Driver off Deck

[ezra76]

what adjustments do you make/critical checks

I've messed around with this shot and have used it a couple times. I got a pretty good result with it on Sat. On a 548yd. par 5 I hit put too much cut on a drive and was on the right side of the fairway around 300yds. out. I knew the pin was cut right behind a bunker and it was necessary to go over it to leave the ball below. I need to hit a wedge in from somewhere.

I first made sure my grip was perfect and I wasn't going to shut and deloft the clubhead. Then I made sure I stayed balanced and connected, not try to kill it or help it up. I set up for a fade to ensure I got it elevated. I hit the shot off the deck further than my drive off the tee to less than 30yds. out. Although I 2 putted the darn thing, I got into range to hit a little 58* wedge over that bunker as I'd planned.

Anything you guys do different to hit this shot? I'd love to develop the abilitly to hit it higher and straighter. Right now I can only hit a fade with it.

[cdesana]

I think most do not try that shot with the oversozed drivers of today. especially with the great 3 woods out on the market.

[bloodredsun]

Monty did it last Sunday at the European Open but it might be easier for him than for most people as apparently he uses a 12 degree driver!

 

Still if you can hit it consistently why not.

[El Guapo]

The first adjustment I would make would be to put the driver back in the bag. Seriously, drivers in the past were smaller than modern 3 woods. When I was younger, I was known to launch my TM Burner+ Flex-twist off the deck on par 5's that had open mouths. I wouldn't dream of trying to launch my 905s off the deck now. I have a TM v-steel 3 wood bent to 14* that I can hit significantly further off the deck than the driver. I figure it this way, if I can't reach a par 5 in 2 comfortably with a 3 wood (meaning not having to reach into reserve power), I'll gladly gear it back and plan on sticking my 3rd with my wedge. This, of course, flies in the face of what others on this board will say. For me, the risk of using a driver off the deck is weighed too heavily against any potential reward that would be garnered by such a choice.

[retep]

i'm going with el guapo's remark of keeping it in the bag.... i use to driver then 3 wood on par 5's. in the past year or two i tried that ONCE... i was 250 out over water for the second shot and hit the 3 wood perfectly into the water. so.. second shot hit a 3iron and get to good layup distance. you will hit enough of those say 135 yards out on the 3rd shot to get a birdie on a par 5 here and there... good luck

regards, El Feo

[g8a_golf]

hit it like a fairway wood. maintain your spine angle and resist the urge to lift up and help it into the air.

[larrybud]

Anything you guys do different to hit this shot? I'd love to develop the abilitly to hit it higher and straighter. Right now I can only hit a fade with it.

 

You can't fight physics. The weighting and loft of today's clubs will limit how high you can hit it. The face of today's drivers are far too deep to be able to make contact anywhere near you need. Just hit a 3 wood which is designed to be hit off the deck.

[raidernut1234]

Forget about it off the deck unless the ball is sitting up, and the wind is HOWLING.

However. if your in the right rough and need to hit it under the trees.

Play it 1" forward from the middle of your stance.

Grip Down 1" with the face slightly "CLOSED".

Make a Hard sweeping 3 wood swing. (just like your trying to dig it out of the rough).

Ball will come out low, hot, and curve right and run like crazy.

I've hit this shot so many times, my friends call it out before I even pull the driver out of the bag. I have run it on from 280yds.

NOTE: ball can not be sitting down more than 20% in the rough. If it is, goto a hybrid or the 3 wood.

Have fun. IT's great to see tFhe reactions when you pull this shot off.

good luck

[jedimater]

I agree with the above guys. I used to hit my 9.5 degree Titliest PT driver off the deck all the time. but anything over 300CC's is too big to hit off the deck reliably. Maybe if you have a 12 degree driver and have a Pro swing its a shot you can try if you have a perfect lie.

When I used to hit my PT off the deck I would open my stance up a slight bit and play for a bit of a slice.

 

I have tried hitting my new driver off the deck and the best i have managed was to hit a worm burner about 200 yards. At 8.5 loft and a stiff shaftand that a 200 yard shot is a 5 iron for me the driver will stay in the bag and wait for the 4 inch tees. :russian_roulette:

[ezra76]

LOl. I did it again today. Hit my drive very high and was out 290 on a long par 5. Smoked the driver with a low cut to inside of 90yds. I could have probably got there with my 21* hybrid but it was a lot more fun with the driver.

 

I may just stop trying as most of you guys are probably better ballstrikers and say it's not good with today's drivers. I have a 13* 3W and should just use that. Which I did on #18, listed at 607, to put it into range for a 58* pitch shot.

[mikpga]

Center of gravity is too high for almost all current drivers to take it off the deck. Not to say it can't be done, but it is a very low percentage shot. As mentioned before, today's 3 woods are incredibly long anymore!

[villa]

Anything you guys do different to hit this shot?

 

Pray

[El Guapo]

ezra76...Let me get this straight: 290 out to start, hit driver off deck to inside 90 yds. So we are talking 200-215 yds shot distance? Yet, you carry a 13* 3 wood? The 3-wood will have a lower CoG to assist in getting the ball up. Trust me, hit the 3-wood...you'll be better for it.

[NikeSlingshot06]

I did this once and chunked the crap out of it, hit the hard 3 wood and come up short, its no where near the degree of difficulty behind the driver off the deck

[raidernut1234]

yeah, but every now and then... i here Arnold Palmer saying " Real men don't layup" . and out she comes so i can give here a ride!!! LOL

[jared]

It is really not that tough of a shot if you dont try to hit it like a driver off a tee. First step play it off the inside of your left heel take a three quarter backswing and sweep it off the deck it will come out really hot and roll forever with a little cut.

