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I lost my confidence with the driver and 3 wood (and even 5 wood, at times) off of the deck. What are the best 'drills' to help improve the consistency? I realize it will be more of a sweeping motion, as opposed to trapping with the irons/hybrid.I even considered a 2 hybrid again....

Do you just hit an entire bucket of 'drivers and woods' (after warming up)?

When I struggle with my driver, I just slow my swing down and do 65% swings. I'll take my time and keep my head down until I see that the club has hit the ball. I normally take a few more practice swings and try to hit the ball exactly like my practice swing. I wouldn't focus only on the driver or woods. I'll switch around from short iron to long iron and from mid iron to woods just to make sure my tempo is the same throughout. That normally works out for me. If all else fails, take lessons.

I took a lesson last week and want to work on what he taught me. I tried the 'lesson a week' thing (in the past) but didn't in grain a lot of what was taught.

When I stuggle with the Driver and Woods off the deck it is usually because although I keep my eye on the ball my heads drifts back with my backswing. Try concentrating on keeping your head as still as possible sometimes we do things and don't even realize it.

Good point.

When I was hitting my driver consistently, I was alternating PW and then Driver - same tempo but different speed.

Don’t take this wrong, but why would you ever hit a driver off the deck? 10 things can happen when you try, and 9 of them are bad.

Yeah driver off the deck... when are you gonna need that unless you want 30 yards of roll. If in the rare occasion i do want to hit that shot i hit it like a iron and hammer down on it and hit a hard running cut a-la cory pavin. but I am much mor comfortable chasing a 3 wood to get the extra yards.

Hitting long, low lofted clubs off tight fairway lies require a long, flat spot in your swing at the bottom. Annika has some comments on that in the latest Golf Digest (tips for consistency from 50 pros and teachers).

Changing your spine angle is bad and will make you chunk these shots. Swinging too steep like you would with a wedge is also bad.

I can't feed you pertinent advice without seeing what you're doing, but play the ball a little ahead of center, make a low, slow takeaway, and let the loft of the club make the projectile become airborne.

I personally think a lesson a week might be a bit overkill. It might be too much information to grasp IMHO. Unless you're working on the same thing every week, that might be a different story. If that was the case, you might need a new instructor. Practice makes perfect. Another factor I think that really contributes to improvement is confidence. If you step up to the ball hoping not to shank it or slice it, you've already lost the battle. I for one am not a great golfer mainly because of my poor alignment. I am a decent ball striker fortunately. I always step up to my shot thinking: " ok, I gotta get the ball here and set myself up for a up and down or 2 putt at most " instead of thinking " man, I hope I don't top this next shot, I hope it doesn't go in the trees, in the water, etc... " I like to imagine what I want to happen vs what I don't want to happen, if that makes any sense to anyone?

I hit a Driver off the deck if I am in a real extra fluffy lie and can hit just like it's on a tee. In a regular lie only if I am under a tree and have to hit something hard and low and left my 2 Iron at home.

Take a full swing (slow motion) and try to hit your driver exactly 100 yards...Remember a full swing in slow motion...hit a large bucket of balls doing this...you will get your rythm and tempo back..

p.s. it should take you at least an hour to hit the large bucket...go through your pre-shot routine as if you are on the golf course...

In another thread, it was pointed out that the driver off the deck makes for a pretty far reaching punch shot...I tried it the other day when I was in the trees on a par 5, but had a clear play to a wide open fairway, only there were low overhanging branches...so I gave it a go and was suprised at the distance I was able to advance the ball...5 feet off the ground...

second that. I hit my 3 wood when I am long way off the green (read: messed up the tee shot), and I try not to overswing it, as it does not really help me to get that extra 20 yards, but left and right of the green which are usually trouble, better be short but in front of the green with an easy chip to save par.

I don't think OP is hitting driver off the deck ... that would be silly if he is having problems with the 3 wood. The post just wasn't worded as clearly as it could have been.

How much clearer could he have been? The OP has not re-directed to indicate such misunderstanding, in fact the opposite in post 5, and with coments of using a hybrid instead.