Good Golf Shot + Narrow Fairways

[rasisco]

Hey All! I’m new to the forum but just read Four Foundations and absolutely loved it! Jon talks about what a good golf shot is, and that the average Tour player has around a 70yd dispersion with their driver. He also mentions the DECADE system for tee decision making and I’m in a bit of a pickle because my home course, and most of the courses around me are fairly tight, like 40-50 yards wide. I carry the ball 240-260 with my driver and so historically I’ve hit my 5w off the tee.

With the thought that I should be trying to hit the driver more, how do you think I should approach my situation where my home course probably only has 3-4 holes max that are wide enough to swing away?

[Dewsweeper]

Common sense says, if your home course does not allow you to swing away with your driver often enough, practice on the driving range or play other golf courses.
When I was younger and the technology was not present for the equipment, 6,500 yards + is considered decent length for the average golfer. we usually look up the score cards in search for a new golf course to play. 6,700 yards from the back tees was considered pretty long in the old days.
You could also use a driver that’s from the 90s, at 300 cc-410 cc and a shorter standard length which will equalize the shorter length of your home course, carry two drivers.
In a sense, there is nothing wrong to tee off with long irons ( hybrids these days ) or fairway woods. Nicklaus would practice for tournament at his home course by playing the yardage backwards. If he needed to practice longer approach shots for the next few tournaments, then he would leave the similar yardage off the tee to practice for it.
When you practice on the driving range, pick out a target. I would pick out two posts holding up the net in the back and try to field goal the driver. After you get pretty consistent, try to curve the driver to the same goal posts. A controlled draw was always the toughest for me.

[Jayjay]

@rasisco

Jon talks about what a good golf shot is, and that the average Tour player has around a 70yd dispersion with their driver. He also mentions the DECADE system for tee decision making and I’m in a bit of a pickle because my home course, and most of the courses around me are fairly tight, like 40-50 yards wide. I carry the ball 240-260 with my driver and so historically I’ve hit my 5w off the tee.

40-50 yards wide, with hard Out of Bounds or hazards on both sides? Or 40-50 yards wide with some rough on either side, but not otherwise interfering with going for the green? Or trees blocking some of the green?

It depends, is all I’m saying.

Hit the ball as far as you can without bringing a decent chance of a penalty, or of having your approach blocked. Some holes, that’s a driver. Others, a fairway wood.

[fared44]

@rasisco

Hey All! I’m new to the forum but just read Four Foundations and absolutely loved it! Jon talks about what a good golf shot is, and that the average Tour player has around a 70yd dispersion with their driver. He also mentions the DECADE system for tee decision making and I’m in a bit of a pickle because my home course, and most of the courses around me are fairly tight, like 40-50 yards wide. I carry the ball 240-260 with my driver and so historically I’ve hit my 5w off the tee.

With the thought that I should be trying to hit the driver more, how do you think I should approach my situation where my home course probably only has 3-4 holes max that are wide enough to swing away?

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Hey All! I’m a big fan of the Four Foundations book too—Jon’s insights are game-changing. Regarding your situation, I’d recommend focusing on precision with your driver, especially on narrower holes. You could work on shaping shots to fit the fairway width and consider using lower lofted drivers for better control. On tighter holes, sticking with your 5w might still be a wise choice. Balancing distance and accuracy will be key!