 

However if you carry a 13 3 wood that will go just as far if not further most of the time. I saw Brandt Snedeker and Woody Austin both hit drivers off the deck multiple times in a tourney a few weeks back. It is a pretty consistant low burner if you make solid contact.

[oregongolf]

i used to hit this shot pretty consistently with my 983k. granted, it was a smaller head.

 

i'd only hit it in specific situations though, into the wind or a long running ball into a receptive green.

 

it's something you'd want to try at the range with an old driver first. my main thoughts were maintaining a good release and not swinging too hard.

[jared]

Guys call me crazy but I think it is actually easier to hit a 460cc driver off the ground than a smaller one. The key is not swinging at the ball but hitting the ball if that makes sense. Its all in practicing it. The other day at the range I was hitting about 80 percent shots with my driver off the deck and didnt miss a single one out of about 20 balls. The best part about it, is that it is almost impossible to hook.

[golfjunky]

I think that many of you folks would be surprised that hitting a large headed driver off the deck is not as hard as you may think. It takes practice just like any other club in the bag.

[Lovemymizuno's]

My old hibore from last year does the trick really well. I have even hit it off the deck in tournaments, You just need to practice it. I only hit a shot i know i can hit 8 out of 10 times

[ezra76]

ezra76...Let me get this straight: 290 out to start, hit driver off deck to inside 90 yds. So we are talking 200-215 yds shot distance? Yet, you carry a 13* 3 wood? The 3-wood will have a lower CoG to assist in getting the ball up. Trust me, hit the 3-wood...you'll be better for it.

 

That time I didn't catch it clean enough and it got caught up in the left rough. The first time, the one I 1st posted about, I caught it very well. My 13* goes about 240 max, I easily advanced that ball over 250. I also used it once on a long par 4 I completed F'ed my drive up and got into SW range and saved par. So I guess it can have it's place but it's not a shot I need to overuse. It's fun to try it though. Suprisingly my dad hits his very well off the deck. He easily hits driver off the deck as far as off the tee. My boss is another guy who does it well. I saw him hit a Ping Rapture over 250 off the deck with a ballflight I didn't think was possible. He birdied that par 5.

[smithjohnjr]

A good friend of mine plays for a very good D-1 college and he said his coach will ream his a** if tries to go for any par 5 unless he is inside 200. ( actually he can try any shot he wants but he said he better pull it off. ) My friend is alos one of the longest hitters I have seen. he is 6'4 and hits 9 iron from 170 with good tempo.

 

I understand the logic though. Just because I can hit it that long doesnt mean thats the shot to play.

 

Anyway, as far as driver off the deck, I have to be in 2 situations to hit that shot-

 

1. Scramble

2. Really need the shot I MIGHT pick up to make the cut or get in contention. Too many things can go wrong with that shot and the 3 wood is often the rightt choice.

 

To hit it though, I open stance slightly, stand a little taller to make sure I sweep the ball. I also try to take the club out side as if hitting a cut. This will help elevate the ball a little.

[scores]

Use to love this shot hard er fairs area a plus hitting off a spounge or wet fairways no way!!

 

I think I liked it so much because I had a lower kick point in my shaft and had a smaller head in it so I could launch it.

 

To dam expensive plus my three wood goes crazy long!!

[SheriffBooth]

I don't have any qualms about using the driver off the deck, assuming the lie is relatively flat and I don't have to hit it over anything significant. I know it's going to come off the face low and hot and now that I've done it a few times I'm pretty confident in the result. I particularly like it into the wind because I can feel pretty confident in the trajectory with very little side spin. Because the contact point is so low on the face, total distance is about 80% of what I get on my flush drives.

 

It can be an effective shot, I just play it slightly inside my left toe and try not to overwsing. Contact point and keeping my head still are my primary focuses.

[hurricanewarning]

I saw Woddy Austin tee it off the driver without a tee today at Buick's

[beachgrovejunior]

aim left, hit down, and pray to the golf gods.

[GOLF FTW]

i was practicing with this shot a couple weeks ago. I found that if you just play it like a three wood (in terms of set up angles etc), the ball gets up high. When the ball is above your feet, if you hit it well enough, it draws! woo!

 

i dont think i have any motivation though to try this on a regular basis (on the course) though..

[glcoach]

If you can hit a modern driver off the deck and get it in the air 15-20 feet or so with a little cut....Then you have a damn fine golf swing. This IMO is one of the greatest drills for making sure you are not getting underplane and swinging too far to the right. To hit the modern driver in the air off the deck you must swing left and release left.

 

Great to use as a drill....if you perfect it you can even give it a go on the course.

[ej002]

Couples did it twice this year - with the Bridgestone he plays - lowest spinning launching driver out there. So it can be done. Both times I saw, he smoked it. But i agree, you already have a 13* when most people are not even carrying a 3 wood at all. Use that instead.

[GOLF FTW]

If you can hit a modern driver off the deck and get it in the air 15-20 feet or so with a little cut....Then you have a damn fine golf swing. This IMO is one of the greatest drills for making sure you are not getting underplane and swinging too far to the right. To hit the modern driver in the air off the deck you must swing left and release left.

 

Great to use as a drill....if you perfect it you can even give it a go on the course.

 

 

that makes sense, i've been working on the more rotational swing for a while now, and before i could never hit this shot (always chunking, hitting it thin, etc) and now when i'm just rotating hard, its an easy shot...

 

easy on the range that is