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Xavierp.21

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First Topic post - Driver has left this conversation

My biggest error, maybe some of yall can relate, is getting off the tee box in prime location. I honestly feel like my mid iron and short iron game is decent. no real big misses, skulls, chunks, etc. But when it came to me using my driver, it was hot and cold off the tees. I decided to leave it in the bag one round to see how well I could do without it and my fellow spys, I shot my lowest recorded score of 81! I would tee off with my 3 wood, hybrid and 4 iron through out the round and didn't find myself in any real big trouble that round. 

So lately i've just stop using it all together until I can get some confidence behind it and really need to get lessons to see what i'm doing right and wrong with it. 

 

Has anyone else tried to play 18 without their Driver? If so how did your round go?

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Used to routinely play sans driver because it was difficult for me to find the fairway with, but that was a long time ago. I've spent a lot of time working on that part of my game to the point that is now probably my greatest strength.

If you want to score your best, play to your strengths and mitigate risk. 

Driver: :mizuno-small: ST190 9.5* Fujikura Atmos Blue 5S
Fairway Wood: :mizuno-small: ST190 15* Fujikura Atmos Blue 6S
Hybrid: :mizuno-small: CLK 17* Fujikura Speeder EVO HB
Irons: :bridgestone-small: J40 CB (3-PW) Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: :taylormade-small: Milled Grind 2 54* & 58* Dynamic Gold S200
Putter: :odyssey-small: Tri-Hot 5k Two 34"
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Been there done that. I am still fighting a wicked slice, but at the time, my old driver head has started to come off (due to excessive shank abuse) and I ended up with my 3W off the tee. As you saw in your round, playing from the fairway is a lot nicer than playing from the weeds. Some of my highest scoring rounds are more because of penalty strokes and punch outs than because I 4 putt every hole.

I agree that the driver should be figured out, when I am having a good driving round, I can attack alot more because of that added distance off the tee, but in the mean time leaving it in the bag is a great idea. Less stress on the tee box, less time spent looking for errant tee shots, less money spent on lost balls, the benefits go on.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I dropped my handicap 5 strokes last year by ditching the driver: I didn’t replace it with the 3 wood because it’s just as unreliable for me. Someone wiser than me said, “there are no pictures on scorecards” so if you’re all time low score came sans driver, than save the driver for the range/practice. You only want weapons in your bag, not liabilities...

 

Driver - Cobra LtDxLS

3 Wood - Ping g410 LST

2iron - Titleist U505

Irons - Ping i59

Wedges - Vokey Sm9

Putter - Mizuno Mcraft IV

 

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For a llooooonnnnng time in high school I would use a 4H off the tee.  I still dont love 3 woods (got a 5-wood that I love) but my driver is now something I enjoy hitting.  I used to miss a lot high and right  but have mostly eliminated that from my game.  Occasionally if I get lazy it shows up, but that's mostly in my past.  

I see no problem benching it while its misbehaving, but I wouldn't not have one.  Work on it at the range and grab a lesson.  Sometimes its a simple fix that makes it playable.

What's your miss?  

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Not since the advent of modern drivers.  They have so much tech build into them that they are the easiest club in the bag to hit.  Just go get fit so that you're sure you have what you need - perhaps you would benefit from a different length shaft, more or less loft, something like that.  But really driver should be a very easy club to hit.

Years ago I often played without a driver - going back to pre-metal wood and sometimes even early metal wood days I frequently kept the driver in the bag - I also was a lot younger than and could hit the ball much farther.

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

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On 5/16/2020 at 3:49 PM, Xavierp.21 said:

Has anyone else tried to play 18 without their Driver? If so how did your round go?

Had a similar experience and at the time I didn't have a 3 wood either so i hit mostly hybrids off the tee.   My 3 wood can get me in just as much trouble some times anyhow.  Also it was a 50* in January so I wasn't getting much roll out.  But with that said there were only the white tees in play from time of year so it was playing shorter, but ended up shooting 73.  May have to try it again if the driver is really acting up.  You said it in your post above, that it has to do a lot with confidence.

