Leaving the Driver in the bag!

Played 9 holes this afternoon in the wind and rain at Southampton GC. Due to my recent form with the driver being rather erratic I decided to leave it in the bag all round. I went instead with either a 4 or 5 iron and once with a hybrid. I hit 6 out of 7 fairways and all but one green in regulation. I was surpised by how much easier it is to think your way around the course when not dealing with rough/ bunkers etc. I went round in 41 and with a bit of luck could have been in the 30s. Has anyone else tried this and how did it go for you? Happy Golfing!! Jamie

We have a short par 4 on the Wellington. A hole of some 300yards with severe rough either side and a ditch 100 yards short of the green.

I stuffed one right with the driver into the crap and lost the ball, so went back and played a five iron off the tee then a wedge and 2 putts for a six. Methinks I have now discovered how to play this hole after two years of hitting it all over the place.

Your ego taking over your course management John?? have you tried out the club i gave you at Worcester?

Jamie,I have played my course a few times Irons only with great results as you say keeps most of the trouble out of play .

I don't have an ego anymore, David, one has to be good to have one of those and I don't come into that category, I'm afraid.

Because I am not bothered too much about losing a fiver, I live in hope that my driver is not too violent, but as you well know, a little offline on the Wellington means a lost ball.

I have not tried out the club yet, but will do so shortly.

Matt the course is not particularly short ( around 3000 yds for 9) and my wood play is not "terrible" . I am generally straight (until recently) and regularly drive over 265 yards. However the issue i struggle with is consistency. This is why chose to experiment today and i was very pleased with the results. I will certainly take the Big Stick out next time but it was a great eye opener and good way to improve course management, rather than just pulling the driver out 14 times a round!

It is not length that makes a course difficult, Jamie.

One could sit by the 10th green on our Waterloo course all day and probabaly count on one hand the number of pars one sees, yet the hole is only about 350 yards.

Very good point John. That is what I was trying to say to Matt. That  no matter what the length ,a hole needs to be negotiated with thought and shot selection. Good luck for Friday, hope the weather holds for you. I am in Southampton and it is miserable and the missus is moaning because i am cleaning my footjoys in the front room!

You do realise, Jamie that that is a divorcable event. I get told off for cleaning them in the kitchen sink.

I didnt realise it was such a serious crime John ! I have been sentenced to taking the dog out for a walk in the rain. That'll teach me.

Well you were not using your brain there then, Jamie, dogs are notorious for making a mess when wet and er indoors will not be too pleased with mud traipsed all over the carpet.

Another very good point John. Wet dog is not he best of smells either. However as i live ten mins from Southampton GC i generally incorporate the walk with a swift pint outside the club house! (Cant help thinking we have gone slightly off thread here)

Your right Jamie I was about to wite something,my mind went blank I'm just about to go crack open a bud 

While having my driver re shafted i used 3 & 4 iron off the tee and my overall iron striking got much better. E.g the 6 iron looked so lofted on mid iron shots it gave confidence.

Now the driver is back going great and the irons have fallen off a cliff!!! Common sense tells me to ditch the driver. My heart says, let the big dog eat!!!!

Stuart

Been round my local track with a 7 iron, pitching wedge and a putter in 86 shots (par 72). Not a long course (6100 yards) but I did stay out of trouble and on the fairways. Par 5's are 3x7irons to the green or very near to, same idea on par 4's. Makes you think more about where you wanna be for your wedge and you use the 7 iron in several different ways from full shots, half shots, chip and runs etc. Taught me a lot about the way I approach each hole. No need for the big dog all the time. Easiest hole is driveable but stray left or right and your looking at double bogey. Even now I still take a 5 or 6 iron of the tee on that hole to leave a sand wedge in. Out of trouble/easy par!!! Might try it again soon as my handicap has dropped by 4 shots since then and short game improved. Could be an interesting experiment.

I know a guy who is a 8 handicapp and has never owned a driver he does get good distance with his Irons but nothing exceptional. Scores are definitaly not improved by much off the tee but scores can easily be ruined by bad tee shots.

I don't think the distance thing is much of an argument either a 4 iron landing on the middle of a rock hard fairway with some role will go further than a sliced 3 wood into the rough it's all about percentages if youy are only slightly more consistant with your irons than woods which some peolple are then why sacrifice the distance but if you are much more consistant with the Irons then being confident over the tee shot and getting it in play is much more beneficial. 

Most players will be more consistant with a clear 180 yard approach shot from the fairway than they will be from a 140 yard one from the rough, round a tree or out of a fairway bunker.

I wouldn't call 180 an approach shot!!!

Dave,

it is if it's your 2nd to a par 5!!!!

Not saying a 2nd shot in to the green from 180 yards is an easy shot just a whole lot easier than the 140 yard shot from the ruff/fairway bunker and alot more productive than the second shot Paul and most of us usually have to take the sideways back on to the right fairway.