Add versatility on tight par-4s with a knockdown driver shot

Most amateur golfers subscribe to the mentality that trying to bomb it off the tee is the only way to use their driver, with many just gripping it and ripping it. The best golfers, on the other hand, go into their tee shots with a clear mind and a new strategy each time depending on the hole layout and weather conditions, among other factors.

But thinking about driver differently isn’t merely about course management, it’s also about understanding how to utilize your equipment and maximize your opportunities to score low.

Here’s a little secret you might need to hear: Just because you’re using a driver doesn’t mean you need to try and swing out of your shoes. So when you’re playing a tight par-4 hole, go ahead and still grab the big dog — just use some discipline and hit a different type of golf shot.

Most amateurs in this situation often club down to something like a fairway wood, thinking it’s their best chance to “play it safe” and just poke it out into the fairway. But swinging a fairway wood can be just as tricky (if not trickier) than swinging the driver.

During a recent conversation with GOLF Top 100 Teacher Todd Sones, he told me how the decision to use a 3-wood off the tee on tight par-4s is starting to die — which was surprising, to be honest.

Instead, Sones told me how more players are still using their drivers on these types of holes — just not the way many of us might think.

Try this knockdown driver shot on tight par-4’s

While conventional wisdom would suggest that ditching the driver for a “safer” club on tight par-4s is the right golf decision, maximizizing that club doesn’t always mean getting as much distance as possible. In some cases, it’s just about controlling your shot shape instead — which is why Sones suggests hitting a knockdown driver on those tighter par-4s.

“With all these [equipment changes], I find it interesting how much better the ball flies off the driver’s face during an off-center hit,” Sones says. “That’s why I recommend learning how to hit a knockdown driver shot off the tee, rather than using a fairway wood, since you still have plenty of forgiveness with a driver now.”

Back in the day, most drivers needed center-face contact in order to maximize both distance and control. It’s why having a reliable 3-wood in the bag was so necessary — especially on tighter par-4s.

But Sones says that enhancements in technology and fitness have changed the game, which is why hitting a knockdown driver on a tough par-4 can be your secret weapon.

“Drivers launch the ball higher, which allows the player to tee it lower and still get the ball in the air to produce the shot they hope for,” he adds.

So how can you hit Sones’ knockdown driver shot? With just a couple simple adjustments.

“To hit this type of shot, tee the ball low so that only a quarter of the ball is above the crown of your driver’s clubhead, then just grip down 1.5 inches and swing away. There’s no need to play the ball back in your stance or change your swing in any way,” Sones instructs.

By utilizing this type of knockdown shot, you can develop your “fairway finder” on those holes that require lots of accuracy but still need some length off the tee.

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Nick Dimengo

Golf.com Editor