Not trying to be a jerk but seasoned short hitters, what is keeping you from hitting it over 250 on your drives?

[Righty to Lefty]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

Then why would you play it at 7800 yards? That sounds like death march. I see no fun in that.

And by the way, a mini-rant, which is also a bit of a thread hijack. So you've been warned. -

I think a lot of golfers over-state how far they hit the ball. I'll start with myself. I hit it 240 off the tee. Two-forty. That sounds short, but it's a legit 240, and I'll play with guys & when I hit a drive they're li ke 'Wow! You really tagged that!' And I'll say yeah. 240. 'What? No way. That was 280.' No, it's not. It's 240. See? The hole is 380 & I'm 10 yards inside the 150. These same guys think they hit it 270, but more often than not, I'm the one hitting last into the green.

So it's guys like this that "think" they hit it like 300. They don't. And I've played a lot of golf with a lot of guys, some really good. And I would say that maybe 5 percent of the guys I've played with actually hit it 300. But I bet if you were to ask all of them, half probably think they hit it 300.

I call it the 'big dick' phenomenon.

" I've been warned?"  I apologized before you even made your next post and I'm being warned!!  Are you for real...Yeah alot of people do inflate their yardages. Maybe it's just people wanting to be better than they really are.  We've all been there.

[rehmwa]

He was warning you that HE was going off on a rant.  Wry humor.

[Lihu]

Then why would you play it at 7800 yards? That sounds like death march. I see no fun in that. And by the way, a mini-rant, which is also a bit of a thread hijack. So you've been warned. - I think a lot of golfers over-state how far they hit the ball. I'll start with myself. I hit it 240 off the tee. Two-forty. That sounds short, but it's a legit 240, and I'll play with guys & when I hit a drive they're like 'Wow! You really tagged that!' And I'll say yeah. 240. 'What? No way. That was 280.' No, it's not. It's 240. See? The hole is 380 & I'm 10 yards inside the 150. These same guys think they hit it 270, but more often than not, I'm the one hitting last into the green. So it's guys like this that "think" they hit it like 300. They don't. And I've played a lot of golf with a lot of guys, some really good. And I would say that maybe 5 percent of the guys I've played with actually hit it 300. But I bet if you were to ask all of them, half probably think they hit it 300.  I call it the 'big dick' phenomenon. :-D

Or call it a defective GPS?

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by Righty to Lefty

" I've been warned?"  I apologized before you even made your next post and I'm being warned!!  Are you for real...Yeah alot of people do inflate their yardages. Maybe it's just people wanting to be better than they really are.  We've all been there.

Not you specifically. Calm down.

I was basically telling the board look out, I'm going off topic.

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by Righty to Lefty

Name it...I'll put it on the list. Most short courses combat that by having small greens so I'm guessing this particular course is pretty much in that pedigree.  I don't hit driver unless I have to on the course.  I love playing to specific distances by taking iron off the tee...that was the main reason that my handicap dropped to where it is now.  I'm not buyin it til I see it because no matter how tricked out the course is...they would never put tour pros on a course that short today because they'd shoot 40 under over 4 days and the cut would at 10 under.

It's called Dusbsdread, in the heart of Orlando.

http://www.historicaldubsdread.com/

They used to put tour pros on the course. Hogan played it a lot. They have pics of him in the clubhouse. Doesn't have small greens, not tricked up. Just a challenging course.

You seem to be equating a "long" course to being a "hard" course. The pros will tell you the fallacy of that.

And btw, next year the US Open will be at Merion. Last I checked it's 6700 yards. I'm sure they'll lengthen it, but there's Example A of a challenging course that's not long.

[saevel25]

Main reason,

Smash Factor, meaning contact quality

Physical condition of the body, lack of join mobility and strength, and lack of core strength/power (including hips, thighs, gluts)

All of these can be improved upon. I know some people like Rory have god given talent, he probably has the fastest hip rotation in golf. But he doesn't look like it because he has amazing balance, and a very very flexibible golf swing. Look at Dustin Johnson, he doesn't look like he swings fast, but he's insanely strong and very flexible.

All of these things can be worked on, it just going to take time and effort. The major issue is physical condition. John Daly is the only golfer i have seen that hits the ball with a big gut (use to have a big gut). But he severely over swung, and had major wrist flexibility. Look at Rory, DJ, BW, there all reasonably fit, some extremely fit.