 

Edited by juspoole

Driver:  image.png.3c6db1120d888f669e07d4a8f890b3f1.pngMavrik Sub Zero 9* (Set to 10) Ventus Blue 6X

2 Hybrid: :titelist-small: TSI3 Hybrid Tensei Blue 80 X (17.25*)

3 Hybrid :titelist-small: 818 H2 Hybrid Hzrdus RDX Black 6.5 (20.5*)

4 Iron -  :titelist-small: T200 4 Iron Graphite Design Tour AD IZ X Hybrid Shaft

Irons 5-PW:  :titelist-small: T100-S 5 - GW KBS Tour 130 X

Gap/Sand Wedge:  :titelist-small: Vokey SM6 49*  SM8 54* 

Lob Wedge:  image.png.3c6db1120d888f669e07d4a8f890b3f1.pngJaws 5 Wedge 58* DG Tour Issue Stiff

Putter:   :scotty-small: Phantom 5.5 34"      Pro Platinum Newport 2 35"      Taylormade Tour Black Spider 34"

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On 5/16/2020 at 3:49 PM, Xavierp.21 said:

First Topic post - Driver has left this conversation

My biggest error, maybe some of yall can relate, is getting off the tee box in prime location. I honestly feel like my mid iron and short iron game is decent. no real big misses, skulls, chunks, etc. But when it came to me using my driver, it was hot and cold off the tees. I decided to leave it in the bag one round to see how well I could do without it and my fellow spys, I shot my lowest recorded score of 81! I would tee off with my 3 wood, hybrid and 4 iron through out the round and didn't find myself in any real big trouble that round. 

So lately i've just stop using it all together until I can get some confidence behind it and really need to get lessons to see what i'm doing right and wrong with it. 

 

Has anyone else tried to play 18 without their Driver? If so how did your round go?

I have not ditched it no. Misses are typically manageable for the most part. Like @B.Boston said I will put it away at times especially if I know its a hole that if I do miss (and it is one of those days where I am missing) will really put me in trouble. My irons are long enough that it doesnt effect the round tremendously. That extra 50 yards a hole though when its on point really helps scoring though so I will never not have it in the bag.

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I've ditched my driver temporarily at times***, but I don't think it's a permanent solution. Longer approach shots into every par 4 & 5 will cost you strokes.

I'd keep at it until you figure it out. If you're having a particularly bad day, keep using your driver on wide open holes and drop to whatever you're comfortable with on tight or shorter par 4s & 5s. I do that now when I'm having a bad day with my driver. I'd suggest you try it. Avoiding your driver altogether will probably make it harder to come back to, especially if you avoid it for a long time - kinda like getting back on the horse after it throws you?

And spend some time on the driving range with your driver, maybe some lessons, until it's playable again.

*** when I came back after 15 years off I couldn't find fairways with my driver, so I played irons only for a couple months - teed off with a 2i or 3i. Scored almost as well as with a driver/woods, but not quite, probably cost me 4-5 strokes/round. More recently I played 2+ weeks using my 3W off the tee when my driver head cracked and it was off being replaced.

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On 5/16/2020 at 3:49 PM, Xavierp.21 said:

First Topic post - Driver has left this conversation

My biggest error, maybe some of yall can relate, is getting off the tee box in prime location. I honestly feel like my mid iron and short iron game is decent. no real big misses, skulls, chunks, etc. But when it came to me using my driver, it was hot and cold off the tees. I decided to leave it in the bag one round to see how well I could do without it and my fellow spys, I shot my lowest recorded score of 81! I would tee off with my 3 wood, hybrid and 4 iron through out the round and didn't find myself in any real big trouble that round. 

So lately i've just stop using it all together until I can get some confidence behind it and really need to get lessons to see what i'm doing right and wrong with it. 

 

Has anyone else tried to play 18 without their Driver? If so how did your round go?

Xavier,

Your driver is just another club and it SHOULD be just as easy to control as all the other ones. So the question is "WHY???". First thing to check is how it feels when you swing it. Is the feel very different than your 3w, hyb, etc? Is it lighter, heavier, more flexible etc.? If so, that is most likely your problem. Look at the shaft weight and flex of the clubs you play well with and compare that with your driver. Quite often, drivers have shafts that are WAY lighter and more flexible than your other clubs. Also, don't try to make a different swing with your driver. Swing it the same, just place the ball an inch or so in front of where you place it for you Hyb or long iron.

