9 iron is 140 yards my drive is 220-240 so.....

[heggis]

9 iron is 140 yards my drive is 220-240. Is this normal?

i played with some people at my local course yesterday. When they were taking a 6 iron i was using a 9 iron however my drives where only as far as their drives.  When i first started i was fitted for my driver which is a high launch (guessing 12 or 13) loft with and is offset.

My question is have i outgrown my driver or am i expecting unrealistic distances with my driver?

many thanks

Luke

[rehmwa]

Depends on your clubs and lofts and shaft lengths, etc etc etc.  Do you have more detail?

My 9 is a 42 degree loft and a stiff shaft.  Nothing special with my setups/fittings....  For me, a typical clean straight hit/contact is about 135-140 (though occasionally a very pure contact will just fly past that).  My driver, is about 285 (clean straight hit/contact assumed) total - with a modern driver and 10.5, etc etc etc.  I think, from what I've seen, is that this is a normal matchup  (matching up head speeds vs typ shaft length, etc).

So you either have a very comfy swing with your irons and not your driver, or your 9 is build like an 8, or your driver has something wrong, or you just need some driver lessons, or something.

too many options to pick from.  But be happy with that iron performance.

[heggis]

First thanks for the reply. my 9 iron is a 40 degree loft with steel shafts. My ball flight is ok with my irons and normal with my current driver which as i say is a hi loft driver which must be 12 plus and a super felixy shaft.

I have been happy with my irons and this is why i have not addressed this until it was raised to me yesterday. w

What would you suggest to move forward and figure out if im fitted right?

Have a club fitting which is a fair bit cheaper than a lession?

[rehmwa]

I'd say wait for the others with more knowledge to come on.  I'm new.

40 degrees for me would be 8-1/2 iron  ; )  so 145ish (drive head speed of 105-110)

so if you are hitting driver head speed of 100-105-110, then a driver of 250-260 is not out of line.

so it's either your swing, or your equipment.....  but good that you have a good iron swing to build on anyway....

at those heads speeds (remember, I'm guessing here), the flexy shaft and the high loft, etc sounds a bit weak.  (unless you are able to adjust your tempo to accommodate), I'd demo some regular flex and stiff flex at the store - it's free and easy enough to see if there's a measurable difference.

[heggis]

Ok sounds like good advice thank you

[res0n0xg]

I think your number are off? You only hit your 9i 135-140 but hit your driver 285? I guess you could have a 100% perfect driver swing, perfect AoA, etc. to do that, but that just doesn't make sense. I carry my 9i 150-155 depending on flight and driver is about the same at 285. Maybe

In regards to you taking a 9i vs buddies taking a 6i, you hit your 9i slightly above average maybe, but someone hitting a 6i 140 is definitely below average, clubs can make a small part of that difference as well.

In the end, it sounds like you have a power leak with your driver and a "pure" shot should be 250 for you total distance, so you're likely hitting too high/low and have too much spin in one direction or the other.

[rehmwa]

Originally Posted by res0n0xg

I think your number are off? You only hit your 9i 135-140 but hit your driver 285? I guess you could have a 100% perfect driver swing, perfect AoA, etc. to do that, but that just doesn't make sense.

I think you went back and forth between his and mine.  But yeah, those are my numbers, consistent too.  And my drive is decent, but nothing perfect in there by any means.  reference the other thread:

and these numbers replicate on the range, on the course, on the Trackman - and the driver lines up with the tables posted here by the experts for distance vs head speed (also confirmed on the Trackman).

I could try to hammer the irons, but all these are just a very full backswing and followthrough and easy does it and that gets me optimal head speed.  (but, to your point, I can really knock the irons a bit farther when I work a more 'snappier' release - so I'll take your input and see if there's room for improvement on my shorter irons.....)  But I'm happy that the distances are consistent......

other wedges....

PW - 120

9 - 135  ("only"...... )

8 - 150

7 - 160

6 - 175.

5 - 185

4h - 210

5w - 220-230

3w - 240-260

dr - 285

those last four include rollout on a typical day - yeah, I have a few gaps in the line up that need a bit of work.  It's ok for a 46 year old with asthma and two bad knees.....

