Anyone successfully used two drivers?

[GoofySwing]

I just got a 12* 460cc driver and set to 14* in the hopes I would have an even more forgiving head and a little more distance than a 3+ wood or mini driver. I play a short course too, so my current driver plays too long (if I hit it well on par 4s, I'll have a partial wedge shot - i rather would have a 90-120 yd shot to the green - if i don't hit it well then its OB or in the trees). 3W is better off the tee, but not optimal.  I'm not thinking about carrying my other driver though. I can't reach the par 5s in two with it.

[me05501]

Many better players will set up their driver to go straight or fade and set up their three wood to go straight or draw. This may be the more versatile way to accomplish what the OP is after. 

 

 

[scooterhd2]

Sort of. I play a conventional driver, 9.5 degrees at 44.75. Then I have a Cleveland HiBore XL2 wood that is 400cc at 44 inches. Its really a second tee only club for me. But its pretty point and shoot. Use it all the time on tighter fairways, or where the fairway runs out, or where I need some serious height to clear a dogleg. 

[Barfolomew]

Grippin down on the driver for a controlled shorty is an easy shot to learn... I can hit fairway to a much higher % then when droppin bombs.  Gotta practice but once you get it easy shot, hit high soft fade as short as you want.... just dont think its a shot that is practiced or taken serious as most grab 3W.....

 

Save you wasting spot on 2 drivers... 😍

 

[J_Tizzle]

I would think this would be a perfect mini driver situation.  Have the normal bomber, use the mini for the tight holes, especially since you don't need the mini into par 5s.

[Dan Drake]

21 hours ago, kthomas said:

My argument would be that the solution you seek is not a matter of equipment, but rather technique.

 

The setup and technique for a "bomber" swing is different than a fairway finder swing.

 

Do you need two drivers? Or two different techniques? My personal vote is the latter.

While I somewhat agree in principle, the overwhelming majority of us are still trying to work on one technique and getting that right.  Trying to have two different techniques, that both work often enough, for the "hardest" club in the bag to hit, is asking an awful lot.  If you are someone who can have two functional driver swings, count yourself very lucky because it "saves" you a spot in the bag much like the player who can use the same wedge grind/loft for pitching and bunker play.  

 

Driving the ball is such an enormous factor in how we are able to score that it makes perfect sense to set your bag up so that you have as much opportunity as possible to get off the tee 1. long enough 2. with a usable shape 3. and have a reasonably unimpeded shot to the next target.  Dedicating two clubs out of 14 to cover that purpose is going to deliver a huge amount of ROI to your scores vs. dialing in your 5th longest club in the bag to some yardage that you don't face very often and don't hit very close even when you do face it.  

 

(Edit: 2 "drivers" doesn't mean 2 x 460cc heads at 46".  2 "drivers" simply means 2 clubs who's dedicated purpose is to be used off the tee.  If you can hit one or both off the turf, that is just lagniappe!)

Edited October 5, 2023 by Dan Drake

[Ri_Redneck]

Expanding on my post above. I tend to see a great deal of, I guess you would say, lack of real knowledge about fitting a club to a persons swing. I started learning about club design, building and fitting in 1986 and am still learning today. I see WAY too many golfers that think as long as they get a specific SW, they should be good and this is the farthest thing from the truth. I would say 99% of these individuals would benefit greatly from simply reading Howard's DIY thread and paying close attention to the discussions that follow. This knowledge has the potential to save golfers thousands of dollars, not to mention their sanity in many cases! Knowledge will make us all better golfers and consumers and it's just a bit of reading. Grab a brew (or your favorite beverage of choice) and spend some time learning some really valuable info.

 

BT

Edited October 5, 2023 by Ri_Redneck

[RoyalMustang]

23 hours ago, Z1ggy16 said:

My home course has 36 holes and is very tight most of the time and not particularly long. 250 in the fairway leaves a wedge in hand on almost every single par4 and par5s are within reach or designed so it's impossible to reach in 2.

 

Thinking about building a bomber club for the few holes which are wide open, and then playing a 43" driver on any other hole that isn't a lay up. My next club would likely be a shorter 4w, then a shorter 7w, then 5i on. 