Check on these things and come back with what you find and we will discuss this further.

BT

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Yea, most any driver in the last 5 years will have enough tech to be good enough.

one thing that I personally think hurts a lotta guys is a shaft that’s too long. If you can hit a 3wood well, then you should hit the driver ok. But many drivers are 46” and that’s hard to hit consistently..

a shorter shaft creates a tighter contact point and a greater smash factor more often that will be easier to aim and be just as long. 
 

but to your point, it’s a heck of a lot harder to score when you’re hitting long irons at the green.

ive gone as far as going to the range and hitting nothing but the driver, again and again, until I figure it out.

and then finally (or perhaps firstly) a fitting/lessons could pinpoint something that none of us can see from out computer screens. Could be a horrid shaft/head combo, or a fatal flaw in your swing. But in my humble opinion, a solid driver leaves much more manageable approach shots, and that’s when you can shave strokes.

 

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I played 2 years of Junior College Golf with a 3w. It can be done, but it is not advisable. Driver is now by far the best club in my bag.

:taylormade-small:     Stealth 2+ 9 (Diamana PD 60 S 45") 

image.png.dee92ef6cebb2ac4a3883744fc248f12.png     Stealth 2+ 15 (Diamana PD 70 S 43")

:ping-small:          G425 19 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:ping-small:          G425 22 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

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On 5/27/2020 at 12:49 AM, Micah T said:

I dropped my handicap 5 strokes last year by ditching the driver: I didn’t replace it with the 3 wood because it’s just as unreliable for me. Someone wiser than me said, “there are no pictures on scorecards” so if you’re all time low score came sans driver, than save the driver for the range/practice. You only want weapons in your bag, not liabilities...

That is exactly right get it done how ever you can---- Like someone else said there are no pictures on a score card---- And I say this all the time kinda like a mission statement for me----- There is no etched in stone holy grail way to play this game--- and it applies to all aspects of this game from swing to the equipment one chooses

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

 G

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On 5/27/2020 at 1:02 PM, RI_Redneck said:

Also, don't try to make a different swing with your driver. Swing it the same, just place the ball an inch or so in front of where you place it for you Hyb or long iron.

 

I think I’d snap the club head off if I swing my driver like my irons: I always take a divot after the ball unless it’s on a high tee. I don’t carry a 3 or a 5 wood anymore, both betray me on the tee box and I carry my 3 iron 235 yards. I hit bombs with my driver, but even God doesn’t know where it’ll end up. I switched drivers this year ( Callaway epic to Ping G410 plus) and that has eliminated my 2 way miss, but I still find my self playing 2nd shots from the next fairway over. My friends describe my driver game as “long & wrong” and the stats prove them right: I’m still giving up 4 shots a round due to OB drives, forced chip outs and lost balls. But at this point I’m willing to try anything: I’m headed to Club Champion this weekend to see if an after market shaft might be the magic potion ...

 

Driver - Cobra LtDxLS

3 Wood - Ping g410 LST

2iron - Titleist U505

Irons - Ping i59

Wedges - Vokey Sm9

Putter - Mizuno Mcraft IV

 

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7 minutes ago, Micah T said:

Went with the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 60 TX: can’t wait to game this! 

What did you have before on the Ping G410? Will be following to see what you think about the Mitsubishi after playing a round or two.

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First Topic post - Driver has left this conversation
My biggest error, maybe some of yall can relate, is getting off the tee box in prime location. I honestly feel like my mid iron and short iron game is decent. no real big misses, skulls, chunks, etc. But when it came to me using my driver, it was hot and cold off the tees. I decided to leave it in the bag one round to see how well I could do without it and my fellow spys, I shot my lowest recorded score of 81! I would tee off with my 3 wood, hybrid and 4 iron through out the round and didn't find myself in any real big trouble that round. 
So lately i've just stop using it all together until I can get some confidence behind it and really need to get lessons to see what i'm doing right and wrong with it. 
 
