Clark... You make some extremely valid points. Late 80's/early 90's, I worked had the privilege of mentoring a group of high school age players. Would not let these kids put a driver in their bag until they could complete a round never missing a fairway with their fairway woods or irons. Solved two issues. One... using more lofted clubs, they experienced better accuracy than with driver. Two... young kids really want to hit driver. Knowing they couldn't put the driver in the bag until they proved their accuracy with other clubs motivated them. But...
IMHO... "opinion"... driver technology has vastly improved over the past years. If you carry a modern 460cc higher lofted driver, you benefit from substantial forgiveness. If I were mentoring those same kids today, with today's driver technology, I'd allow them to carry and hit driver. I want beginners to have the confidence that they can find fairways. but, I want them to enjoy the ability to hit the good tee ball that'll keep them excited about the game. I would think the larger clubface of today's driver would be much easier to make solid contact with than a fairway wood or long iron.
Again, there are no textbooks that will be the key to low scoring for each and every person taking up the game. Your points put the more lofted clubs in the beginner's hands. That is great strategy. Personally, I'd like to see them with a 460 cc, 11 or 12 degree driver also.
IMHO... "opinion"... driver technology has vastly improved over the past years. If you carry a modern 460cc higher lofted driver, you benefit from substantial forgiveness. If I were mentoring those same kids today, with today's driver technology, I'd allow them to carry and hit driver. I want beginners to have the confidence that they can find fairways. but, I want them to enjoy the ability to hit the good tee ball that'll keep them excited about the game. I would think the larger clubface of today's driver would be much easier to make solid contact with than a fairway wood or long iron.
Again, there are no textbooks that will be the key to low scoring for each and every person taking up the game. Your points put the more lofted clubs in the beginner's hands. That is great strategy. Personally, I'd like to see them with a 460 cc, 11 or 12 degree driver also.