Is hitting you'r driver really as hard as many people say it is?

Question

1) Many people say that hitting a driver is the "hardest" shot in golf, is it really?
2) Can you hit you'r driver off the ground?, If so how far?, What degree is you'r driver?
3) I personally own a 8.5 degree driver and I can hit it decently well off the ground between 150 and 200 yards, is this good? Should a 8.5 degree driver be harder to hit then a 10 degree driver?

Please answer all of the questions on this post, there is not really a "Best Answer" to this question so I probablly will not be choosing a best answer unless there is alot of good information in an answer.

Thanks for all the help, TigerWoodsFan (TWF).

Answer 1

1) No
2) Yes, 230+, 9.5
3) In 15 years of golfing I have only had to hit around 4 drivers off the fairway. It really isnt worth worrying about. And yes a 10 is easier to hit then a 8.5 off the fairway.

Answer 2

1) Many people feel hitting the driver is the 'hardest' shot in golf because it's the longest club in the bag. Also, because it has the least loft, it's harder to hit straight. I agree it is the hardest club in the bag. Just take a look how much better Tiger woods hits his other clubs compared to his driver.

2) I can hit the driver off the ground. If the ground is hard, and down hill, I could hit it about 250 yards. I'm using 10.5 degrees.

3) Depends how far you hit the other clubs. I hit my seven iron 180 yards, so 200 yards off the ground with the driver for me is not very good.
The 8.5 degrees is harder to hit than a 10 degree driver. Tiger woods uses a 8.5 degrees, so unless you can hit pass 300 yards, you should go for higher loft for better distance and control.

Answer 3

1. "Is hitting a driver the hardest shot in golf" - NO it isn't! Today's big head drivers, with their forgiving sweet spots and high-ball launch weight distribution, have taken most of the difficulty out of playing with a driver.

2. Hitting a driver well off the ground, all depends on the lie the ball is in. If the ball is standing-up with plenty of grass under it and I need the distance - I will go for it! Otherwise forget it - I know I am going to be more successful using a fairway wood.
I use a 10 degree driver and average 230 yards of carry off a fluffy lie.

3. No the distance you are getting isn't "good" - I assume you mean carry, not roll. I get 200 yards of carry using a 5 wood off the fairway and I'm 63 and in bad shape! It seems to me that you are using the wrong club and losing distance because you are not getting the ball into the air enough!

I suggest you try playing off the fairway with a 4 or 5 wood to give you greater consistency of flight, distance and direction. Try a 3 wood for longer distances but it will be harder to control the ball's direction than with a 4 or 5 wood.

Hitting a 10 degree driver is easier than hitting a 8.5 degree driver. To explain that: probably you know that the more lofted a club is, the more back-spin it gives to the ball, which keeps the ball going straighter, even if you cut across the ball slightly with your swing. e.g. that's why a wedge is easier to hit straight. The same swing, cutting across the ball slightly, with a flatter faced club, will give the ball more side-spin than a more lofted club will, which results in bigger fades or draws (slices or hooks). So a less lofted driver will always be more "difficult to hit" than a more lofted driver.

Where I play, on the coast, we have strong winds most days, which limits how high we try to drive a ball for optimum distance and good direction. I find a 10 degree driver suits me best in these conditions but my harder hitting friends use 8.5 or 9 degree drivers and get more distance while their balls fly just as high as mine. Without the wind I would go for a 12 degree driver and try for a higher flight and more hang-time - as the pro's do!

Answer 4

1. a lot of folks are intimidated by the driver. thus the proclamation that its the hardest club to hit. Hardest to control maybe. because of its length.
2. Yes I can......but....I've never been a position where I honestly felt the need. My current driver is a 9.5....but I have hit as low as a 7.5 and at that time it served me very well......(Club Champion 3 yrs running)
3.150 - 200 is not bad depending on terrain. again I hit 5 Iron from 200 so Driver is not an option from that distance for me.
Unlike some answers here the loft of the club will not affect accuracy only the trajectory of the ball. If you have trouble getting your tee shot in the air....then consider a higher lofted driver......Honestly the driver was never designed to hit off the deck.

Answer 5

Alot of people have a hard tiem with the driver, because hitting it effectively is difficult. It used to be one of the hardest I hit, but after a few lessons it is getting easier and more fun to hit.

Answer 6

Yes
No
10
No
Yes

Answer 7

it depends on if they are driving you on a motorbike or a cruise ship....easier to nudge than to enter the locked captains office
LOL

Answer 8

i will crush you Ballzy on the links

DE-REK!!! JE-TER!!!