Off The Deck

[Sandpiper3]

How many of you use your driver off the deck? I went to GolfTown on the weekend and tried out a 905S 10.5* w/prolite shaft in it. I love that shaft so i gave it a go. Loved it nonetheless.

But anywayz, i was in there hitting, and my couz broke the little tee in there, so as the guy was fetching a new one, i knocked a few off the deck, needless to say i was hitting it pretty consistently OTD and solid too. With the loft of that club and the lower CG closer to the face in the S it was probly wat made it feel more solid. In my R7 TP i cant hit it otd for my life, so we'll see if i can get my hands back on the Titty, once a titty guy, always a titty guy roflmao...

[Sandpiper3]

something tells me this isnt guna be a serious thread now that ive said that last sentence in my original post....

[dave.]

Spookily,we were all hitting my 9.5* 905S off the deck at the range yestreday,no problems,even a 10 handicapper could do it.Clubs aimed at the 'better player' do have the weight lower which makes all the difference,you really could not do it with a standard 460 head or any other club with that sort of weighting.With Persimmon it was a doddle.Not a lot of difference between a 13 3w and an 11 degree driver.

[limpalong]

[quote=Sandpiper3;87861]How many of you use your driver off the deck? /quote]

Never, ever... ever hit your driver off the deck! At all costs, refrain yourself from even attempting this feat! Let me explain...

About 3 years ago, one of my regular playing partners was becoming "distance challenged". I suggested he try his driver off the deck... from the fairway. He was reluctant. "No way can I hit that club if the ball isn't sitting on a tee." I continued to work on him and he finally relented. This gentleman has said I have added 10 years to his game! He, now, has a second person in our group hitting driver off the deck. It's just not fair!!!

I am the longest driver off the tee in our group. I will be anywhere from 30 to 70 yards in front of the others off the tee. Long par 4's left them hitting a 3rd to the green, while I was on in two. Now, these guys are hitting the par 4's in two with driver/driver. The really sad thing is the one I got started using his driver from the fairway eagled a par 4 this past summer. Do you have any idea how many quarters that cost me??? It's just not fair!!!!

For the sake of your safety... and the safety of your driver... do not learn to hit it from the short grass. Do you know how many times this past season I have threatened to break both of their driver shafts? Do you have any idea the additional stress having these turkeys able to hit driver/driver has added to my life?????

I will be petitioning the USGA to amend the Rules of Golf... soon. If I get my way, by the time anyone else learns to hit driver off the deck, it will be illegal. If I cannot get the USGA to listen, I will then go before our city commission and at least attempt to get an anti-driver ordinance passed in our community. Attorney fees would be minimal, compared to the embarassment and the quarters lost over the next few years!!

Sorry! Seriously... IMHO, the driver off the deck is just another tool in your bag. It is a tool, however, that needs to be tenured with confidence. That confidence comes with experience. Many of us are long enough off the tee, we do not have the need to hit driver on the second shot. The once or twice a season when we attempt to do so will probably give less than acceptable results. On the other hand, the two gentlemen I have berated above, hit driver off the deck repeatedly each round. The use of that tool becomes second nature.

Can you hit driver off the deck?? Certainly! Anybody can once in a while. Can you hit a driver consistently off the deck, longer and straighter than your fairway woods? Only with constant and consistent practice. Just my 2 cents worth!!

[sandwedge]

As a high handicap I would be afraid to break my shaft.

[demon]

No way I would do that! I would lose distance from my 3 - wood. Right now i can carry my 13* 3-wood 265 - 270 and would be reluctant to hit the driver off the deck since there is no way i can get it up in the air on a decent enough launch angle to get serious distance out of it.

since you are almost the same distance with your clubs you should be getting that 14* at least 250 carry. Making anything 550 yards or less reachable in two. I just picked up a 15* 904f with a Speeder in it so i can leave it in the trunk if I ever play any short courses (less than 560 yard par 5's)

[dave.]

If you have enough swing speed to hit a 3 wood 270 through the air then a driver off the deck will be a doddle

[demon]

Originally Posted by dave.

If you have enough swing speed to hit a 3 wood 270 through the air then a driver off the deck will be a doddle

remeber that it is a 13* only 3.5* more loft then my driver and 270 is not off the deck, that is teed up. This is my favorite stick in the bag, it always goes where I want it off the tee box, but hitting it out of the fairway isnt my favorite shot or I would have tons of eagles on par 5's. I would prefer driver 4 iron anyday on par 5's.

[Rockford35]

Most 400+ cc drivers are designed to have the ball strike high in the face to mximize the trampoline effect of the driver's technology. Hitting one off the deck is going against the grain here with today's technology.

A well struck 3 wood will fly longer and farther than a driver off the deck. It's just science.

R35

[dave.]

'Most',but not all.The Titliest 905S for example can be hit perfectly well off the deck because the weight is in the middle of the face.

[Sandpiper3]

Yea, the S is wat sparked me to mention it, i was consistently hitting it about 280-290 on the range where i tried it (my swing also felt perfect oddly for not playing in 3 weeks cause the frickin snow...) and i was consistently getting it out there 260-270 carry OTD... Makes me think.

Demon, yea, off the tee i can carry my 3w np 250-260 and have knocked a few out there 280+, but otd my 3w is about 240-255. With alot of courses that have longer par 5s with only bunkers thats nothing for me with driver because i can just blast it right through the bunkers (the bunkers arent very soft around here...).

So hopefully GolfTown will take my trade offer this weekend and ill have a new (used) 905S.

[dave.]

I know several pros who went to the R,obviously,they all were,and then after this season they are slowly one at a time going back to their beloved S.

[demon]

It depends on the swing, if you can hit a driver that far off the deck then go for it. My drivers off the deck have been squirrel killers but I have always played a low trajectory (about 12*) with my older drivers. Like Dave said I wouldnt even attempt it with the new stuff since the sweet spot is much higher on the new clubs. I might have to pick up a 905S since they are so cheap and give a try, maybe I could get it off the deck.

Damn Im turning into a driver ho.

[Sandpiper3]

Damn Im turning into a driver ho.

i know, me too. Thats wat Ezra does to us, its contagious. Since ive joined ST ive gotten 3 new drivers, started with 983K, then 905T, now R7 TP, had a Cobra but got rid of that pretty quick... Now ill be trying to trade the T and this cleveland 3w i have for the S

Wow, im so surprised you guys have been mature and not said something about the titty comment... I guess Jeff isnt around

[ezra76]

I can hit my old TM200 steel 9.5 almost as well as a 3W off the deck. I can hit the R5TP with a fade but it is a low screamer. The only way I would use the shot is to take it over 200 with about a 40yd. fade under some trees. Really no point as I can take my 5wood 230 and my 3wood near 250.

It's fun to try though, really need to put a good swing on it to take a driver off the deck.