Club you hit the furthest ... on average

[jfrain2004]

Having a post round discussion after our weekly 4 ball the topic of "what club do you hit the furthest, on average" came up.I immediatly thought, strange question, it's prob not the obvious answer. Say you use your driver 8 times in a round and you hit it 250 each of the first 7 times, avg = 250. But hit it oob on the 8th and your 3rd off the tee then goes 250 as usual, then your average now = (8 x 250 )/10 = 200 yards. Now 250 yrds is very good driving any day of the week but with even one oob shot in every 8, your average is now down to 200. It also appears Jack N once said the longest club on average for a low handicap golfer is a 5 or 6 iron.
Reading some posts here I find it very amusing that some 20+ handicappers claim average driving distances of 270 upwards. These people must have terrible short games.
Any low handicappers here who play irons off the tee unless there is a chance of making the green in one on a par 4 or 2 on a par 5 as this has always been my game strategy?

[Shindig]

Having a post round discussion after our weekly 4 ball the topic of "what club do you hit the furthest, on average" came up.I immediatly thought, strange question, it's prob not the obvious answer. Say you use your driver 8 times in a round and you hit it 250 each of the first 7 times, avg = 250. But hit it oob on the 8th and your 3rd off the tee then goes 250 as usual, then your average now = (8 x 250 )/10 = 200 yards. Now 250 yrds is very good driving any day of the week but with even one oob shot in every 8, your average is now down to 200. It also appears Jack N once said the longest club on average for a low handicap golfer is a 5 or 6 iron.

In the absence of wind, I hit my driver the farthest - maybe 210 yards. At least, I do now. Once I stopped trying to hit it as far as I can, and just swung easy, I find the fairway more often than not and I can't remember the last time I hit a driver O.B.. If my iron distance increases - and my 5-iron is a meager 143 yards - and my driver loses accuracy, I'll certainly move down to a 4-iron off the tee unless green-under-regulation becomes a likelihood for the hole.

[neudi]

Having a post round discussion after our weekly 4 ball the topic of "what club do you hit the furthest, on average" came up.I immediatly thought, strange question, it's prob not the obvious answer. Say you use your driver 8 times in a round and you hit it 250 each of the first 7 times, avg = 250. But hit it oob on the 8th and your 3rd off the tee then goes 250 as usual, then your average now = (8 x 250 )/10 = 200 yards. Now 250 yrds is very good driving any day of the week but with even one oob shot in every 8, your average is now down to 200. It also appears Jack N once said the longest club on average for a low handicap golfer is a 5 or 6 iron.

At my home course I will pull my driver out about 6 or 7 times a round, par 72, 7060 yards...its just not worth it to hit it more because I can put a 3 iron 260 yards down the fairway...as far as what club I hit the farthest on average I would probably go with a longer iron b/c of the fact that you are hitting it from 220+ and I won't hit them with trouble in the way.

[JaY_B]

Wish I could hit a 3 iron 260 down the middle, gym will be used, tonight.

I probably do hit my driver the longest on average at about 260 - 270, I'm a short but straight hitter.

[Bowker]

Of course my driver is the club I hit the longest consistently, but surprisingly I can hit my pitching wedge between 140-150 yds. on average.

[TourSpoon]

I hit the driver the farthest at 260-270 at sea level. I will generally hit a club off the tee that would ideally leave me with 90-140 yards and a good angle. I usually do not hit driver if I know that it will leave me a shorter shot. I prefer 100 yards to 50 yards any day.

[lamebums]

Having a post round discussion after our weekly 4 ball the topic of "what club do you hit the furthest, on average" came up.I immediatly thought, strange question, it's prob not the obvious answer. Say you use your driver 8 times in a round and you hit it 250 each of the first 7 times, avg = 250. But hit it oob on the 8th and your 3rd off the tee then goes 250 as usual, then your average now = (8 x 250 )/10 = 200 yards. Now 250 yrds is very good driving any day of the week but with even one oob shot in every 8, your average is now down to 200. It also appears Jack N once said the longest club on average for a low handicap golfer is a 5 or 6 iron.

I hit a drive about 280, I'd estimate. I'm not entirely sure what it is because my new driver's only been hit in the winter. When the weather breaks (Drive an SUV so global warming means no winter, please...), I'll check it out. Actual average can't be more than 200, though. At least recently...if you count the one that smacked a tree and bounced back at me down the cart path, finishing a mere 80 yards away...