Has anyone else tried to play 18 without their Driver? If so how did your round go?

I did. Shot 78! Nothing but 4 iron off the par 4/5 tee boxes. The course wasn’t but 6400 yards, so it wasn’t a big deal. Great day!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Driver: Ping G430 Max 9*, Ping Tour 70X

Fairway: Ping G425 15*, Ping Tour 70X

Hybrid: Ping G425 22*, Ping Tour 80X

Irons:  Ping i230 4-GW, TT DG X100

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50D/54V/58D:Nippon:Modus 130 stiff, +1”

Putter:  :edel-golf-1: EAS 1.0

Ball: Titleist 2023 AVX

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Man, how did I pass this one.

I played quite a while without a driver.

3 wood can get up near 270+ if I’m having a good day.

2 hybrid is my 240 club and stupid accurate.

The driver is a guessing game ever since my R1 broke.

Longest last year with the 3 Wood was 296, Arccos verified.

Longest driver was 276 in the same round.

It’s my personal bias against the gigantic driver head, whatever it is about them. They throw me off.

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17 hours ago, Mtbryant01 said:

What did you have before on the Ping G410? Will be following to see what you think about the Mitsubishi after playing a round or two.

I had the evenflow 6.0 stiff 75 gram: I had always assumed my driver swing was around 112, but trackman had it at 118, so the xtra stiff tensei should make a difference...

 

Driver - Cobra LtDxLS

3 Wood - Ping g410 LST

2iron - Titleist U505

Irons - Ping i59

Wedges - Vokey Sm9

Putter - Mizuno Mcraft IV

 

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... Ha. I don't think the original poster has any interest in what you guys think. He hasn't been back since. LOL

On 5/16/2020 at 2:49 PM, Xavierp.21 said:

Has anyone else tried to play 18 without their Driver? If so how did your round go?

 

My Sun Mountain bag currently includes:   TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 771CSI 5i - PW and TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png PFC Micro Tour-c 52°, 56°, 60 wedges

                                                                               :755178188_TourEdge: EXS 10.5*, TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 929-HS FW4 16.5* 

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Plaid--- it is kinda like starting a fight in a beer joint. Mouth off get the fight started and then when the human deification hits the rotating air mover duck and run out the door. Ya know an just saying 

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

 G

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Since I have to wait for the custom shaft I just bought, I’m thinking about skipping driver until it gets here...

 

 

Driver - Cobra LtDxLS

3 Wood - Ping g410 LST

2iron - Titleist U505

Irons - Ping i59

Wedges - Vokey Sm9

Putter - Mizuno Mcraft IV

 

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Sure, I can be wild at times with it because I struggle to close the face. A nice little 10 yard push fade with my 4 iron can become a 30-40 yard starting right, going right miss. On tight holes I will put it away for accuracy. 
 

There is a very short and very narrow 5,000 yard track nearby and I’ve shot a 72 hitting 1 drive on one of the two par 5’s. 
 

I also have taught friends that have never played the game before, two are down to 10 handicaps, and one just shot her first par yesterday on a 213 yard par 3 by wedging her second shot from the “fairway” to 3 feet. And my preference is to teach them to putt, chip, pitch and hit a short iron like an 8. Let them tee off from 150-200 yards out on every hole if they want to play, and once they consistently take divots and reasonable contact then they get the next higher club. They also move further back towards the tees until they reach driver. Usually it takes just a few months to get to a full set, with the longest gap being the jump from a hybrid to a 3 wood, then the gap from 3 wood to driver.  I like this approach bc it teaches them not only to make good technical swings, but also that you don’t need driver every hole. Just get the ball into the cup. 

Stats: 5'4", Male, R-Handed, Moderate Tempo, Driver SS 115mph
 

Driver: Taylormade SiM Max 9*, TM Ventus Blue 6X
3w/5w: Callaway X-Hot, S-flex Fubuki shafts
3h: Tour Edge EXS Pro, Smoke Black 80g 6.0
4i-PW: Mizuno MP-4, DG S300
Wedges: Titleist SM7
56* Wedge: Callaway Jaws w/ 12* of bounce

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