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Can I hit a driver off the deck

• hbthree 478 Posts

  Mon, Aug 10 2009 9:43 AM

  I have hit my Rapture driver with full backspin several times from the "deck" on the 7th hole at BP.  The situation comes up when the trees are an issue.  Have found that the ball reaches a height of what appears to be only about 10-15 feet and travels some 180 yds or so. 

  Thus a valuable shot for this particular situation when one wants to navigate a shot beneath the tree limbs... have not tried the same shot from the rough so can't comment on that situation.

   

  HBthree

   

• PeteBolte 172 Posts

  Mon, Aug 10 2009 10:04 AM

  Hi Jake,

  Thanks for your reply.  We are indeed out of action for a whle.  I've had 6 surgeries trying to fuse a broken right foot and am in a prosthesis which is GREAT for locking my right knee but absolute hell on balance.  I can hit short irons well (9 maybe 8 iron down).  Essentiallly I'm good for chipping, pitching and putting.  LOL!

  That's why I want to get some lessons to improve on the longer clubs.

  I envy you that you could hit 310!  I was very happy with 280.  Once I spend my lesson money, I want to play a round.  It's very difficult to walk a full 18 so I'll need a cart.  Maybe just start out on a short course 9 and work my way up.  The last time I hit a club for real was in 1996/7.  It's been a long time and I'll have to exercise some to get back in swing shape but I miss the game very much and I miss being able to play very much so I gotta do something about it otherwise I'll just atrophy.

  I have a difficult time getting the swing meter to hit dead center.  That's my weakness here and as I learn the courses, it becomes more and more critical.  Especially on 2nd or 3rd shots.

  Side note:  I've not had that happen to me...ever. Dead center "Excellent" and have the ball be 10 or 15 yeards off aimed line?   Could it be a Flash thing and you're not up to date?  That's weird (to me).  In case you're wondering I do NOT consider myself a Pro in WGT.  At best an Amateur but since I was saddled with it, I'll play with it and it's still fun.  I particularly playing with other people.  It's a way to meet a lot of good people.

  Take care and I hope your recovery goes well.

  Pete

   

• PeteBolte 172 Posts

  Mon, Aug 10 2009 10:06 AM

  Hi HB.

  Thanks for telling me!  I'll try it out.  What you described is a low punch.  Interesting!  Have you every tried it WITHOUT tree interference?

  Pete

• jakestanfill7 949 Posts

  Mon, Aug 10 2009 11:42 AM

  Wow Pete.  My health issues seem minimal in comparison.  Best of luck getting back on the course.  Used to be an avid walker and thought that was the only way you should play the game.  Now I haven't been able to walk a course in a couple of years, but cart golf isn't so bad.  Will say that I drink a lot more beer when I play now, LOL!

  I have a friend that plays with a thigh down prothesis on his left leg and does struggle with balance but still manages to break 90 regularly.

  Back on the driver distance, 310 was an average but did only hit about 50% of fairways!  My best that wasn't wind or cart path aided was 374.  Not too bad for a 40 year old man.  I do have the advantage of standing 6'7"  235 , swim a mile about 2 days a week and work heavily on flexibility.  The drivers on this game seriously challenge my machismo, especially the starter driver which is equivalent to my 4 iron.

  All tolled though, I am extremely grateful for WGT and looking forward to seeing the site develop as it is a ton of fun.  We'll get a round in together some time soon.

  Speedy healing my friend!

• ChristopherRouss 133 Posts

  Mon, Aug 10 2009 11:54 AM

  You can hit the driver off the deck.... but it doesn't go very far....  no where near the driving distance.... so that had to be a bug....  I've never gotten a driver default on a second shot here but I've tried it just to see if I could clear something early on in my wgt days.....  Tried it once... won't try it again....  Sort of like I tried a punch into the wind on #10 bethpage during the qualifying round for the US Open......  Didn't work so good so I don't do it anymore....  Anyway, whether that is the default club the show you or not, I always check my wind and the area around where I want to land the ball before I choose which club to use, which any one here probably does....  well I learned to do that once I found out where to zoom in to find the wind....   I'm on an antequated monitor that I have to zoom to 85% to see the playing option good enough, so for choosing my shot or for checking on the wind I have to zoom in to the bottom left or the top right....  but I digress.....  the driver isn't a good option for a fairway shot just like a wood isn't a good option for second cut rough.....

• ChristopherRouss 133 Posts

  Mon, Aug 10 2009 12:01 PM

  Again you can hit the driver off the deck but the shot isn't good here....  They let you do it if you want to.....  just the driver for the fairway shot shouldn't be default like what Pete said happened to him.  Heck you can try the driver in the bunker if you want.....  you can use whatever club you want from any place on the course, but beware....  they normally give you a default club for a reason....  like when in medium rough you don't get the woods for default because the thick grass is hard to hit through with the bigger striking head.....  I've tried to hit woods out of that rough too and, as with many learn the hard way guys...  I learned the hard way.  Just because you can do something, such as change your club.... doesn't mean you should.

• hbthree 478 Posts

  Tue, Aug 11 2009 11:04 AM

  PeteBolte:

  Hi HB.

  Thanks for telling me!  I'll try it out.  What you described is a low punch.  Interesting!  Have you every tried it WITHOUT tree interference?

  Pete

  I don't believe I have, but you could get in "practice" mode and see what gives...may vary depending on what driver you have...my rapture is a 10.5 degree club which may help it get off the deck...HBThree

• JeffGooch 263 Posts

  Sat, Aug 15 2009 12:29 PM

  Bali Hai Closest to the Pin at least 1 of the holes sets you up with driver off the deck ...add some top spin and wind up on the green

• PeteBolte 172 Posts

  Sat, Aug 15 2009 12:51 PM

  Thanks Jeff!

   

• PeteBolte 172 Posts

  Sat, Aug 15 2009 12:59 PM

  Hi Jake,

  We're roughly the same in walking issues.

  ummmm  Beer gut adds to the center of gravity!  LOL.  I'm 5'10 and 62 yrs. old so I was (50) happy with 280.  But I DO like cart paths if you hit 'em right! 

  I don't care about distance too much (except for BP Black)  I care about accuracy which means timing the swing meter correctly within 1/32nd of an inch I figure.  I rarely do that through a round.  It's he hardest thing to get right.

  Buy you a six pack if we ever meet.  I'll get a cooler for the cart and we'll look for a hot refreshment girl.  Deal?