Anyone hitting driver off the deck?

[MissionMan]

I typically do it on long par 5's into the wind. If I am driving well, I'll do it, but I wouldn't if it's an off day

I learn to hit it off the deck with a golf mat. I started on small tees and then moved down to off the deck.

Typically it works well with a low fade as the shot shape is more predictable.

[zotparkerm]

Yep, although 'hit' might be better stated as 'mis-hit'

[The TXBexar]

Are you using the Driver you use off the Tee Box? I used to run 2 drivers in my bag, one 10.5 for the Tee Box and then a 12 that I basically used as a 2w/3w option to use in the fairway and 1st cut. Now, this was partially due to not being able to afford a proper fairway wood and "making hay while the suns shining" with what I got,  but also because I found that most driver heads don't lend themselves to be a good DoD option. The 12 I used had a very boat-hull like bottom head design with a low CG weighted in the bottom-center of the head that worked well for gliding along the turf to limit slamming the head into the ground and duffing the shot. 

However, after finally get a good used 3W, I found I had much better accuracy & similar distance using that over the 12 I would've used before on the same shot, by just adjusting where I addressed the ball in my stance and flattening the lie angle of the face on address to keep trajectory low beneath the wind, or to keep the ball from rising too quickly and hitting the tree canopies on the corner that I'm trying to cut. If you're doing it because you ain't got the club in your bag to do it well another way, then there's nothing wrong with it as long as you can do it consistently enough that the potential for bad lies & distance from the shot are less then & outweighed by the possible good lies & distance from the shot. If your "iffy" on the shot, or worried about hooking/slicing it into a worse lie, I'd say stick with a FW or your Long Iron and lay up in the middle, you'd be surprised by how often this leaves you with a similar or better potential score on the hole as opposed to the DoD shot that got you 20-30yds closer. 

[Donn lost in San Diego]

I've tried a few times.  Mediocre .  Better off with the 3 wood.

[CorporateGolfRat]

Personally, DoD is a novelty shot. Obviously it is also very fun to play if you can pure it. As with most things in golf though, if it makes you comfortable then it probably works for you.  Looks like a handful of people gave the same advice I would. Try and shallow it out and sweep that bad boy. 

[vandyland]

I struggle with fairway woods off the deck so a DoD is a no go for me. Generally speaking if I am that far out I am probably trying to leave myself 50-75 yds out rather than risk going OB. 

[Vertical]

23 hours ago, CorporateGolfRat said:

Personally, DoD is a novelty shot. Obviously it is also very fun to play if you can pure it. As with most things in golf though, if it makes you comfortable then it probably works for you.  Looks like a handful of people gave the same advice I would. Try and shallow it out and sweep that bad boy. 

it is a novelty shot used infrequently. Only on long Par 5s and only in windy conditions. I agree that it's a superb feeling when you pure it! Definitely one of the most challenging shots in golf. 

[Erin B]

Just hit the Titleist GT3 off the deck!!! It was awesome! My course lets me demo the new stuff! No GT4s here yet. Almost bought the 3.

[MBernGolfs]

On 7/30/2024 at 8:42 AM, russtopherb said:

I struggle with it off the tee at times, and you think I want to hit it off the deck?????? 

I was going to chime in with this exact same thing Hitting it with solid contact off the tee can be difficult at times, let alone hitting it off the fairway where you have to cut into the ground with almost perfect contact to get the ball straight and high enough.  Good luck off the deck!

[Kaden_Marcell]

Have never used it in a tournament of casual play unless I was just messing around with it. Game management wise, what would be the benefit from hitting DOD vs.. taking an 8,7,6 iron or whatever club you can hit to get to your perfect number. Stats wise I think birdie/par rate would severely increase due to DOD being very hard to do consistently.

[MissionMan]

5 hours ago, Kaden_Marcell said:

Have never used it in a tournament of casual play unless I was just messing around with it. Game management wise, what would be the benefit from hitting DOD vs.. taking an 8,7,6 iron or whatever club you can hit to get to your perfect number. Stats wise I think birdie/par rate would severely increase due to DOD being very hard to do consistently.

