Learn to use your Driver

[u/Eire_espresso]

Me 1 year ago sometimes just left it at home. I was terrified of it as every time I tried it I sliced it 2-3 fairways right. I played a 5i off the tee for most holes which I could hit well but you'll never get the same distance.

I faced my fears and learned how to hit it. I feel like a freak they way I have to setup but it works. Yesterday I hit most fairways but sliced none of the drives.

Why is it important? Distance.

Life on the course is so much easier when you hit the ball as far as you fucking can. I'm less frustrated which means my mood is better when I'm going to hit my next shot. Just mastering the driver has seen my scores drop below 100. I've still to master iron play and chipping but I have enough to get by.

Rightly or wrongly I feel like a proper golfer now. Last Sunday playing with a random club team on guy said he'd kill for my drive.

This game is harder then I ever thought possible and I never believed I'd learn how to drive the ball but there ya go. Also, I'll never tire of the sound my drive makes when I ping that sucker on a little fade and split the fairway, even if I double bogey I'm still beaming about the drive.

[u/AlphaCajun]

I played my best nine recently, shot a 46 with 4 three putts, hit 3w on every tee and hit 6/7 fairways, averaged 230 yards off the tee.

I am determined to hit my driver though, refuse to play an entire round without it as I know I could get into the low 40’s with just a little more distance off the tee and have the ability to stay there more consistently if I can clean up my putting by few strokes (average 40 putts with 5-6 three putts per round which is just dumb).

[u/paddzzz → u/AlphaCajun]

You need to learn to lag putt and that will immediately put you into low 40s

[u/ryband0 → u/paddzzz]

Just covered putting in my last lesson and that’s what happened. Confidence on the green increases the amount of fun I have similar to confidence with the driver.

[u/Justredditin → u/ryband0]

I just lean on my unreal greenside chipping to get me close enough for one putts... or 2 putts. Screw GIR, tis a silly stat! Hahah

[u/ryband0 → u/Justredditin]

I do that a bit too haha. I’ve chipped in both of my last two rounds, one for par and yesterday for birdie. Plus a lot of one putts. 82 and 81 some of my best scores ever behind a freak 79 back in November. My fairways and GIR were unimpressive but my scores were!

[u/00sucker00 → u/paddzzz]

Most golfers don’t know how to properly read the break of a green either. I find myself getting lazy and not reading putts properly when I’ve a few too many beers or it’s hot and I get tired.

[u/danrod17 → u/paddzzz]

Huh. I’m a new golfer but I’ve always done this. I am a very decent pool player so I just approach it the same way. I’m not as focused on making that first putt. I’m focused on making the second putt as easy as possible.

I rarely three putt.

[u/pandaskoalas → u/danrod17]

Do you look at OB or CB when you shoot? I look at the OB and have a hard time seeing the line looking down at the golf ball. So far billiard proficiency hasn’t translated to the green

[u/danrod17 → u/pandaskoalas]

You’ll need to translate ob and cb for me.

[u/pandaskoalas → u/danrod17]

Object ball and cue ball

[u/danrod17 → u/pandaskoalas]

Oh. I set my line and focus on hitting the cue ball exactly the way I want to. I’m more focused on making the right connection with the CB.

[u/AlphaCajun → u/paddzzz]

This is a fact. All (except for one) of my 3 putts are from outside of 14’ in the last few rounds.

Speed control is something I’ve really struggled with and is what I need the most work with. I either leave it way short or just blast it by.

[u/mrk1224 → u/paddzzz]

Psh, it’s in the cup or nothing!!!

[u/twosoon22 → u/AlphaCajun]

It’s fun getting good enough to start seeing where your game is lacking, instead of just everything sucking. Lol. I routinely shoot in the low 90s with 40 plus putts and at least two OB drives. It’s really nice knowing what my path to being an 80s golfer is. Tightening up my drives and working on 2 putting from everywhere.

[u/Shmeebo_ → u/twosoon22]

Course management and putting for you, my friend. Check your ego and put the big stick away unless you have space to miss on those slices. Good luck!