I think the OP is just operating a driver with too much flex for his swing though, and a LOT of loft he might not need....playing with drivers and shafts on the store simulators, followed by a new fitting seems to be an option for him

[TJBam]

Walk into a golf store and pick out some lower lofted drivers with both regular and steel shafts and see how they feel.  I think the problem is probably too much flex in your driver's shaft combined with being HT (high trajectory) costing you distance.  That being said:

If you're hitting fairways at 230 that's better than being 260 off the tee but going rough or OB on every third tee shot in my opinion.  So move up in shaft stiffness and lower your driver's loft until you lose accuracy.

I have found that my personal comfort spot is a high trajectory regular shaft.  I play a fade and I hit the fairway consistently, though my distance is a modest 230 on average.  But I don't lose strokes on dumb shit like taking 3 from the tee.  Point being accuracy should be the basis on which you're measuring the effectiveness of your driver when trying out new tools, not necessarily distance.

Edit: Let me add that my 9i is 135-140.  Stiff shaft.

[TJBam]

Originally Posted by rehmwa

I think you went back and forth between his and mine.  But yeah, those are my numbers, consistent too.  And my drive is decent, but nothing perfect in there by any means.  reference the other thread:

and these numbers replicate on the range, on the course, on the Trackman - and the driver lines up with the tables posted here by the experts for distance vs head speed (also confirmed on the Trackman).

I could try to hammer the irons, but all these are just a very full backswing and followthrough and easy does it and that gets me optimal head speed.  (but, to your point, I can really knock the irons a bit farther when I work a more 'snappier' release - so I'll take your input and see if there's room for improvement on my shorter irons.....)  But I'm happy that the distances are consistent......

other wedges....

PW - 120

9 - 135  ("only"......)

8 - 150

7 - 160

6 - 175.

5 - 185

4h - 210

5w - 220-230

3w - 240-260

dr - 285

those last four include rollout on a typical day - yeah, I have a few gaps in the line up that need a bit of work.  It's ok for a 46 year old with asthma and two bad knees.....

I think the OP is just operating a driver with too much flex for his swing though, and a LOT of loft he might not need....playing with drivers and shafts on the store simulators, followed by a new fitting seems to be an option for him

I agree with this and I'd recommend to OP that he try out the "used" drivers so that they aren't required to put on layers of masking tape.  That way his trackman results will be as accurate as possible.  Then he can buy new or used whichever is in his desired $ range.

[Dave2512]

A 9i is easy to hit and control compared to a driver. I hit my driver all over the place, it's not an equipment problem.

[rehmwa]

Originally Posted by Dave2512

A 9i is easy to hit and control compared to a driver. I hit my driver all over the place, it's not an equipment problem.

that's funny, I hit my driver straighter than my putter

.

.

.

.

.

but, if you've seen me putt, you wouldn't be surprised

[Vinchenzio45]

OP, I hit my 9 iron 135 yards and i drive the same distance.

[rehmwa]

Originally Posted by Vinchenzio45

OP, I hit my 9 iron 135 yards and i drive the same distance.

For your Driver -

try taking off the head cover - you might get a little more distance

also, making sure you hold the correct end of the club does a lot for distance AND accuracy

(I'm here to help)

[TourSpoon]

You definitely have room for improvement. My 40* 8 iron is my 150 club and my 2h gets out there 225. I'm guessing that a properly fitted driver should get you @ 230 carry with a 240-245 total given you hit the ball with ideal conditions.

[SloverUT]

Originally Posted by rehmwa

For your Driver -

try taking off the head cover - you might get a little more distance

also, making sure you hold the correct end of the club does a lot for distance AND accuracy

(I'm here to help)

If your goal is to be funny you need to try harder.

[rehmwa]

Originally Posted by SloverUT

If your goal is to be funny you need to try harder.

I bet you wear a Rolex and think cargo shorts are not in the 'image of golf'

actually - it's about the best I got.  perhaps you can raise the bar a bit.  I got nothin'

[SloverUT]

Originally Posted by rehmwa

I bet you wear a Rolex and think cargo shorts are not in the 'image of golf'

actually - it's about the best I got.  perhaps you can raise the bar a bit.  I got nothin'

I wear Cargo shorts.  No Rolex, but if I wore a watch I'd like to have a Rolex.

[rehmwa]

Originally Posted by SloverUT

I wear Cargo shorts.  No Rolex, but if I wore a watch I'd like to have a Rolex.

EXCELLENT - if we ever play golf, we may not know the time, but we'll be able to carry the score card and golf tees without any concern.  have a great week.