Ever had a game strategy get blown to bits?

[davidp]

Well, I had a strategy for Ocean Shores this Friday. Leave the driver at home & only take the 3 wood and 18* utility off the tee. I've been hitting the driver very crappy lately, so I thought that would be the best move.

I went out for a practice this morning at 4:45 :shock: . I started out hitting my 18* utility off the tee. On the 5th hole of the morning (Oxley G.C's 11th), out of curiousity, I hit driver.

Damn, if I didn't stripe it down the fairway, a good distance. On the next hole, didn't hit it too well, but it was still straight. On the last two holes of the morning, I remembered to drop my right arm into the slot and hit a beautiful long fade on each of the four drives (playing two balls).

Thanks to Matt & Mitchell Dwyer for showing me what it means to drop the right elbow into the slot. (And thanks to Kev for the pics) :D

Now, I'm in a dilemna. Change strategy & go with what's feeling good, or stick with Plan A. What do you think?

[Golfgirl]

You could always do what I do....

Take the driver and see how you are feeling on the day.... I usually know after a couple of holes whether the driver will be kind to me or not.

If it is misbehaving, it goes back in the bag and stays there.... this does take a fair bit of self-control though.... 'cause after a few good 3 wood shots, it is always tempting to take it back out again.

The best score I ever shot was done like this (94/nett 66), canned the driver after hole no. 2 and played 3 and 5 woods for the rest of the day.

Either way - just go and enjoy yourself... :D

[AndyP]

If you are going to step on the first tee, and have confidence in your driver, then go for it. The most important thing is to be confident in the club you are hitting.

[markTHEblake]

David

most golf pro's dont hit their driver all the time. Kurt Barnes rarely hits his driver.

most handicap golfers would improve their scores if they never hit driver. particularily 13 handicap and above.

next time you adopt the strategy of not hitting your driver leave it at home. i have hardly seen an amateur golfer at any level able to plan out a strateegy and stick to it, our ego's are too big for us to leave the driver in the bag.

[senecio]

I did this once. Monthly medal too. I had lost complete confidence in the driver but I was hitting my irons real sweet at the time.

I decided I wasn't going to let another good ball striking day be ruined by poor driving.

Didn't leave the driver at home but I made a decision not to use it and I stuck to it. The result: 79 off the stick (69 nett, par 71) and my second monthly medal win. It was blowing a gale that day adn the CCR was 74.

The only time I was tempted was the 1st hole (played back nine first). 370 metres into that gale from the tips, creek running infront of the green. I knew that if I didn't hit driver from the tee I would be left with a long iron over that creek. Managed to make par after hitting 3-iron from about 170 out, and I was never tempted to use it again.

Sorry for ranting on.

My vote, stick with plan A. Like blakey said, most of us would shoot consistenly lower if we never used the driver, but our egos often get in the way.

Ryan

[Jarro]

use your driver you wuss :P :lol:

[jimandr]

Take the driver and use it off the first, then the most trusted fairway finder at the second. Hopefully, both strategies will work, then you'll have options up your sleeve. There are plenty of long holes where you will want the extra yards if you are playing well.

Really, at Ocean Shores if you miss the first fairway you should throw the driver in the lake, as its one of the widest fairways you can find.

I realise it is an OZGolf official day and therefore the most serious golf short of a Major, but any victory is sweetest when carried out in style. What's better, Nick Faldo shooting 18 pars in the last round in a British, or Phil shooting at the pins in the Masters?

[Fishman Dan]

Good post DP, and good to hear someone else in my boat. I'm hitting driver terribly at the moment - what i thought was an anomaly at St Michael's a month back was only a sign of what's to come.

Fact is, i've been slicing the driver tragically since i was sidelined for a couple of months with my dodgy back. Worst thing is the pro at Casino won't give me lessons until Jan 5, after our City vs Country. Damn him... count....ry captain..

So i'm taking driver tomorrow, and intend to use it. But if it's going pear-shaped, then it's 3-wood off the tee. The game plan for me is keep it on or near the fairway all day - otherwise i could be eating more the Humble Pie's.