I think it’s a risk vs reward thing. Our 11th hole (560 yards off the back tees) is long in winter due to it being really soft (you find your landing mark next to the ball) so a driver off the deck makes it reachable in two, or at least leaves you a short chip with a good chance of birdie. It’s a wide fairway so not a lot of risk and we get preferred lies due to mud so you have a good lie. Yes, you could go for a 7 iron and have 100 yards in, but 100 yards won’t give you the same odds on an up and down. if I’m hitting driver well, it’ll be on the green, or within 10 yards left or right. I tend to hit my driver off the deck with a high fade. My miss would normally be straight so I’d aim just left of green, if it goes straight it’s just off the left edge. Really hard to hit a hook off the deck with a driver because you’re coming down on the ball.

If I was going to have a bad miss with it, it’s a slightly thin shot which I typically hit straight, so I’m going to be at least the same distance as my 7 iron, more likely a 50 yard pitch in. 

Typically, by the time I get to the 11th, I know how I am hitting driver. If I’m not playing that well, I won’t chance it. Ultimately, like anything, it has to be a calculated risk. On Saturday, I eagled the hole in our Saturday comp.

[bens197]

Rarely would I need the length where a driver off the deck is more of an advantage than a shorter and better engineered 3 wood.

I had this debate with my coach in college.  There was a par 4 that was about 420 and played downwind often during our PM rounds.  I would tee off with a 3 wood and he’d always wonder with my length, why not pull driver.

I liked that I could get the ball higher in the air and with a shorter club, I almost always ruled out left OB.  I could hit my high cut and let the wind do the work.  

 

[Negative Attack Angle]

I hit driver of the deck a handful a times a season. It is a shot i am super picky when it comes to the lie. When the lie good, it a green light for long par 5s, keeping the ball low, or when i duff my tee'd drive.  I actually have pretty good success with it as my "negative attack angle" helps get a good trajectory, usually a little cut. 

its a fun shot that i am always excited to hit  

[Andy G]

i’m not sure of the value of hitting a driver off the deck they are designed to tit on the up and higher on the face?

[mannyc]

As someone who struggles with driver off the Tee box; I wouldn’t think to hit it off the deck. I know a lot of people also suffer hitting three woods consistently but you can keep the flight low with a 3 hybrid. Cleveland also makes a 3 Hywood which is what I use on all par 5s 

[BIG STU]

On 7/30/2024 at 12:41 PM, Wakit300 said:

Used to do it all the time when it was persimmon, TM Burner, Yonex A.D.X, but once we got to 460cc hardly do it any more. I think I may have to practice that shot again just to improve my ball striking.

p.s. to answer that question ... Why Not?!? Have fun with your game!

Agree I still do it some when I play my persimmon rounds. With a modern driver on the rare occasion when I play a scramble, I will do it. The other day I had an unique situation where I had to do it. Our course due to equipment issues has long rough. I was in the league and in the right rough with tree limbs overhanging. Normally a 5 iron for me in that situation. But the way the ball was sitting I knew I would either hit a flyer or get way under the ball and basically whiff it. As a FW goes I only carry a 7 wood and you can imagine the result there. I took the driver choked up on it and did a sawed off chop. Advanced it into the fairway about 150 yards or so which left me a 7 wood into the green which was a par 5

Like you golf is all about the kick and giggles factor and a big part of my fun is being creative and seeing what I can pull off

[RetiredBoomer]

2 minutes ago, BIG STU said:

Agree I still do it some when I play my persimmon rounds. With a modern driver on the rare occasion when I play a scramble, I will do it. The other day I had an unique situation where I had to do it. Our course due to equipment issues has long rough. I was in the league and in the right rough with tree limbs overhanging. Normally a 5 iron for me in that situation. But the way the ball was sitting I knew I would either hit a flyer or get way under the ball and basically whiff it. As a FW goes I only carry a 7 wood and you can imagine the result there. I took the driver choked up on it and did a sawed off chop. Advanced it into the fairway about 150 yards or so which left me a 7 wood into the green which was a par 5

Like you golf is all about the kick and giggles factor and a big part of my fun is being creative and seeing what I can pull off

I've attempted that shot several times over the years.

The success ratio isn't impressive, but after all, we're PLAYING GOLF, not working on a chain gang, so there's not much about which to complain.

[MissionMan]

I think some people overestimate the difficulty. I learnt to do it by teeing the ball low as a fairway finder. Because you're coming down on the ball, it spins a little more, doesn't go as far, but has a more predictable left to right flight for a right hander. 

