Would You Rather

[Josh Parker]

Be able to hit a 300 yard bomb   down the middle every time or have an unbelievable wedge game?

I know my answer and have lived it for years.  

[The TXBexar]

Easy, Unbelievable wedge game. 

Can't hole out from outside the green with a driver on every hole, but you damn sure can with an unbelievable wedge game!

[musicalmedicine]

This is so tough, but I have to go wedge game. I’m not always hitting it right down the middle, but I have a reputation amongst my friends who play as being a long hitter. I’ve captured a few shots on the Mevo+ that were 300+ carry, which don’t get me wrong, can be an ego boost being the long hitter on the course, but I’ve had more frustration and holes demolished by poor wedge work than that extra 50 yards off the tee has ever compensated for. 
 

also, look at the highlight reels from the President’s cup and the big moments that stand out are Scottie Scheffler’s dunk from the sand and Homa’s insane 102 hole out where the ball threw it into reverse like a it was filming a Fast and Furious movie.

[GolfSpy_KFT]

Wedge game, hands down. I’d be more than happy to hit it shorter than 300 and in the fairway or just missing the fairway, but be able to do whatever I wanted with my wedges whenever I wanted to do it!

[Josh Parker]

What if it meant never using driver again?

[musicalmedicine]

4 minutes ago, Josh Parker said:

What if it meant never using driver again?

I still have a 3 wood or 5 wood, right?

[TJ Hall]

Give me the wedges!  Can still hit a 3 wood off the tee and get down there a ways, always going to have missed greens and wedges help keep the score down!

[Lefty11]

Wedges!  Short game is a difference maker. 

[Erin B]

4 hours ago, Josh Parker said:

Be able to hit a 300 yard bomb   down the middle every time or have an unbelievable wedge game?

I know my answer and have lived it for years.  

Wedges, no question.

18 minutes ago, Josh Parker said:

What if it meant never using driver again?

Wedges again, all day!

[William P]

Absolutely the wedges! On both scenarios.

[cnosil]

Having watched short hitting LPGA players repeatedly shore sub 70 I am taking the wedge game.  

[Syks7]

Not going to lie I want to say wedges, but since everyone says wedges I'll play devil's advocate.  I'm going driver center of the fairway  300 yards-- full Mark Broadie. There's very few courses out there except the tippy tips on absurdly long courses where 300 is not going to leave you with a short iron or wedge in hand.   Even with a mediocre wedge game you're going to hit the green a lot with your second shot a lot with those types of clubs in hand -- and you're going to make par more often than not if you're on the green in regulation.  Closer to the hole off the first shot = less strokes to finish the hole.   

[cnosil]

8 minutes ago, Syks7 said:

Not going to lie I want to say wedges, but since everyone says wedges I'll play devil's advocate.  I'm going driver center of the fairway  300 yards-- full Mark Broadie. There's very few courses out there except the tippy tips on absurdly long courses where 300 is not going to leave you with a short iron or wedge in hand.   Even with a mediocre wedge game you're going to hit the green a lot with your second shot a lot with those types of clubs in hand -- and you're going to make par more often than not if you're on the green in regulation.  Closer to the hole off the first shot = less strokes to finish the hole.   

Valid points.   You’re probably right especially with 300 in the fairway.   He just said “unbelievable” wedge game which doesn’t really quantify how good it really is.  If I am hitting the green every time with a wedge in hand it would still be hard to pass the wedge game up.  

Edited October 3 by cnosil

[The TXBexar]

1 hour ago, Josh Parker said:

What if it meant never using driver again?

Hmmm, I think I could survive chipping away at a hole doing 210-220yds at a time with my hybrids/Woods options. 

A 475yd par 4 would take two hybrid Hits leaving me with the unbelievable wedge shot into the green to leave it close, if I didn't just hole out, and a tap-in one putt to par.

This begs the alternative questions though, if you choose a to have a 300yd driver, can you never use a wedge again? (I'll say this does not include the Texas wedge)

[Josh Parker]

7 hours ago, musicalmedicine said:

I still have a 3 wood or 5 wood, right?

Yes, you still have them. 

6 hours ago, Syks7 said:

Not going to lie I want to say wedges, but since everyone says wedges I'll play devil's advocate.  I'm going driver center of the fairway  300 yards-- full Mark Broadie. There's very few courses out there except the tippy tips on absurdly long courses where 300 is not going to leave you with a short iron or wedge in hand.   Even with a mediocre wedge game you're going to hit the green a lot with your second shot a lot with those types of clubs in hand -- and you're going to make par more often than not if you're on the green in regulation.  Closer to the hole off the first shot = less strokes to finish the hole.   

Valid points and something to consider based on the course you play and tees selected. 

[Spencer Brewster]

Considering that I am hardly in the fairway I am taking the driver. My wedge game is good enough that I would rather hit off nicer grass than be in the rough all the time.

[Shrek74]

Unbelievable wedge game, for sure. I don't use a "driver" at this point anyway. It's a mini.  But even if I'd be relegated to a 3w off the tee, it wouldn't be much different than I've done for the past couple of decades, as driver hasn't really ever been a good club for me (stupid heel strikes) for distance. I hit it straight, just 220-230. I can do that with my mini and 3w all day long, and in some cases it'll be more like 250. So wedge play for me is going to be more helpful, especially at the courses I play where length really isn't the biggest issue. I use my wedges more than anything but my putter, according to Shot Scope. So having them be "unbelievable" would be awesome.

I thought about going driver, but where I currently play it's not as big of an issue other than about 2 holes per course. Hitting 250 works just fine. Plus, one of these days I'll find a fitter who can actually help me find a driver and shaft combo that keeps me more towards the middle and out of the heel which should add 20-40 yards to my drives just by itself.

[musicalmedicine]

4 hours ago, Josh Parker said:

Yes, you still have them. 

Valid points and something to consider based on the course you play and tees selected. 

Done deal, I may get a bit less distance with those clubs but they’re also tighter than a driver on lateral dispersion so I would probably still get some improvement hits with the fairway woods over a driver in normal conditions.

[Josh Parker]

5 minutes ago, musicalmedicine said:

Done deal, I may get a bit less distance with those clubs but they’re also tighter than a driver on lateral dispersion so I would probably still get some improvement hits with the fairway woods over a driver in normal conditions.

I thought about this after the other thread asking how often you use your driver on your home course. 

My driver has never been strong up until recently and I always relied on my wedge game.  

It is interesting to think about different courses and where having a long bomb drive could outweigh the wedge game or vise versa. 

[Dweed]

Wedges for sure.

[cksurfdude]

On 10/2/2024 at 5:26 PM, Josh Parker said:

Be able to hit a 300 yard bomb

[Bad Golfer]

Wedge game for sure especially since I can still use a 3 wood. Granted my 3 wood would only be around 240 so I would be giving up 60 yards but to be able to stick it close to the pin each time would definitely gain me more strokes overall. I can't tell you how many times I hit a perfect ball down the middle only to end up chunking, blading, pushing, or pulling a simple approach shot that costs me a stroke or 2.

[PrayingForPar]

I hope to golf until I am very very old, so I vote Wedges as that seems more realistic to keep up into my 70's.

Unless in this scenario I can be 75 and still hit 300 yard bombs because if that's the case I totally choose that.

Imagine being 75, teeing up your ball in front of some young whipper snappers and launching it 300 down the middle.