So i would loose the body fat, gain joint mobility and strength, and work on solid contact.

[pipergsm]

I think many golfers don't experiment enough with possibilities "outside the box".

they try to improve with techniques that are difficult to master for most people, or they simply keep on hitting balls without truly analyzing what they might be doing wrong.

as for myself, I've only recently started practicing my driver (teaching myself, the same way you did) and am unable to practice on a regular base, which makes it too early to really say anything about it.

However, I tend to analyze and experiment a lot, and I have good hopes that soon I will reach a decent average.

[Lihu]

I think many golfers don't experiment enough with possibilities "outside the box". they try to improve with techniques that are difficult to master for most people, or they simply keep on hitting balls without truly analyzing what they might be doing wrong. as for myself, I've only recently started practicing my driver (teaching myself, the same way you did) and am unable to practice on a regular base, which makes it too early to really say anything about it. However, I tend to analyze and experiment a lot, and I have good hopes that soon I will reach a decent average.

Not true. I don't consider myself outside the normal on this one, based on this forum and all the folks I have talked to on the range and courses. I have been playing golf for two and a half years and have gone through probably two dozen swings to find my right one. Once I found my right one, I needed to re-learn my irons again. At the start, I was 240 pounds and could naturally hit the ball against the back fence with a drive. This took enormous energy from me, and I looked like I was using all my strength. Irons were the same. I hit a 7 iron really far, like over 160 with a GI burner. Then the shoulder injury happened. Over stress and over use of these muscles combined with high scores made me re-think what I was doing. I went through 5 months of slowing down my swing and learning to swing with control, partially because of the pain in my shoulder. I also used my right side to experiment. Three months of floundering and hitting really short, I finally joined this forum. I started hitting right handed with more determination to hit correctly. I spent the last two months learning to swing correctly and to hit the balls correctly (for me). Now, I am finally able to put some hip rotation back into my swing. This is giving me tremendous power with only a nominal amount of effort. On top of that, I lost 45 pounds over the last 4 months or so due to the 400 to 500 swings I do per day. So, my swing evolved naturally with the weight loss. I am pretty sure, many other golfers go through the same thing, minus the shoulder injury and switching sides.

[colin007]

Originally Posted by Lihu

Irons were the same. I hit a 7 iron really far, like over 160 with a GI burner.

i was going to say something, but...nevermind....

[phan52]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

Then why would you play it at 7800 yards? That sounds like death march. I see no fun in that.

And by the way, a mini-rant, which is also a bit of a thread hijack. So you've been warned. -

I think a lot of golfers over-state how far they hit the ball. I'll start with myself. I hit it 240 off the tee. Two-forty. That sounds short, but it's a legit 240, and I'll play with guys & when I hit a drive they're like 'Wow! You really tagged that!' And I'll say yeah. 240. 'What? No way. That was 280.' No, it's not. It's 240. See? The hole is 380 & I'm 10 yards inside the 150. These same guys think they hit it 270, but more often than not, I'm the one hitting last into the green.

So it's guys like this that "think" they hit it like 300. They don't. And I've played a lot of golf with a lot of guys, some really good. And I would say that maybe 5 percent of the guys I've played with actually hit it 300. But I bet if you were to ask all of them, half probably think they hit it 300.

I call it the 'big dick' phenomenon.

LOL!! This. The people at my club who claim crazy length are hysterical. Our opening hole is a pretty wide open 360 yard hole with a bunker on the right that requires a 250 carry. The big hitters hit right at it and draw into the fairway over it. A few of them have hit it pin high on a hard, dry day (We used to have a PGA Tour event here until 1980 and the pros of the day never hit that green in 18 years of trying). The phonies hit it in that bunker or actually short of it. Me, I don't even see that bunker. It's out of play for me. I just want to hit it in the fairway and have a short iron in.

[timabe]

Originally Posted by David in FL

For most, I'd say it's honesty......

True that.  It seems like every time I meet someone who tells me they average 280 off the tee, I inevitably find that they are averaging a realistic 240 during a round.  They'll occasionally bomb one, but for the most part they are right at the same distance as me.  And I KNOW I don't hit more than 240 on average.  Age has taught me that 240 in the fairway beats 280 in the rough almost every time.