 

Who's done this and why don't we see more amateurs do something similar? At least when it comes to a shorter driver. 

 

it's an interesting concept. People say that the driver is "the most forgiving club in the bag". 

 

If that's true, then why don't we see driver style heads on 3W length clubs? Sure, it's tough to hit off the deck but a whole lot of players never use a 3W as anything but a tee club. Maybe something else in the head to make it a 3W type distance.  

 

My driver at 44" is plenty long, and when I need accuracy, I just choke down to 42.5. It works more often than not. But the distance still doesn't work if it's also a layup. I only took 20 yards off the ball and that might be too little. My 3W is 40 yards shorter, but for whatever reason, it's prone to a big miss right. I don't love it. 

[Pepperturbo]

15 hours ago, PJE said:

How many yards difference do you think there is between 45.25 and 44.75? 
 

My testing was a while back before switching to Ventus shafts.  My #1 shaft then was Fujikura Fuel Tour Spec 60S @44.5."  Can't recall the yardage variation, but only a few yards. 

 

IME – Distance and dispersion are bound to loft, SS, Shaft Profile, plus impact position on the face.  For me, 44.75" and 44.5" Ventus Velocore TR Blue shafts have a good deal less dispersion than 45"+.  Being in the fairway is #1 to me.  If I lose a couple of yards, no biggie.

[PJE]

31 minutes ago, Pepperturbo said:

My testing was a while back before switching to Ventus shafts.  My #1 shaft then was Fujikura Fuel Tour Spec 60S @44.5."  Can't recall the yardage variation, but only a few yards. 

 

IME – Distance and dispersion are bound to loft, SS, Shaft Profile, plus impact position on the face.  For me, 44.75" and 44.5" Ventus Velocore TR Blue shafts have a good deal less dispersion than 45"+.  Being in the fairway is #1 to me.  If I lose a couple of yards, no biggie.

Thanks for your response and insight.

I have cut Ping drivers which come standard with the stock Ping shafts at 45.75 down to 45.25 without any problem and, as best as I could tell, little or no loss in yardage. I have been thinking of cutting down to 45 or 44.75 to see what happens. I think I will need some lead tape re: swingweight but I am curious if a shorter club will give me better impact and thus no or minimal loss in yardage. 

Anyway, not really what this thread is about but thanks for responding. 

[Pepperturbo]

6 minutes ago, PJE said:

Thanks for your response and insight.

I have cut Ping drivers which come standard with the stock Ping shafts at 45.75 down to 45.25 without any problem and, as best as I could tell, little or no loss in yardage. I have been thinking of cutting down to 45 or 44.75 to see what happens. I think I will need some lead tape re: swingweight but I am curious if a shorter club will give me better impact and thus no or minimal loss in yardage. 

Anyway, not really what this thread is about but thanks for responding. 

Going from 45.75 to 45.25 is NOT nearly as consequential as to 44.75.  Yep, lead tape is your friend.  And "yes", for most people shorter driver improves impact position and lessens dispersion.

 

Back to regularly scheduled two driver chatter. 🙂

 

[AllDunn]

Far be it from me to provide guidance, but if you've shot a few of your better rounds using this set up, AND it's the only 36 holes you really play anymore, then I'd continue on with your 2 driver setup. Even if you travel to a new course, you can do enough research beforehand to see which driver needs to travel with you. 

[bobfoster]

8 hours ago, Pepperturbo said:

My testing was a while back before switching to Ventus shafts.  My #1 shaft then was Fujikura Fuel Tour Spec 60S @44.5."  Can't recall the yardage variation, but only a few yards. 

 

IME – Distance and dispersion are bound to loft, SS, Shaft Profile, plus impact position on the face.  For me, 44.75" and 44.5" Ventus Velocore TR Blue shafts have a good deal less dispersion than 45"+.  Being in the fairway is #1 to me.  If I lose a couple of yards, no biggie.

THAT ^^^

 

I use a 44.5, and even with that, usually only swing 80% - 85% - my swing thought is "smooth", not "fast" (note - I've also added a +4g weight to my driver - Titleist sells weights that makes it easy to do so - don't need lead tape). I not only have a much higher chance of solid contact (and a 90MPH SS hit center-face is actually usually going to get as much or more yardage than a 95 SS off the heel or toe), but also a much higher chance of being in the short stuff. And for my game, I highly prioritize fairways hit as the stat to aim for.

