How important is the Driver?

Question

It has always been my opinion that driver is a critical part of the game.

I would ask my dad if I should tee of with iron, he would say, “play the game”, or “try to get a short iron in and set up birdie”

The vast majority of golfers need all the distance they can get to set up reasonable shots to the green.

Ya Ya, I know, Tiger hits driver 4-5 times a round, your not Tiger, and you don’t have a 320 yard 3-wood!

I also know, you drive for show putt for dough. Putting and short game is MORE important…everyone knows that!

But after you putter and SW (or your favorite club around the green) I believe driver is the 3rd most important club in your bag.

Most players will use it 10-14 times in any given round, more than every club, besides the before mentioned, putter and SW.

Driver is hard to hit, it is the least forgiving, and most likely to get you in trouble. But It’s FUN hitting drivers, especially trying to kill it on a par-5 and setting up a shot to the green (that’s where the pros make there money).

So here are the questions:

Why do people think it is not important to hit driver?

Why play lawyer golf?

Do you enjoy hitting driver?

Do you really think you would score better by not hitting driver?

Any comments?

Thanks!

Answer 1

I have a driver with a lengthened shaft (47.25 inches), I used to use a 52 inch driver. The most fun I would have on a golf course, was putting for eagle on a par 4. Nothing feels better than having a wedge into a par 5 (nothing feels worse that MISSING the green with a wedge on a par 5 lol). I hit my irons shorter than most of my friends because I try and be more accurate with them, with the driver, I used to rule.

In the scheme of things, the driver is not the most important club in the bag, the putter is. However, it is the one club that can impress everyone, and bring you back again if you hit it well.

It is definitely fun to watch someone crank it with the driver. But you can score so much better with a 3-wood, or 1-iron t-shot. On my home course, after the 11th hole (par 5), I put the driver away for good .... unless I want to have fun with the down-wind par 4's!!!

Good Golfing

Answer 2

I enjoy hitting good drives, but the problem is that they come very few and far between.  I was lucky enough starting out to take the advise to play from the green to the tee, not tee to green.  I would say that on any given day, if I were to hit driver off the tee of all par 4 and par 5 holes, I might hit 4 out of 14 fairways.  The rest of my tee shots tend to hook and slice into the rough, which ultimately costs me distance rather than adding it.

I actually played the best golf of my life back in 2004.  I took a friend to the driving range one day, and he hit my driver off the hozel, shattering the shaft and leaving me without a driver.  At the time, I was using a driver that came as part of a set, and since it would have cost more to repair it than it was worth, I left it be.  I spent most of that season teeing off with my 3 and 5 woods and an occassional 3 or 4 iron.  What happened was that I found myself in the fairway 60% of the time with manageable shots into the green.  I finished that year with my best handicap ever.  Now, I tend to leave the driver in the bag unless the hole is over 400 yards.  I can hit my 3 or 5 wood well and usually leave myself with a good iron shot to the green.  My driver gets me into alot of trouble most of the time, and when I'm playing I'd rather shoot a good score than smoke a good drive any day.

Answer 3

There's a lot that determines what club to use.  I pretty much had to use driver all the time when I played because I could barely average 220 yards driving on a good day.  Every single person I ever played with could hit the ball farther and could afford to use fairway woods and irons more.  

I would say whatever club you drive with, be it driver or anything else, is the most important club.  Honestly a good putter can putt with just about any putter.  Your wedges might be as important, though.  I've heard 70% of scoring comes from driver, wedges, and putting.

As for your other questions:

People don't like driver because you can get in a lot of trouble

I have no idea what lawyer golf is

Like I said, I had an extremely short driving distance, so I couldn't afford to not use the driver on most par 4's and 5's

I liked driver, but I honestly liked wedges better.

Answer 4

Drivers are important if you are 1) really comfortable with your accuracy 2) you are able to control it on demand (fade, hook, etc).  If you are having doubts, you may wish to consider using a 3-wood for driving purposes OR choosing a driver with a higher loft.  Please choose the most flexible shaft you can control and loft based on your swing-speed.  You can get that checked free ant any reputable golf shop.  DO NOT purchase any new equipment until you AL LEAST get that minimal bit of club fitting performed.  Some shops charge for fitting, but a great shop will fit you based on your swing characteristics, rather that attempt to sell you the "latest and greatest" right off the shelf.  I sort of rambled after I answered your driver question, but you may not have a driver issue, per se.  You may just have an equipment-fitting issue.  Some fitting issues - shaft replacement, for example - would not require you to purchase new equipment.  So PLEASE, ask your favorite golf shop.  If you need a recommendation, please let me know.

Answer 5

it is important because it is what you start with but if you are good you can start with something else. like put or 5

Answer 6

TEE'm HIGH and LET'm FLY

Answer 7

The driver is very important and indeed fun to hit.  What you are bordering on here is talking about course management.  You want to play to your strengths, so if your best approach club is a nine iron, you want to try to leave yourself as many nine iron approaches as you can which may mean hitting a club other than driver off the tee.  The driver is not harder to hit than any other club in your bag.  If you develop sound fundamentals and make a repeating swing you can hit driver as consistently as you hit wedge.

Answer 8

Hit whatever you are comfortable with. You are better off being short and in the middle of the fairway then long and in the rough.  Golf isn't always about distance. if your not comfortable with the driver hit an iron of the tee and make good decisions in your mid and short game.

Answer 9

In a round of golf, the most you will use your driver is 18 times.  That means, if you are a scratch golfer, (and most people are not), you will use another club 54 times.  

I prefer to tee-off with an iron.  Even if I get less distance, the direction of the ball is more easily controlled.  Then, I make up for it on the fairway.

Answer 10

I only use a driver on par 5s when i dont care where it goes as long as it eats up the distance. On par 4s id rather prefer to hit with a 3 wood/ hybrid or my 6 iron which i can hit the most consistently. If you play on the course I play... you wouldnt even consider touching the driver when the fairways are as narrow as a suburban street and the trees are almost jungle like high. on par 4s id hit it about 200m somewer on the fairway and another 150-200m from there to get to the green. if i miss the green then i can normally just go up and down depending on the lie.

Answer 11

i play alot of golf and the only time i hit my driver is when the fairways are 35 yards or wider my 3&5 wood get me close enough to hit most par 4s in two with my second shot being a7-sw shot so in my bag driver is used only 5-7 times a round,saturday i shot a 73 at tangle wood from the blue tees so i would say learn how to hit all your clubs including low irons

Answer 12

The driver is the most overrated club in the bag.    Money would be better spent on irons and lessons.

Answer 13

For tee shots, I normally try to play for position and avoid trouble. I hit the driver pretty decent, but I have more confidence and accuracy in my 3-wood.  There is probably a 20 - 40 yd difference between the clubs. I find the game easier when I have a full shot into the green versus a 40 - 65 yd touch shot. I also factor in trouble.  If a pushed driver will land me in the woods on a dog-left, and 3-wood stays in play regardless of how bad I hit it, then 3-wood.  Last, if there is a tail wind, then 3 wood because it will get higher in the air and carry just as far as my driver.  The tee shot is pretty important.

Now, I use these "rules" when I am competing in a tourney or skins.  If I am out visiting a course that I will only play once........ "Shot-links says....... DRIVER!"  All caution to the wind!  Have fun.  Hope this helps!