That's the club that I should play. 350 yard par 4? Looks like I'm hitting my 3-hybrid for 200 yards. On par 5's, what two shots will get you to 120 yards? Sometimes that's 4-wood and 7-iron.

With that being said, I do try to take things like generous landing areas into play. It comes down to course management, and what you hit well. I'd rather have a consistent second shot and have less consistency off the tee (where the variable of lie is taken out) than the other way around.

Long story short, on my home course I hit driver about 8/14 times. All 4 par 5's, and 4 par 4's that are longer or where I've learned a shorter shot is needed to have my best chance at the green.
 
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