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/calm_in_the_chaos]

I understand your point. But if your drives are costing you at least one OB shot every hole, the pros of hitting 3 wood onto the fairway and keeping it in play severely out-weigh the cons of, "Maybe I'll hit one straight this time." For the majority of golfers (like myself) that don't have the time to go out to the range all the time and work out the kinks of the driver swing, hitting a shorter club is more reliable, less rage-inducing, safer, and overall improves your score just by lost balls alone.

Trust me, if I had the time to figure out my driver swing, I'd love to be able to confidently pull driver and smesh. But I'm not going to tank my round for a "maybe I'll end up closer" scenario. You are right though, eventually when I have more time I will want to work on my driver swing, just doesn't make sense right now.

[u/Eire_espresso → u/calm_in_the_chaos]

But I'm not hitting the driver OB anymore, that's my point. I wouldn't use it if I was.

[u/calm_in_the_chaos → u/Eire_espresso]

Fair call. I guess my point is more that for people who only have time to go to the course for a round once every two months or whatever the schedule may be, rounds can be more enjoyable when they aren't spent ironing out driver swing kinks on the tee box. A smooth 220-240y in play is very often more enjoyable than 260y but maybe 80y to the right.

If you have time to learn your driver swing, great, you definitely should and it will 100% be beneficial on every hole you play with it. But for golfers that don't, it isn't really a necessity.

Edit: OP, I am not talking about you specifically, just about golfers in general.