By Jack Moorehouse
Phil Mickelson’s decision two carry two drivers during the 2006 Masters Tournament was based on solid logic. The 3-wood retains the basic design it had more than 20 years ago, but drivers have evolved significantly since then, widening the performance gap between the clubs. Mickelson just wanted to take advantage of that gap during the tournament.
Mickelson isn’t the first player to carry two drivers. Some amateurs have been doing it for years. For example, veteran club designer, Clay Long, a scratch golfer, has done it before. In fact, he’s carried two drivers in his bag for more than 18 years. A decorated amateur competitor, Long plays a longer- and a shorter-shafted driver. He hits the smaller one off the fairway instead of a 3-wood.
Increase Your Available Options
The rationale behind carrying two drivers is simple. Golfers hit their drivers more than any other club in their bags, except their putters, so why not carry two and get the benefits of the more advanced designs. For players who hit their drivers well, this approach is logical, but it’s not something I would ordinarily recommend in my golf lessons or golf tips.
The key to hitting the high draw is twofold, as I’ve mentioned in my golf tips. You need to hit the ball (1) on the upswing and (2) on an inside path. Play the ball forward with a wide stance and tilt your front shoulder up just a bit.
Using a stronger right-hand and left-hand grip also helps but isn’t absolutely necessary. Your clubface must be square to the ball at impact. It’s the inside path that generates the proper ball flight for a draw not the clubface at impact.
Nevertheless, the idea is intriguing for golfers. It increases your on-course options. With increasing technological advancements in driver designs (moveable screws, internal weight biasing, etc.), golfers can use one driver for directional variety (on-command draws, fades, and so on) and the other as a fail-safe option with more loft and a slightly shorter shaft for more accuracy.
Ordinarily, hitting different clubs off the tee is common but hitting driver off the fairway is another matter. It takes some practice, as I explain in my golf tips, because you need to adjust your swing to the club’s length.
Hitting Driver off the Fairway
Hitting the driver off the fairway has always had a place in golf. For example, I teach players taking golf instruction sessions to hit driver “off the deck” to combat a strong headwind or on long par-4s or par-5s, when hitting into the green from a good distance away.
Below are five tips to keep in mind when hitting driver off the fairway:
1. Assume a slightly open stance
2. Tilt your back shoulder slightly
3. Keep your feet and legs quiet
4. Push off with your back foot
5. Finish in balance
Start with a slightly open stance and with the ball positioned just behind where you would normally tee it up. Tilt your back shoulder slightly lower than your front shoulder, allowing you to fully extend your arms on the backswing. Grip the club loosely.
During the back swing, take the club back low and smooth, just as you would if you were teeing off. Keep your legs and feet as quiet as possible, providing a stable foundation from which to hit the ball. Concentrate on rotating your torso and taking a full shoulder turn on the downswing.
As you turn into the ball, use your back foot to push off and transfer your weight to your front foot. Your hip rotation powers the club through the impact zone. Make a full extension of your arms and a balanced finish, with your body facing the target.
Hitting a driver from the fairway usually produces a left-to-right ballflight. To become more adept at hitting a driver from the fairway, practice off a patch of hardpan without taking a divot. Use a sweeping pass instead of the down-and-through approach employed in an iron swing.
Not For Everybody
Carrying two drivers isn’t for everybody. It’s probably not for most players taking golf lessons or players with high golf handicaps, unless they hit their drivers exceptionally well. Nor is it always for golfers with moderately high handicaps. But for players with low golf handicaps or who hit the driver well, it’s an option.
Of course, there’s always the question of what to take out of the bag if you carry two drivers. Mickelson flip-flopped between a 3-wood and a lob wedge. Regardless of which club you replace, don’t rule out carrying two drivers in your bag. Out-of-the-box thinking in golf, as in other sports, has its time and place.
Jack
Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book “How
To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros.” He is NOT a golf pro, rather a
working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower
their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest
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