Have Any Of You Tried a Round or Two Without Your Woods?

[dbleag]

[quote name='8thehardway' timestamp='1428526014' post='11313957']
[size=5][b]Last year, it was my first round with new(er) irons and I wanted to hit them from everywhere[/b][/size] - shot 1 higher than normal, a 79 on a Par 70, 6100-yard course with very different front/back yardages (3450/2660). My sense of it was I couldn't go lower and would probably average 3 or 4 strokes higher throughout the season.
[/quote]

I do this also every time I get a new set of irons. It's fun because of the excitement of getting new clubs and having to play the course with a different strategy.

[Boricua Golf]

I do this almost once a month on twilight, just to work on certain/different aspects, I do, however, hit a lot more fairways and the score is almost the same, full bag at my course i score 73-74, just irons 74-75, I have played (like others here) with putter, 50*, 8, 4 irons and the score goes up a stroke or two...it is fun to do (irons only) once in a while to challege yourself...

[Ritzer81]

Every year I play my first 5 rounds with irons only. It helps me grove my swing in the spring. Something I carried over from High School golf team.

[Buddha]

Since getting the GameGolf last month, and getting a couple rounds in, I find it amazing how infrequently you use half your bag, and how frequently you use the rest in any given round. Now some of that is confidence in a shot, but there are many clubs that are either hit once or no times during a round for me.

[wreiman]

Most of the time when I walk I only play a 4,5,7,9 GW and putter. The other weekend my son and I played a round of one club... It was a blast

[Nomad Golfer]

Certainly have. Two years back I had in my bag #3 and #4 hybrids, irons 5-SW, no woods, and I still managed to get around the track with a satisfying score. Now I have 3 woods and don't play any better, but I do enjoy hitting the woods off the tee :)

[driverwedge]

Tried it twice. 9 holes each. If it weren't for my putter, I'd have broken par from about 6,600 yards. 4-LW. Stupid putting.

[Dan42nepa]

I played in a 3 club tourney years ago. I think I used a 3 iron, 5 and 9. I think i shot a 44 for 9 holes. Interesting because it changes your strategy also after putting with a 3 iron.. My putter felt like butter in my hands when i used it again.

[Par Fore]

I had a kid on my golf team that had zero confidence with his woods and rarely hit them. He was very good with his long irons and used them exclusively. On shorter courses he was top ten but on longer courses he didn't do as well. I think that you are at a disadvantage when you are hitting longer irons into greens every hole.

[Galanga]

First time I broke 80 was with a bag of irons only at 6,500 yd course. My woods were getting reshafted so not available. I should have learned something from that. Did not.

[BKN1964]

I played Saturday with the setup in my signature. Really hacked my way around the course and wasn't happy (52/56 on a 6,000 yard course). I went back out yesterday with a 1i, 2i, and 3i replacing my driver, 3w, and hybrids. Tee'd off with the 1i and used the 2i wherever I'd normally use a 3w. Still hacked my way around the back nine (57), but started to focus a little more on the front nine and shot a 45; the best score I've shot on a standard-length course. I went home and found 52 and 60 degree wedges on eBay to match my TA 845s's and ordered them. I think I'm going to stick with this setup for a while as I seem to hit the 1i off the tee about the same distance as my driver right now, but straighter. Even though I know my swing should be the same for every club, swinging matching irons on every shot seems to ingrain that better right now.

[EKELLY]

I do it once a year. Of course, my 3-iron is good for 220+. Still, I hit a few more fairways, but it still comes down to the short game and putting.....

[Sean2]

Sometimes I will play the forward tees with just my irons.

[ChaosTheory]

I can recommend a good book for this method. Radical Golf by Michael Laughlin. It's a fun little book, and his general point is pretty valid. It is a strategy book.

 

The kindle version wouldn't lack much because there are no photos, just a few illustrations.

[mtg6193]

My high school golf coach used to have us play irons-only rounds in practice sometimes. It gives you the chance to hit a lot of approach shots that you would never have had before. It's a good idea if you play the same course a lot.

[BlakLanner]

I do this all the time as I can't hit my current driver and 3 wood to save my life. I probably score several shots better since I am hitting fairways instead of blasting it OB or onto a different hole.

[IsleOfMan]

Back in high school, our coach would spring this kind of stuff on us at practice every now and then... "today it's no Drivers" or "today it's irons only"... once it was "today it's 4 clubs only and no wedges". I think his intent was for us to get more creative with shots, but most of us weren't good enough to know how to begin with and he wasn't exactly out coaching us on swing either, so it was more of an annoyance and excuse to dick around than anything else.

 

That said, I just joined a club with really low membership fees and really high cart fees with the intentions of walking. I'll probably use my push cart most of the time, but I'm also thinking of getting a sunday bag and doing 4 or 5 clubs just to see how it goes... would probably do 5w, 5i, 8i, Gw, and P.

[NorwichBanana]

Only in September last year did I start using any form of wood.

Before I was a 4 iron off the tee on all par 4/5s.

4 Iron struck well 200 yards.

Driver struck well 250 yards.

 

Althought I haven't played in many comps since, I do feel much better as a golfer knowing I can now hit a driver,3w,5w off the tee if necessary! Also helps with the approach shots. Looking at 9/8 irons on some par 4's rather than 5/4 irons.

Equally allows me to go for greens in 2 occasionally on Par 5's.

[Roadking_6]

I haven't done it for 18 holes, but was playing with a buddy last year. Front 9 was horrible. I didn't hit 1 drive in play. Smother hooks every tee. Shot a 54 on the front.

 

Put the Driver away and hit 3 iron off the tee on the back. Shot a 38 to at least regain some of my dignity.

[Galanga]

The first time I broke 80, I had my woods getting reshafted and played 3 iron down on about a 6400 yd course. Eye opener. But, of course, when I got the woods back, they had to be hit.

[PaullyP]

Might have to try it, but think it would hurt my game.....