As we age, the driver gets harder to hit well. Up to my early 60’s, I hit my driver great. It went high and straight. And far enough to get me into single digits.
But now I’m in my mid-70’s. It’s gotten harder to hit a drive up in the air, and trying to launch it just makes things worse.
So I had a little chat with my ego and swapped my driver for a 12.5* fairway wood (Titleist 975F). Now I hit the ball high and straight again, and just as far all the time as the occasional times when I can nail my driver.
They say recreational golfers shouldn’t trade their driver for a fairway wood because if they can’t hit their driver straight, they can’t hit a fairway wood straight, either. That is advice to consider if you’re in the in the prime of your life.
But if you are a senior golfer, and I mean senior senior, there was the game you once played, and there is the game you play now. It’s a different game. Adjust and Make Golf Fun Again.
I just saw some advice from David Leadbetter’s group about gripping down on the driver a couple of inches, and teeing the ball lower.
The idea is that this helps make the driver be a better “Fairway Finder.”
The ball will travel lower, and go further “against the wind” than it otherwise would.
That seems like good advice; especially in the summer. I’m going to give this a shot next time I’m out — or should I say, shots.