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Most guys that golf shouldn't use a driver and should carry a 7-wood instead. But they hit driver because not hitting driver (even though they get measurably wo

Most guys that golf shouldn't use a driver and should carry a 7-wood instead. But they hit driver because not hitting driver (even though they get measurably worse results than if they hit anything else) is worse than hitting it into the woods in the eyes of many. Pride matters!

Baeocystin 3y ago
Not knowing much about golf, what's the difference between the two?
- nemo44x 3y ago
  A driver is the club you use when you want to get the most distance (in theory) when you tee off. It has the least amount of loft (10 desgree is common) on the club and has the longest shaft (35" is common) so you can swing it fast and the ball should go far. However, it's precisely because of these features that it's difficult to hit for many players. So they end up hitting their tee shot crooked or make poor contact (they don't hit the ball in the middle of the club) and lose considerable distance and accuracy. Other clubs, like a 3 wood (14 degrees) or a 5 wood (18 degrees) or a 7 wood (22 degrees) sacrifice distance but you are more likely to make good contact off the tee (because of a shorter shaft and more loft on the face) which results in a ball that's more likely to be in a playable spot, but not as far down the hole as a perfectly hit driver. But they give you more tolerance for a not perfectly well struck ball. They are more "forgiving". Think of golf clubs this way - each one a golfer may carry is a tool designed to give the player an advantage when doing a certain thing. Some clubs are designed to put a lot of spin on the ball and go a shorter distance because that would be ideal for that kind of shot the club is made for. The driver is a tool designed to hit the ball as far as you can. But if you can't utilize the tool and benefit from the advantages it gives you, it's not so useful.
  - wolverine876 3y ago
    > more likely to make good contact off the tee (because of ... more loft on the face) How does loft help make good contact?
    - nemo44x 3y ago
      I guess I should say that poor contact isn't penalized as harshly. Also the club is easier to control due to it having a shorter shaft and the loft makes it easier to launch the ball.
    - tempestn 3y ago
      The less hard you hit the ball, the more loft you need to maximize your distance (because of air resistance). So more loft helps both because the shorter shaft of a wood vs a driver (which makes it easier to make good contact) limits how hard you can hit the ball, and also because amateur golfers can't hit it as hard as a pro would (and if you try to hit it as hard as possible, you're more likely to make poor contact).
sib 3y ago
When I learned to play (late, in my early 30's) I eventually gave up on the driver and used a 3-wood instead, for exactly this reason. I got more effective distance because I could hit the ball quite straight with the 3-wood. Probably wouldn't have occurred to me to do this if I had been learning in my teens or early 20's.
- nemo44x 3y ago
  I think as a golfer becomes more intelligent of how to play golf and of their own abilities they end up using the driver less and less, unless they're a very good golfer. But generally I never use them on par-5's unless I think I can reach in 2. If that isn't possible then why bother hitting the driver? I'll take a 3-wood or a 5-wood and then play my second shot with a similar club or long iron. Yeah, a perfect drive could put my second shot closer and be the difference between a gap wedge and a pitching wedge approach, but overall I'd say I probably am more likely to get in trouble with the driver. On long par-4's I find it mandatory to hit and on shorter par-4's with larger landing zones or no real hazard in play I'll take it out. But otherwise I'm happy to hit 3-wood off the tee or a long iron. Of course, becoming excellent with a driver gives a lot of advantages. And although the= old adage is "drive for show putt for dough" is true - getting off the tee and in play is still the most important part of the game, especially for mid/high handicap amateurs.

Baeocystin 3y ago

Not knowing much about golf, what's the difference between the two?

nemo44x 3y ago
A driver is the club you use when you want to get the most distance (in theory) when you tee off. It has the least amount of loft (10 desgree is common) on the club and has the longest shaft (35" is common) so you can swing it fast and the ball should go far. However, it's precisely because of these features that it's difficult to hit for many players. So they end up hitting their tee shot crooked or make poor contact (they don't hit the ball in the middle of the club) and lose considerable distance and accuracy. Other clubs, like a 3 wood (14 degrees) or a 5 wood (18 degrees) or a 7 wood (22 degrees) sacrifice distance but you are more likely to make good contact off the tee (because of a shorter shaft and more loft on the face) which results in a ball that's more likely to be in a playable spot, but not as far down the hole as a perfectly hit driver. But they give you more tolerance for a not perfectly well struck ball. They are more "forgiving". Think of golf clubs this way - each one a golfer may carry is a tool designed to give the player an advantage when doing a certain thing. Some clubs are designed to put a lot of spin on the ball and go a shorter distance because that would be ideal for that kind of shot the club is made for. The driver is a tool designed to hit the ball as far as you can. But if you can't utilize the tool and benefit from the advantages it gives you, it's not so useful.
- wolverine876 3y ago
  > more likely to make good contact off the tee (because of ... more loft on the face) How does loft help make good contact?
  - nemo44x 3y ago
    I guess I should say that poor contact isn't penalized as harshly. Also the club is easier to control due to it having a shorter shaft and the loft makes it easier to launch the ball.
  - tempestn 3y ago
    The less hard you hit the ball, the more loft you need to maximize your distance (because of air resistance). So more loft helps both because the shorter shaft of a wood vs a driver (which makes it easier to make good contact) limits how hard you can hit the ball, and also because amateur golfers can't hit it as hard as a pro would (and if you try to hit it as hard as possible, you're more likely to make poor contact).

sib 3y ago

When I learned to play (late, in my early 30's) I eventually gave up on the driver and used a 3-wood instead, for exactly this reason. I got more effective distance because I could hit the ball quite straight with the 3-wood. Probably wouldn't have occurred to me to do this if I had been learning in my teens or early 20's.

nemo44x 3y ago
I think as a golfer becomes more intelligent of how to play golf and of their own abilities they end up using the driver less and less, unless they're a very good golfer. But generally I never use them on par-5's unless I think I can reach in 2. If that isn't possible then why bother hitting the driver? I'll take a 3-wood or a 5-wood and then play my second shot with a similar club or long iron. Yeah, a perfect drive could put my second shot closer and be the difference between a gap wedge and a pitching wedge approach, but overall I'd say I probably am more likely to get in trouble with the driver. On long par-4's I find it mandatory to hit and on shorter par-4's with larger landing zones or no real hazard in play I'll take it out. But otherwise I'm happy to hit 3-wood off the tee or a long iron. Of course, becoming excellent with a driver gives a lot of advantages. And although the= old adage is "drive for show putt for dough" is true - getting off the tee and in play is still the most important part of the game, especially for mid/high handicap amateurs.