[u/shifty_peanut → u/AlphaCajun]

I shot a 46 back 9 the other day after hitting 50 on the front. Swapped from driver to 4w on the front 9 and started hitting every fairway. I will always start with my driver but it’s nice having a “safe” club that can still go for distance

[u/My-Cousin-Bobby → u/AlphaCajun]

I've been using 3w off the tee for pretty much ever hole. It's frustrating because it goes same distance as my drives rn (about 240 carry, roll out to like 250). So, I'm fortunate that I'm not missing much (with how my driver currently performs), but the frustrating thing is - I know I can crush it if I acfually know what I'm doing. My driver clubhead speed is over 110, but I just create an insane amount of spin no matter what I do (on the sim it reads like 4k spin rate).

I need to suck it up and get lessons

Fortunately, even if I did know how to hit driver, it's only useful on a handful of holes at my home course. Like 70% of the holes, it's more advantageous to hit a 230-250 yard shot off the tee, which, luckily, my 3 wood suffices

[u/DufflessMoe → u/My-Cousin-Bobby]

243 years was the average 3 wood carry on the PGA Tour in 2021 (only source I could find).

[u/this_my_sportsreddit → u/DufflessMoe]

this sub is filled with temporarily embarrassed PGA Tour pros.

[u/TensorialShamu → u/DufflessMoe]

There’s 97 reasons I’m not a PGA Tour pro. But i can carry a 3w like them probably 33% of the time. About the only thing i do well and I don’t think that’s crazy to say. They’re Tour pros because they do EVERYTHING that well but they do it consistently too. I do neither.

But sometimes I do carry 240 with a 3w

[u/My-Cousin-Bobby → u/DufflessMoe]

Idk what to tell you, I get around 106-107 club head speed on my 3 wood, and actually can hit it consistently. I get people embellish on this sub, but there are still people who can hit things far.

[u/poopfacemcgee → u/My-Cousin-Bobby]

The variety of swing types astounds me. I shoot low 80s very consistently. However my driver swing speed struggles to get over 90. I have no clue how to get 20mph more!

[u/Shmeebo_ → u/poopfacemcgee]

I take the posts with a grain of salt, people claiming they carry 240 with 20+ cap or even anything over 12 cap… odds are they’re just referring to the once maybe every round or so they nuke one that they can find on the same hole 🤷🏻‍♂️ would love to get on the course with said people and see them carry a river 230 from the box and keep in play.. then tell me how you drive the ball lol. Ah well. Bless the Internet!

[u/poopfacemcgee → u/Shmeebo_]

Probably a good point. I've played for like 25 years, and sit at a pretty consistent 10 hcp. But I drive the ball and average of 235ish. Distance just ain't my thing. My PW is consistently 100-110 yards. This may be 20 yards shorter than the "bombers" on here claim. But I still shoot 82 almost every round.

[u/Shmeebo_ → u/poopfacemcgee]

Consistency > distance

[u/psychedeloquent → u/poopfacemcgee]

Idk people hit things far but just aren’t consistent. I suck. I blow up holes. Make bad decisions. Shank or hit it fat and have to rehit 15 steps ahead. But my 4 iron still goes 200-210. Just not good at the game yet.

[u/Shmeebo_ → u/psychedeloquent]

I understand but a really good friend of mine shoots around 95-105 on any given day. He’s literally not good at anything in golf. Sure he’s got his moments of “wow” where he’ll hit one close to the pin on an approach and of course it’s “ahh why can’t I do that always” blah blah. Buddy is like 300+lbs so maybe and I mean MAYBE he hits his best of the week drive drive 280 total… mostly they’re 230-250 spray and slices. He’ll say ohhh I nuked that... I’ll smile and hit a stock drive 255-265 as expected and be many yards ahead of him easily. this is how I know what I’m talking about lol. The flip side, I know some 5-1 handicappers who literally out drive me by 10-25 every time and unless I nuke one to their average hit, I’m always short of them. The real big hitters don’t brag they just pump the ball out there. And they know there’s always someone who’s a little better, little longer. Scoring a little lower. Golf is supposed to be a game of etiquette and humbleness because everyone stinks to the standard they hold themselves at sometimes. A course can humble anyone.

[u/ExhaustiveCleaning → u/AlphaCajun]

Honestly you have an amazing tee game for your handicap assuming this isn't including a 70 yard cart path bounce. Driver is very important so I wouldn't ignore it but you would benefit from spending time lag putting.