 

The driver certainly is the big dog, the distance club. Its fundamental purpose is to get the ball out there. But in terms of scoring, you don't expect to hit the green - the primary goal with a drive is really to set up the second shot. I'm pretty comfortable with my mid irons. Am not going to have that much less accuracy if I need to use a 7i instead of a 8i, so long as I'm in the fairway (and hence can control ball flight, trajectory, and spin). 

 

But I think this is probably common for decent amateurs. The pros can get away with bomb-and-gouge. What they can do out of even high rough continually amazes me. I'm realistic enough about my game to know I simply cannot. For some of them, swinging for the fences off the tee sometimes produces tremendous distance if straight, but they can also trust their ability to scramble to clean up the dispersion mess that also more commonly results. For them, the numbers make sense. For me they don't.

 

Tried bomb and gouge - with a 100% SS, 45.5 shaft (borrowed a friend's) for about a month a few years ago. Scores went up. A couple times way up. Got in too much trouble. I usually shoot pretty well because with age comes course management - I have decent scores not because I make a lot of birdies, but because I shoot for par, and manage my (inevitable) mistakes - they usually turn into bogeys, now and then a double, but almost never a triple. Not so when I tried to bomb it off the tee. When I nailed it center fairway, I got a lot more yardage, so slightly more birdies (feels good to have a 9i or PW in on a par four). But carded more doubles, and occasional triples. Only takes one or two blow-up holes to turn a 70s card into a mid 80s card. 

 

Goodness, I'm just rambling on as usual. Older guys do that.

Edited October 6, 2023 by bobfoster

[joostin]

On 10/5/2023 at 1:00 PM, Dan Drake said:

Dedicating two clubs out of 14 to cover that purpose is going to deliver a huge amount of ROI to your scores vs. dialing in your 5th longest club in the bag to some yardage that you don't face very often and don't hit very close even when you do face it.

I agree with this, and had a thread about dropping a 5 iron (basically covering it with an easy to hit 4 iron) to keep all the tee options and all the wedges you want.  I also went the 2 driver route a couple years ago.  Can't say it was any more successful for me, but it was fun 😄.  I've since changed to 4W and currently an OG Ping Rapture 3W that's almost mini driver size.  I like seeing my 2nd spot as open for any 2nd tee option like those, or DI, or 5W, or "driving hybrid" - not so much a distance gap filler, but just a long and accurate less than driver club.

 

But I think it comes down to:  Are you compromising another part of the game, and what clubs are you comfortable manipulating?

 

If you can play rounds just fine with 13 clubs or less (minimal guys seem to score the same with 7-8 clubs.. and I've seen similar myself), no problem adding a 2nd driver.

 

We all manipulate wedges for partial shots.  Some might find it easy to manipulate an iron - e.g. choke a 4 iron into 5 iron range, or knockdown or high cut.  Some might find it easy to manipulate a driver - e.g. bunt one, squeeze cut, draw, fade.  Some aren't comfortable hitting anything other than a "stock" shot.  Just have to understand what works for you and how you can play with club setups.

 

 

[jarediogolf]

On 10/5/2023 at 12:46 PM, Barfolomew said:

Grippin down on the driver for a controlled shorty is an easy shot to learn... I can hit fairway to a much higher % then when droppin bombs.  Gotta practice but once you get it easy shot, hit high soft fade as short as you want.... just dont think its a shot that is practiced or taken serious as most grab 3W.....

 

Save you wasting spot on 2 drivers... 😍

 

I got roasted pretty hard in another thread for suggesting that a driver can practically become like a 2nd club by gripping down for control. Not really sure why choking up on the club with the largest most forgiving face in the bag is so controversial… but everyone is different. 
 

I find it to be very useful. I do find I need to be at 9* or 10* for it to work. For me, 8* makes the soft choked up shot a bit tougher. 

I prefer not having 2 dedicated tee clubs. Whatever my second longest club is, I want to be able to hit it off the deck. 

