Off The Deck

[Dixieman]

Why is it that the only club players hit "off the deck" is a driver? Why don't you ever hear the tv guys say " . . . and here's Bubba Watson with a five wood off the deck?" How about a five-iron "off the deck?" If you're not hitting off a tee and you're in the fairway, aren't all the shots "off the deck?" I know this is a ridiculous post, but that term has always bugged me.

[Duck Hook]

Maybe because the driver is almost always played with the ball sitting on a tee ?

Must say it takes some real talent to bust these oversized drivers " off the deck "

I could do it somewhat successfully back in the day when metal headed drivers first came out and they were the size of match head.
Don't even attempt to do it now. ( plus the distance you can get out of a 3 wood these days is insane )

It's not ridiculous Doug, I was impressed that you named my fellow leftie...


T

[pmgolf]

I'm guessing that one of the inexperienced commentators (ie. doofus), trying to artificially add some excitement to the game, came up with the comment. Pro golfers have been doing that since forever - no matter what the equipment. Not really a big deal if someone makes his living with the equipment.

Pete

[badgolfer1]

Only a few golfers try this in real golf and main purpose would be trying to reach par 5 in 2 shots or to get closer to a green on an unreachable par 5 if there might be lesser trouble in that area than otherwise hitting a shorter distance might encounter with hitting say a 3 wood that most all golfers usually use as their given club or just laying up behind trouble with mid to king iron instead making for a longish third shot. Another purpose might be to try and hit lower trajectory shot under trees to target, say as a punch shot. Hitting a shot with driver not as a drive entails more risk than otherwise and is less likely that might carry it off succesfully as might wish to happen. Here in Links I find it pretty much easy to pull off trying to get distance needed to reach some par 5 greens from fairway lies or get to a better location---even if cannot actually reach par 5 green as trouble awaits by just hitting distance a 3 wood or other clubs might go. The discussion started out here with poster being bothered by players hitting driver from fairway and not other clubs---say from fairway as well according to him. That makes me think of golfers not using tee item when on teeing area and just dropping ball to ground and this could also be called hitting off the deck as well when golfers choose this method of play. Their purpose might be to try and hit a lower shot without so much spin to roll out further or not spin back as I saw as a potential option for players that they might have used on par 3 hole #16 at Sedgefield recently during tournament even after the rainstorm went through and play resumed afterwards. This goes to my having seen tournaments at this course and seeing it tricked up now to play unfairly on some shots---yet winning players are still shooting at least 20 under par anyway during tournament there. My thinking goes that of golfers hitting a shot from teeing area otherwise probably their not wanting to really hit woods especially the driver without teeing these clubs up---and there is difference in height lower or higher on the tee item that golfer might decide to place ball then on it. Whatever, there is saying that goes---"Different strokes for different folks".

[FOOOOORE!]

It has to go far enough to land inside a whale's blowhole, I thought George explained that thoroughly.