Did i mention i shanked my first ever 3-wood tee shot this arvo? :oops:

[goughy]

I would like to challenge for the worst driver on ozgolf. What are my problems - poorly fitted clubs for my swing, and they aren't gonna change till I get better. At the moment my good drive is a block, which if I'm playing smart I'll aim 30% left and block it down the right side. Sometimes I slice that block (often). What's worse is that block turns into a nasty low duck hook at will.

I can easily go a round hitting only 1 or 2 fairways (I pretty sure I've done 0 before). I am now at the point where if I hit it in the roungh but have a clear shot I call that a f.i.r. to make myself feel better. We only have 3 par 3's at my course.

Take the driver and smash the sh!t out of it. Or play smart and spend the next week wishing you'd seen how far you got it on the first.

I would suggest blakey's idea of using the 3 wood off the tee. It really is the easiest way to keep youself in play. Except currently I'm hitting my 3 wood worse than my driver; off a tee or off the deck.

[davidp]

Well, I ended up taking my driver off the 1st tee. Didn't hit it too bad, but tried to keep it in the bag only taking it out when the hole was a little more forgiving on the right side.

Tried to use my 18* utility club more often, which worked out well, even though it was the first full round with it. I love that club. :D

My irons were the worst part of my game on the day. Was not really accurate and not following through enough.

More practice required before my next ozgolf day... :wink:

Thanks everyone for your input.

[Fishman Dan]

DP - you hit driver well the other day. Unfortunately you left a few out right but at our level of the game, that's to be expected. We can't hit all the fairways, that game would be too easy then. On a course with more forgiveness for wide shots, you'll go well, because you are long off the tee.

Goughy - i'm right up there with you mate. Big, fat, ugly "power-fades". Kept it somewhat under control at Ocean Shores, but still lacking distance with that left-to-right shape.

[McMw]

I would use the driver on every hole I could...except where it's obvious trouble is...

Simply a matter of trusting yourself with the big dog... :)


mind you...when I was starting this game....all I could ever hit was the 3wood...it's been a slow and steady progression to where I can now trust my swing with the driver....very slow... :roll: :wink: :lol:

[BrisVegas]

It really is a confidence thing. For the first 5 years I played golf I never owned a driver. Couldn't hit one. Didn't ned one much at City GC. It wasn't until I got a fairly forgiving (Callaway Warbird) driver in the mid-90's that I had the confidence to play driver off the tee. I was playing off about 7 when I finally started using one.

I get the best results when I back myself to hit it long and with a very specific shape (ie. high fade, low draw etc..) and then put a good positive swing on it. Things always seem to "click" when I don't hold back. I guess the secret is to commit to hitting whatever club you choose off the tee, fully and freely. Nothing good can come of steering it. :wink:

To get confidence with driver over the years, I have devoted a fair chunk of range time to it. (to the detriment of my iron play perhaps, but that's another story... :wink: )

1. Find out what your natural shape is.
2. Find a club head/shaft that gives YOU the best result - AND STICK WITH IT...
3. Figure out how to hit a draw and a fade as you need to be able to hit both on occasion.
4. live happily ever after. 8)

[Ona]

AND STICK WITH IT...




RED CARD!

[BrisVegas]

AND STICK WITH IT...




RED CARD!

Don't worry, the Ho's would have just ignored that bit anyway.... Far better to continuously chase the latest and greatest club to solve the driver woes.... :roll:

[davidp]

AND STICK WITH IT...




RED CARD!

Don't worry, the Ho's would have just ignored that bit anyway.... Far better to continuously chase the latest and greatest club to solve the driver woes.... :roll:

This ex-ho is sticking with his driver that fits his swing & swingspeed. In fact, my whole bag does.

I think I'll be using driver on only a couple of holes at City G.C. 10th, 17th. It's a course where you get away with playing a 3 / 4 iron off the tee a lot of the time.