[BIG STU]

6 hours ago, jarediogolf said:

I got roasted pretty hard in another thread for suggesting that a driver can practically become like a 2nd club by gripping down for control. Not really sure why choking up on the club with the largest most forgiving face in the bag is so controversial… but everyone is different. 
 

I find it to be very useful. I do find I need to be at 9* or 10* for it to work. For me, 8* makes the soft choked up shot a bit tougher. 

I prefer not having 2 dedicated tee clubs. Whatever my second longest club is, I want to be able to hit it off the deck. 

I can not see for the life of me why someone would roast you over that. It works for you and IMHO there is absolutely nothing wrong with that

[Dan Drake]

5 hours ago, BIG STU said:

I can not see for the life of me why someone would roast you over that. It works for you and IMHO there is absolutely nothing wrong with that

I agree, no roasting necessary for that.  It's a perfectly viable option, as long as the player is actually effective with it.  I would even say it is the preferred method IF the "normal" shape for the player's driver is a draw and they can also learn to hit a grip down/necky fade.  That accomplishes the necessary two shapes and two distances that will cover 95% of your tee shot needs.  

[golfschnell]

I’ve tried 2 drivers in the past but just wasn’t optimal for me. My driver SS is in the 98-103 range. I have always had the best success playing a 44 3/4”Driver and 42 1/4 inch 4 wood (16 degree). I hit a slight cut or straight ball w driver and a slight or slinging draw w 4 wood, and I let the hole strategy dictate the club. This strategy has also gotten rid of double crosses for me, which I had quite a bit when I tried 2 drivers for a year. 

[Z1ggy16]

On 10/5/2023 at 3:09 PM, AllDunn said:

Far be it from me to provide guidance, but if you've shot a few of your better rounds using this set up, AND it's the only 36 holes you really play anymore, then I'd continue on with your 2 driver setup. Even if you travel to a new course, you can do enough research beforehand to see which driver needs to travel with you. 

Season is coming to a close, I very likely have less than 10 rounds left and probably will be in the 5-6 remaining range unless things get weirdly warm.

 

I really hit my 7w great and it's 42" but goes anywhere from 210 to 235 depending strike and shape. Next season I'm going to try a few more rounds of 42" driver then I will try 5 rounds of a 42.5" 4w, and then 5 rounds of choke down driver to see where it leads me. All I'm searching for is a reliable 250 yard shot. I know I can send a full cut 280+ with a regular driver but it may or may not be in a great position.

[ARSM1932]

There are several variables in play including the course length and setup, and the player's confidence and ability with driver and other long clubs.

 

Unless a golfer is a very short hitter then not every hole is going to be a driver hole and as the courses in question are not overly long then for me at least half of the par 4s would only require a fairway wood, hybrid or long iron off the tee, so I would not advise wasting a space in the bag by carrying 2 drivers although it may work for some golfers.

[nkurz]

I don't really want to defend myself, but I play two with drivers.   One is an 8.5 Degree, and one is a 16 degree.   Both are only used off the tee.   

 

I  hit the 16 degree around 235, and it's a high enough trajectory that I usually only get 5-10 yards of roll, sometimes zero if it's wet.    I usually play it with a standard tee slightly ahead of middle stance.  Often I choke down an inch and swing with control with this one, but there's one hole I use it to clear some trees on a dogleg where I tee it high and far forward and use it full length while swinging hard.  I might get 250 out of it in this case.  

 

The "normal" driver I carry about 275 on a good hit, and usually get 15-25 yards of roll, more if it's real dry.  I tee this one long-drive style, even with my left foot and the ball perched on top of a 4" tee.  The result is that the starting trajectory is only a little lower than the 16 degree, but the spin is much lower.  There's a couple holes where I choke down and try to place the ball, but more usually I'm swinging fast and loose when I use it.  

 

It works for me and I have fun.  For a 50 year old, I'm happy with my distances. I don't think my playing companions realize it's actually two drivers, rather than a driver and a large-headed 3 wood, or at least they've never mentioned it.  I certainly wouldn't be afraid of doing it yourself, particularly if you don't need to carry a standard 3 wood for hitting off the turf.  Try it and see!

 

 

 

[Roejye]

I have been using 2 drivers since late may, and honestly I feel that more amateurs should at least try it.

