Want To Hit Your Driver Off The Deck? Here’s How

I’ve always been reluctant to hit my driver anywhere but off a tee. I don’t ever hit behind the driver when it’s teed up but once that tee is gone, it makes me nervous. Still, there’s something intriguing about flushing a driver from the fairway, chasing it up onto a par-5 green. If you want to try it, here’s what you need to know and how I go about it.

When (and when not) to hit driver off the deck

There is a right and wrong time to do it. This is not a “get out of trouble” shot. It’s a calculated play and the conditions need to be just right.

• The lie must be perfect – a tightly mown fairway, sitting up, no slope.
• No forced carry – you need plenty of room to run the ball up.
• You can miss a little – a fade or slight cut is common, so prepare for that.
• Don’t force it – if it doesn’t check all the boxes, reach for a fairway wood or long iron.

Set up adjustments for the driver off the deck

You can’t hit this shot like your normal driver off a tee. A few key changes include:

• Ball position: Move it slightly back in your stance from where a normal driver shot would be, more like a 3-wood.
• Choke up: Stand a little closer to the ball and grip about one inch down from the top of the grip.
• Lead foot flare: Point your front foot outward for more stability and pressure shift.
• Pressure: Lean a bit more into your lead side at address.

Execution

Once you’re set up properly, you’ll want to take a backswing that’s a little shorter than normal to help you stay in control and avoid “helping” the ball into the air.

The attack angle is important when hitting a driver off the deck. You want to try to brush the ground with a flat to slightly descending strike. Don’t look for an upward launch like you do with a teed-up driver.

Your divot will be a thin, brushing divot after you contact the ball. If you don’t take a divot, that’s also acceptable. Finish with the club getting through the ball. It may not be a full high finish like you get with your driver but you’ll need something that gets you through the ball.

Expect a fade

Don’t try to fight the cut. A fade is normal when hitting driver off the deck, the path will likely be a little out to in and the face is hard to close down without the tee and the normal ball position. A low chaser with a little fade spin is typically the shot shape you are going to get.

Hitting the driver off the deck is not about shaping a high draw onto the green. It’s a knock-down runner that gets you 20-30 more yards than a 3-wood if you strike it flush.

Video breakdown

If you want to watch a good demonstration of how to hit a driver off the deck, this one gives a lot of valuable information.

Final thoughts

Driver off the deck isn’t a shot for every round (or every golfer) but knowing how to do it (and when to try it) can add a fun and useful tool to your game. Whether it’s a wind cheater into a long par-5 or just something you want to try for the challenge, hitting driver off the deck might be another tool to add to your game.