# Drop the woods?



## Jugemc (Dec 13, 2006)

Hey i'm a beginner golfer i've taken some lessons and definitly seen improvement. I'm not a big fan of the range, i definitly hit better balls on the course then the range. I average about 50 on the 9 hole i usually play on. But looking back i'm pretty sure i could get that down to low to mid 40s by not using my woods. My driver when hit well averages about 270 with about 300 max. My 4 iron (lowest iron) on the other hand averages about 210 max of 230ish. The thing is using my driver on the 6 holes driver distance at my coures, the best i've ever hit is 3 fairways, and thats rare. My question is, as a golfer that wants to get better and play well when i'm older (only 17 now), is there any reason to drop the driver just to get those extra strokes for now? or should i just keep using it ont he course and trying to improve its accuracy or drop it all together when i play and suck it up and work with it on the range to get it going straight.


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## jrgolfer07 (Nov 13, 2006)

im 17 too and i found for me that it was easier to use a 5 wood for most of the season to develop a solid swing and then towards the end i was able to pull out the driver and 3 wood to find the fairways and bomb the ball off the tee. I think that maybe you need to go to the range for a little time and use a club that you hit the straightest to get the feel of how your swing fits you best, and then try applying it to your driver. I felt akward playing because everyone would out drive me, but when you can hit every fairway you can make the game much easier for yourself. I don't know if it will work for you but maybe it will help.

Best of luck if you want to try it


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## Zorba (Jan 5, 2007)

i have just started playing regularly and i havent even taken my driver out of its protector yet. and i probably wont until i have hit 1000 balls with it on the range. 

i tend to use the 3 wood. i can hit that a fair way and on a good day they will generally go to fair way or light rough. im guessing that the difference in distance wouldnt be that big. i rekon my best 3 wood shot was 250 metres (sorry guys, dont know yards, im metric)

that would be my suggestion tho, use the lower woods until you get better with the driver.


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## 373 (Jun 9, 2006)

There's no harm in trying. As some old golfer once said, "It's not HOW, but HOW MANY!"

If you aren't happy with your progress hitting the woods, you might want to consider a hybrid blub. You can swing at them like an iron, but get more mass behind the ball and fly it a bit farther. Maybe something like a 15 degree hybrid would make a reasonable alternative driver for you.


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## 65nlovenit (Dec 8, 2006)

I definitely would'nt drop the woods, I might keep the driver in the bag for a while though. If you watch TV golf you'll see that Tiger uses his 3 wood probably more often then his driver. The 3 wood is easier to control and the 5 even more so. Get good with them, then try the driver.

Zorba 250 meters is approximately 275 yards.


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## mkoreiwo (Jan 8, 2007)

You don't mention a 3 wood or 5 wood...

Play how you feel. If it bothers you to pull the driver - don't, and get it working at the range. If you don't mind spraying balls, hit it.

You'll play your best playing when you're relaxed and confident on what you're doing. If, when you pul your driver, you're wondering where it will go, you're probably better off hitting a 3 wood. (at least until you feel your driver control is better) I've outdriver playing partners on occasion with my 3 wood simply because I hit it more squarely.

..... your mileage may vary...


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## Jugemc (Dec 13, 2006)

well i dont have a 3 or 5 wood so those arent really options. I have a 7 wood(callaway big bertha, apparently its very strong similar to most 5s) Its hit or miss from the fairway but i've never really tried it off the tee. I was just figuring I would use my 4 iron. I'm going to try the 7 wood off the tree and maybe look into putting up the cash for a 3 wood. Thanks for the advice everyone.


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## fitz-uk (Apr 28, 2006)

Its not a bad thing, I run this same situation through my head every time I play.

I can stand on most of the par 4s at our local course and hit a 3 iron over my driver, to get the ball on the fairway.

The best thing to do would be to see if you can pick up a cheap 3 wood, or just try a 3 wood at the range and see if you are happier with that.

Hitting 4 irons are all good and well on short par 4s, but what happens when the wind gets up and you are hitting into a 30 / 40mph wind. You wont be able to reach the green in two, certainly. This might not be a real issue to you and your game now, however it wont be long before little questions like this creep in.


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## 65nlovenit (Dec 8, 2006)

It sounds like your more comfortable with irons, in that case I might go with the Callaway Heavenwood 2H. Gives you the feel of a long iron but the punch of a wood. I think you'll have problems trying to keep a 7 wood down, its highly controllable, but its got too much loft, especially off a tee and bucking a head wind. Just my opinion....


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