As to hitting an iron off the tee, I should, and would probably score better if I did. Usually, I'm thinking the hell with it, I'll hit it as far as I can. I figure I'll get up and down from 30 yards more often than from 100, anyway. That invariably lands me in places the designer never even imagined a golf ball could be hit to. Edit: Long drives and high handicappers don't necessarily mean a bad short game. Long and wrong is just as bad as four-putting every green.

[cwo2lt]

My putter!

[extremeld]

daft question, unless you are a hacker OF COURSE you hit your driver furthest



wouldnt try and outdrive someone with my 5 iron (usually can though)


kenny

[Big_M]

daft question, unless you are a hacker OF COURSE you hit your driver furthest

I am going to have to agree. Not to mention if you hammer a drive 290, but it goes OB, do you not still hit your driver further? I know you have to re-tee, but this is besides the point. I have hit pretty much all my clubs OB at some point.

The question is kind of dumb... any intelligent golfer will hit the club that they feel has the best potential for putting them in a position to make a good score. If that means a 2 iron to a tight fairway, so be it. If I have a 410 yard par 4... I would need to hit 4-iron, 4-iron using the suggested strategy... If I hit driver I will be sitting there with a 8-iron in my hand... I know I personally can put my 8-ron from 150 closer than most 4-irons from 200+. My point is... the OP's suggestion of using irons off the tee is only for hacks, and even many 20 cappers, are probably better off with driver, especially when today they make super forgiving 460cc drivers and most come in lofts of up to 14-16 degrees.

[bohl]

What about the 3 wood? I prefer that most of the time. its probably only 15 yards shorter than my driver and more reliable. And when you consider my occasional pull with the driver that hits a tree and drops straight down, im sure the 3w is longer on average. plus, you can get away with the 3 wood when your buddies still hit driver but hit an iron and you'll never hear the end of it. at least in our games anyway. besides, driver is so much more fun to hit so unless its a tournament I say bomb away.

[cwo2lt]

What about the 3 wood? I prefer that most of the time. its probably only 15 yards shorter than my driver and more reliable. And when you consider my occasional pull with the driver that hits a tree and drops straight down, im sure the 3w is longer on average. plus, you can get away with the 3 wood when your buddies still hit driver but hit an iron and you'll never hear the end of it. at least in our games anyway. besides, driver is so much more fun to hit so unless its a tournament I say bomb away.

My home course has too many doglegs to hit driver off every tee, most of them you will drive through if you hit 260+ so 3 wood is the more logical choice.

[123golfer]

driver, easily. I also though hit my hybrid as far as my 5-wood, interestingly enough...

[jfrain2004]

To Big_M
Dumb question you say, but you at least acknowledge that you are more likely to be OB with a driver than an iron. Of course all shots must count, an OB 300 yarder with a driver = ZERO yards. A 150 punt with a 6 iron = 150 yards. My club of choice would be a 5 iron, avg of 180 -185 yrds, ie that is the longest hitting club in my bag after I add up the risk vs reward of using any longer club.

[jfrain2004]

or I will rephrase that, a 300 yrd OB drive with the 3 rd off the tee going 270 yrds = avg distance of a meagre 90 yrds .... !

[Big_M]

To Big_M

never said I'm more likely to hit driver OB, and I probably only do something like that every sixth round or so. Average wise... even counting in the foolish method you suggest... I hit driver the farthest.

I just noticed you're the same guy complaining about headcovers... you are an IDIOT. Your suggestions are rediculous. I would score much worse playing with irons or hybrids off the tee on every hole. It would likely cost me 2-5 strokes per round. I guess if I was playing the senior tees like you do it might make sense... no wonder you dislike headcovers... you don't carry a driver to put one on.

[extremeld]

seriously

all answers should pretty much just be driver or 3 wood!

anything else is reeeeediicuuuloooouuuussss


kenny

[giantbear]

If you think its an easy question to answer, you are not understanding the question. It is asking which club has the highest AVERAGE. Not potential. So if you hit your driver ob, that is a zero figuring into your average since it nets zero yards. Duff your driver 50 yards on a hole, that figures into the average too. The reason higher handicappers will have an iron as their longest average club is due to the lower duffed shots figuring into the average. Yes, most will have the potential to hit their driver longest, but if you average out length per shot, is it still your driver??