Single most lied about sports accomplishment

[B-Lo Golfer]

I've thought hard about this trying to come up with a rival #1 answer and I just can't do it.

Being able to drive the ball 300 yards is the single most lied about athletic feat in all of sports.

It would be a significantly greater accomplishment to get a hole in one than drive the ball 300 yards but, to me at least, the number of people who lie about that is substantially less than those who claim they can drive it 300. And I can't think of another #1 answer that would challenge the 300 yard drive from any other sport.

Is it the macho thing? Or the fact that so many people play golf, or what is it? Or do you think people lie about something else more?

[whip_it_out]

Lack of skill makes people want to be better than you, or everyone in someone. Lying is the easiest way to do it

[pennywise]

Definitally the most lied about golf accomplishment. I've been playing golf for about 16 years and I've driven the ball 300 yards no more than 3-4 times total ( and once was a 3-iron downhill on a course that was like playing on concrete so it shouldn't count ). I don't think I've done it for about 10 years.

However, I've played with pleanty of people who will claim that they drive the ball 300+ but they still seem to only drive it about the same distance I do ( about 240, 265-270 on a rare occasion if the conditions are good and I hit it perfect ).

I think part of it is that people think they *should* be able to drive it 300. That combined with ego and confirmation bias leads people to think they drive it longer than they do.

[DJYoshi]

i'd agree with the 300 yard drive. you can't lie about taking a baseball yard.... and i'll be the 1st to admit when i played competitive ball, i couldn't get anything on the fly past 300 feet.

I've had 9 countable 300 yard drives. of course they were with wind and lots of roll. but on avg i'm 265/270. I'm curious b/c i haven't had my ss measured since i started last year and got fitted for my clubs.

it's hard to argue the 300 yard capability b/c there's a bunch of factors involved... BUT when I see someone warm up, see the clubhead speed that's generated..you can kind of figure based on your own swing how fast they're swinging.

if they swing like a hack on the other hand, with no form, consistency, power transfer capability, then you can pretty much figure that's a negative.

[Smallville]

The longest drive I ever had was "probably" well over 300 yards (it was just coming down when it went over the trees and way off the fairway about 250 yards away the tree measurement was with the ol' Bushnell). Unfortunately, I never found it. My other super long drive went about 90 degrees straight left off the tee and headed to the interstate. Don't know how long it was but it looked like a drive you see at a pro tournament (rose slowly, seemed to go forever)! There's no way I can say what my longest drive ever was because I never found either!

I think the biggest lie actually is how long that putt really was!

[Bourbon and Coke]

People lie about driving distance more than holes in one because it's at least somehow related to your ability. Being able to drive the ball further implies, on the surface, greater skill. A hole in one basically amounts to luck.

[N.V.M.]

I've thought hard about this trying to come up with a rival #1 answer and I just can't do it.

how about " i aced a 308 yd par 4? " hahaha, j/k.

[Garnet Haze]

Ego definitely has a lot to do with it. But I think the use of GPS on courses helps golfers realize how far they actually hit the ball off the tee. Before then, most folks would use yardages on the course to determine their spectacular 300 yards drives. For example, the tee marker indicates the hole is 395 - I have less than 100 to the center of the green - therefore, I must have hit a 300 yard drive. However, these golfers forget that the distances are through the center of the fairway and they've cut off about 50 yards of that distance by taking the drive over the corner on a slight dogleg right.

[yeis20]

Could be, but I think people make up stories more about what they shot for a round or a hole a lot more then a 300 yd drive.

Besides, anyone with half a brain would realize after playing even 1 round that even if you drive a 320 yd par 4, the person that was on in 2 and made the birdie putt is a much better player then you after you 3/4 putt the hole.

[DGart09]

Bingo! You've hit the nail on the head. I've only seen one person do it consistently, but he's tall, skinny, flexible and lanky. Not to mention he's been playing for about 15 years, so he's definitely skilled. That being said, I can only get it to about 250 or 275 when I'm so so lucky!

[Fraser]

When you say accomplishment do you mean as a one off or knocking it 300yrds+ several times per round?

[Jay-Bird]

How many people out there lie about there game in other ways. Do you play "winter rules" 365 days a year? Do you putt out the short ones (or count it if you miss a short putt)?

I hit 300 yard drives every so often. I've driven greens of 305, 320 and 340 (big wind) this year. Unless my ball is being moved by some unknown force of nature, I'm believing my results. I also had two holes-in-one when I was 17, but none since.

I play everything down, putt out the short ones and count penalty strokes.

No lie.

[dgun]

Oh, I can hit the ball 300 yards. As long as you don't expect it to be in the fairway.

As far as lying sports accomplishments, don't forget about fishing lies. Those are some of the biggest lies of all. If you count fishing as a sport, which I do.

[jaw1978]

I think it is instructive how golf salespeople react when I ask for an x shaft. They give me a little eye roll and hand me the club. Same thing happened yesterday at a Ping demo day. After asking for the x and getting the standard "sure that's what you need" look, the guy said that nearly every time someone asks for that shaft, it isn't the one for them. Apparently, everyone thinks their clubhead speed is 120+.

I won't say that I hit my drives straight all the time, but I do hit them long (sometimes a long way OB). But I can probably count on one hand the number of "I hit my drives 300 yards" guys that have rolled it past 275 when I was paired with them. I really think that guys think if they caught it really well and they swung hard, it must have gone 300. Not happening. I play a lot of tournament golf, and probably only 20% of my competitors hit it 300+ and there is no way a 15+ handicap will hit it 300 without some cart path involvement.

[Fraser]

there is no way a 15+ handicap will hit it 300 without some cart path involvement.

Isn't that like saying there's no way a 30 handicap player could get a hole in one, or two putt every green? Hitting a one off 300yrd drive isn't rocket science, you basically just need a lot of strength...

On Wednesday I drove off the back of a straight 310yrd hole without hitting it onto the cart path, without a tail wind, or having a downhill advantage. I just chose to go nuts on the thing, versus just hitting it hard, and it paid off for me. Admittedly that's not normal for me and I don't claim to be a 300yrd hitter (I'm usually around 260yrds) but sometimes it just happens for us peons. I blame my handicap on just being useless around the greens

[ganjagolfer]

"i hit my pitching wedge 150 yards"

[bigoak]

Working many years at a booth at too many Golfshows in the northeast, we'd ask " how far do you hit your driver now?" " about 300 yards ." We had a demo area with a hitting mat and net and most of these people couldn't hit it 300 yards on the Target parking lot you're right about the 300 yard drive accomplishment.

[Rugger]

there is no way a 15+ handicap will hit it 300 without some cart path involvement.

Yeah, stupid comment. I can consistently hit 300+ (straightness depending on the day) and I'm above a 15 handicap. Reason? Sucking at everything else.