[Jimdangles]

Im more concerned with how the shorter hitters still enjoy golf. I play with my brother who is probably one of the guys that averages idk 230 240 but is usually  20 30 yards behind me in the fairway but hitting a hybrid in if im hitting like a 8 iron. I just imagine that would be so frustrating if I was hitting woods and hybrids into greens all day. I have enough frustration with some longer irons. I am impressed with anyone who can go out there even when this is the case. Golf is frustrating enough with driver short iron. If I was going driver wood Id hate it.

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by Jimdangles

Im more concerned with how the shorter hitters still enjoy golf. I play with my brother who is probably one of the guys that averages idk 230 240 but is usually  20 30 yards behind me in the fairway but hitting a hybrid in if im hitting like a 8 iron. I just imagine that would be so frustrating if I was hitting woods and hybrids into greens all day. I have enough frustration with some longer irons. I am impressed with anyone who can go out there even when this is the case. Golf is frustrating enough with driver short iron. If I was going driver wood Id hate it.

FWIW, I enjoy the shit out of it.

[Audaxi]

Originally Posted by Jimdangles

Im more concerned with how the shorter hitters still enjoy golf. I play with my brother who is probably one of the guys that averages idk 230 240 but is usually  20 30 yards behind me in the fairway but hitting a hybrid in if im hitting like a 8 iron. I just imagine that would be so frustrating if I was hitting woods and hybrids into greens all day. I have enough frustration with some longer irons. I am impressed with anyone who can go out there even when this is the case. Golf is frustrating enough with driver short iron. If I was going driver wood Id hate it.

Going driver iron is still quite possible with 230-240 driving distance. Unless you likely to play 400+ yard par 4's, a 240 yard drive will leave you with a 160 yard or less shot in. At 160, I'm hitting an smooth 7 and then you're hitting short irons on anything shorter than 400 yards. I only play 1 long course, therefore I have no need to be hitting it 270 yards and then having PW or shorter on a few holes at my local courses. I see no need to hit longer, so why should I want to just because?

[phan52]

Originally Posted by Jimdangles

Im more concerned with how the shorter hitters still enjoy golf. I play with my brother who is probably one of the guys that averages idk 230 240 but is usually  20 30 yards behind me in the fairway but hitting a hybrid in if im hitting like a 8 iron. I just imagine that would be so frustrating if I was hitting woods and hybrids into greens all day. I have enough frustration with some longer irons. I am impressed with anyone who can go out there even when this is the case. Golf is frustrating enough with driver short iron. If I was going driver wood Id hate it.

I love hitting hybrids onto greens and taking money away from guys who hit it 30-40 yards past me off the tee. I notice from your index that I would give you about 3-4 shots if we played. Why's that?

[zipazoid]

I find this thinly veiled pity for guys who don't hit it a mile a bit disturbing.

This game has always been, and always will be, about getting the ball in the hole in the fewest amount of strokes. So you go ahead & hit driver/wedge, I'll hit driver/7i. We will get to the green then putt. When we hole out, a number will be written on the card. This will be repeated 18 times.

Being a 5h, chances are good I'll shoot around a 78 - if a few putts drop, maybe as low as a 75. Based on your handicap, you'll likely shoot a number around what you should shoot.

Who really gives a damn how far you hit it off the tee?

"I hit it 290 off the tee."

"What did you shoot?"

"98"

"Your point?"

[Audaxi]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

I find this thinly veiled pity for guys who don't hit it a mile a bit disturbing.

This game has always been, and always will be, about getting the ball in the hole in the fewest amount of strokes. So you go ahead & hit driver/wedge, I'll hit driver/7i. We will get to the green then putt. When we hole out, a number will be written on the card. This will be repeated 18 times.

Being a 5h, chances are good I'll shoot around a 78 - if a few putts drop, maybe as low as a 75. Based on your handicap, you'll likely shoot a number around what you should shoot.

Who really gives a damn how far you hit it off the tee?

"I hit it 290 off the tee."

"What did you shoot?"

"98"

"Your point?"

Well said

[Lihu]

i was going to say something, but...nevermind....

Yes, I noticed my typo. That would be the only way I could hit that far with a 7 iron.