 

I'll preface this by saying that 3 wood was pretty much just a tee only club for me and I'm not as long as OP, 250 would be a good drive for me. It started out as looking for a 2nd driver for travel, and ended up as an experiment that will probably stay.

 

I didn't do anything in regards to shortening the shaft and adding weight, I just have 2 SIM MAX D's, 1 at 9° and the other at 10.5°. I've clicked down the 9° 1 and clicked up the 10.5° 2. The higher lofted one is pretty much all carry, while the lower one is more traditional carry and roll. I don't really fear going way right with it, and it gives me a backup plan with good distance if my swing isn't great that day.

 

[300_yard_drives]

I got thru 1st stage of Korn Ferry Q school using 2 drivers and missed finals by 1 with the same strategy. A bomber knuckle fade sim2 and a much higher spinning ping g400 max. Drove it great, maybe something I should go back to.

[Barfolomew]

On 10/6/2023 at 7:17 PM, jarediogolf said:

I got roasted pretty hard in another thread for suggesting that a driver can practically become like a 2nd club by gripping down for control. Not really sure why choking up on the club with the largest most forgiving face in the bag is so controversial… but everyone is different. 
 

I find it to be very useful. I do find I need to be at 9* or 10* for it to work. For me, 8* makes the soft choked up shot a bit tougher. 

I prefer not having 2 dedicated tee clubs. Whatever my second longest club is, I want to be able to hit it off the deck. 

 

Gripping down on Driver is actually a very accurate reliable shot.  Can be played on long par 3s and a lot of strange tee shots.  Easier to control cut or draw, low or high, very useful shot to have. 

 

Sneaky thing is you can also hit it really hard too with accuracy like a 3W on steroids.... almost like cheating w driver.... specially when full length driver aint working out that day lol 💪

[Z1ggy16]

On 10/8/2023 at 12:59 PM, 300_yard_drives said:

I got thru 1st stage of Korn Ferry Q school using 2 drivers and missed finals by 1 with the same strategy. A bomber knuckle fade sim2 and a much higher spinning ping g400 max. Drove it great, maybe something I should go back to.

What was the rest of the bag like?

[300_yard_drives]

17 hours ago, Z1ggy16 said:

What was the rest of the bag like?

Putter

5w

4i

6i 

7i

8i

9i

pw

52

58

62

 

[Z1ggy16]

1 hour ago, 300_yard_drives said:

Putter

5w

4i

6i 

7i

8i

9i

pw

52

58

62

 

Interesting, I was wondering what club you would give up.

 

I was actually thinking after the 2 drivers, going 4w 7w then 5i on. 

[uglande]

Absolutely. Played all this year with two. Driver 1 was a TSR3 built as a full length, low-loft, right-biased bomber. Driver 2 was a TSR2 built as a shorter, mid-loft, left-biased fairway finder. 

 

I might keep this setup next year, but right now I have a TSR2+ as my fairway finder, which is a bit more versatile. Or I might just go back and forth.

And it's really not hard to find an extra spot in the bag. I mean, how many times do you hit your 5 iron in an average round? And given the importance of driving, having two clubs committed to that purpose is far from crazy. 

[Z1ggy16]

11 minutes ago, uglande said:

Absolutely. Played all this year with two. Driver 1 was a TSR3 built as a full length, low-loft, right-biased bomber. Driver 2 was a TSR2 built as a shorter, mid-loft, left-biased fairway finder. 

 

I might keep this setup next year, but right now I have a TSR2+ as my fairway finder, which is a bit more versatile. Or I might just go back and forth.

And it's really not hard to find an extra spot in the bag. I mean, how many times do you hit your 5 iron in an average round? And given the importance of driving, having two clubs committed to that purpose is far from crazy. 

I planned to take out my least used iron which right now is the 4i.

 

Longest par 3 is a 5i and most other holes in using the 7w to lay up or hit off a tee. 

[uglande]

1 hour ago, Z1ggy16 said:

I planned to take out my least used iron which right now is the 4i.

 

Longest par 3 is a 5i and most other holes in using the 7w to lay up or hit off a tee. 

Between your 5 iron and your 7 wood, you won't miss the 4 iron.