Once I could hit it consistently, you start hitting off the mat trying to shave the mat as you swing through. Initially you'll find yourself hitting low bullets like a stinger, but as you build confidence, you can start hitting down on it more and the extra spins helps get a fair bit of height. 

It's ultimately just a confidence thing, but as someone mentioned earlier, lie is critical.

Edited August 7 by MissionMan

[BIG STU]

30 minutes ago, RetiredBoomer said:

I've attempted that shot several times over the years.

The success ratio isn't impressive, but after all, we're PLAYING GOLF, not working on a chain gang, so there's not much about which to complain.

Well you know us older guys do not have as much SS as we used to. And it might be because I did it for years a persimmon driver is easier for me to hit off the deck than a modern metal. But like you said we are after all playing golf or working on a chain gang or in my case working at all. In fact I can hit my 10.5 Tony Penna persimmon driver off the deck better than I can hit a modern 3 wood. One of the reasons if you look at my signature you will see I only carry that 7 wood for a FW.

[MissionMan]

Here is some DoD porn 

 

[RetiredBoomer]

44 minutes ago, MissionMan said:

 

It's ultimately just a confidence thing, but as someone mentioned earlier, lie is critical.

Driver off the deck on a downhill lie looks pretty much impossible to me.
Almost any downhill shot, in fact, including a freaking putt, can spoil my mood.

It would sure get the gallery roaring, though,

[jimmyjames]

I did it once in a scramble since the lowest handicap player recommended we do it. I duffed it. I saw no benefit even if I had hit it well. I'd rather take an accurate shorter shot with my hybrid over a longer high risk shot like that any day.

[Vertical]

On 8/7/2024 at 5:37 AM, MissionMan said:

Here is some DoD porn 

 

So pure!

[MissionMan]

29 minutes ago, Vertical said:

So pure!

100%. You don't truly understand what it means to hit a driver well off the deck until you see that. It kind of puts professional golfing into perspective. 

[Kenny B]

On 7/30/2024 at 11:12 AM, fixyurdivot said:

I do.  It was when @Thin2winand I played The Links course in north ID on their signature par 6, hole #9.  We played from the blue tees and we each tried driver off the deck on our second shots.  If memory serves, Chris had better results with his.  I think we both had long irons in for shot #3 .  A bit gimmicky but fun.

I too wonder about the need to do this... at least on any regular basis.

C'mon Bill!!  You forgot the rest of the story!  Although I wasn’t there when you played, I have played The Links several times, and it always plays downwind.  Yardage might be long but plays much less.

I need to get up there again this year before the weather turns cold.

[Kenny B]

There is no reason for me to hit driver off the deck, unless I have a good reason.  That said, I hit that shot a few times a year at my home course and always on the same hole because of the lie.  If I pull my tee shot on the par 5 #5 hole and don’t get the ball over the mound in the fairway, the 2nd shot will launch too high with a 3W and hit overhanging limbs.  Driver is enough to keep the launch under the trees. 

[TR1PTIK]

There's a local course where I eventually settled on always using DOD for my 2nd on one of the par fives unless out of position. There's a large dip in the middle of the fairway intended for water runoff that forces a layup from the tee (except when it's dry and the wind is behind which is rare). Most of the time, the second shot is into wind and there's very little risk. The reward is a ball that will run up either onto or very close to the green.

The way I've always hit DOD is to choke down slightly, with a narrower stance (more like a mid-iron) and feel as though I stay on top of the ball for longer. I'm always trying to hit it level or slightly down. The result is a strong flight with lots of roll. 

As someone else mentioned in an earlier post about a playing companion, I've also used DOD off the tee (though only once or twice) when I wanted to keep the flight down and/or take a little off.

If Arnie could still do it at 74 on a tour setup, I think it's a shot worth practicing depending on your skill level. It's simply another tool in the bag.

[fixyurdivot]

4 hours ago, Kenny B said:

C'mon Bill!!  You forgot the rest of the story!  Although I wasn’t there when you played, I have played The Links several times, and it always plays downwind.  Yardage might be long but plays much less.

I need to get up there again this year before the weather turns cold.

It wasn't very windy the day we played and even with a tailwind that's a long damn hole.  Chris had his One-Wheel with him and I do recall watching him slalom down that very long fairway.  

[Chux13]

I do when I have to punch out from a very low hanging tree or other hazards . Works beautifully and hard to pop up. Goes quite a long way to make an easier approach shot.