20+ handicappers hitting 300 yards (mild rant)

[Bump-n-MI]

[alcorn]

I'm sure someone has already said it but if your a +20 handicap and you can hit the ball 300 or further then you've got bigger problems than your drive (iron shots, chipping, or heck maybe you suck at putting). I've seen 20 handicappers hit the ball 300 (in every direction) but then I see their handicap and it no longer is intimidating. My advice to the people characterized by the the title of this thread... you've got one tool that you need to get good, start developing the rest of your game.

[mdvaldosta]

I would agree, honestly I was one of those 300 yard hitters with a 20 (or higher) handicap. I played baseball growing up and had a helluva swing, about 115mph and a nasty slice to go along with it. I ended up playing golf on the high school team as a senior, and improved alot (probably finished as a 15 capper but didn't track it then). Was nicknamed "Happy" as the movie was popular around then.

At any rate, I frequently either bombed the shot into the woods (1-2 strokes right there) or if I did hit the short grass I'd end up hitting it fat or pull/pushing it. Even if I hit the green in reg I'd end up 3 or even 4 putting it.

My point is that pretty much every 300 yard hitter was a duffer at some point unless you grew up playing golf as a kid. Maybe many of you did, I don't know. I'm sure there are alot, in fact I play with a guy who hits the ball farther than me and he's probably a 15-18.

In the end, it's not how far you hit it though. You may look cool on the driving range but when it comes to putting up the numbers I'd rather have a good short game instead.

[Fourputt]

GPS units aren't really accurate I have found for counting drives.

A GPS is more accurate for measuring a drive than a laser unless you have an accurate target to sight in. I have both, and I measure my tee shots with the GPS, I measure for layup and approach shots with the laser. The laser can't usually pick up a ball in the fairway, and can rarely see a tee marker accurately from where the ball ended up. The GPS is generally a better choice because you can just press the "mark" button where you actually hit the shot from then read the number where your ball lies. In that relatively short period of time, the GPS is usually going to be within a yard because it's still reading the same satellites the whole time. Most GPS error comes in as the satellites move out of range and the receiver changes the ones that it uses for a fix.

I always check for the number markings on the course where to start counting, not the scorecard, and then I check distance with where I wind up using the 200, 175, 150, 125, 100 markers on the sides of the fairways. This is good enough for me.

This is one of the worst ways to "measure" a drive. Those markers are measured to the green, usually to the center. How do you determine where they are off the tee? Using the score card, or the hole signs on the tee? That is a meaningless number unless A) the hole is dead straight... and B) the overall length was measured accurately in a straight line from the tee to the green. Any variance, even a slight dogleg or an inflated scorecard distance (courses do this more often than you'd think, just to stroke their egos), and your calculated distance is worthless. My home course has very accurate fairway markers for green approach shots, but trying to measure a drive by using them is a waste of time.

[grantc79]

your handicap isn't directly correlated with how far you can hit or drive a ball. i was paired up with a couple single digit hc'ers last week who could only drive the ball 200yds MAX. they were also in their 70s and could get up and down on nearly every hole. there are also younger golfers who can do this as well. just because your new DYMO driver can't get you to 300yds doesn't mean that somebody who plays to a handicap doubled yours can't do it.

Yup, your handicap isn't directly correlated with how far you can drive a ball.

But how far you can drive the ball is directly correlated by how good your fundamentals. Those same fundamentals directly correlate to how good of a iron and short game you will have. In reality, until you show some proof I think you are all just internet superstars. SOOOO, lets see your 300 yard drive swing. Also I like my "DYMO" driver because I play on a tight course and I hit the ball plenty far already. I prefer fairways over everything else personally.

[grantc79]

I would agree, honestly I was one of those 300 yard hitters with a 20 (or higher) handicap. I played baseball growing up and had a helluva swing, about 115mph and a nasty slice to go along with it. I ended up playing golf on the high school team as a senior, and improved alot (probably finished as a 15 capper but didn't track it then). Was nicknamed "Happy" as the movie was popular around then.

Not to pick on you but here is another scenario that isn't really feasible.

You say you SLICE a ball 300 yards. Do you realize that slicing a ball will rob you of 40+ yards of distance? So basically that means if you can slice one 300 you can hit one straight 340....... Look I'm not accusing you all of being evil people who lie, cheat, steal and kick puppies all day long. However, I do think you should spend a few hours at a local golf store and realize that 90% of the people who are asked by a sales rep "how far do you hit your driver" and the standard reply is "oh about 300". Now stop and realize that you are the internet version of those people. So how about any of you 300 yard 20 handicap bombers post a video of your swings?

[Pinseeker81]

...I hit the ball plenty far already...

What's your average?

[Fat Slice]

This thread is interesting in how it lays bare people's psychological infirmities. I played 36 holes yesterday, including a 311 yard (twice) and a 299 yard hole (twice). Know how far I drove those four times?

I'm not telling!

[jones]

A GPS is more accurate for measuring a drive than a laser unless you have an accurate target to sight in. I have both, and I measure my tee shots with the GPS, I measure for layup and approach shots with the laser. The laser can't usually pick up a ball in the fairway, and can rarely see a tee marker accurately from where the ball ended up. The GPS is generally a better choice because you can just press the "mark" button where you actually hit the shot from then read the number where your ball lies. In that relatively short period of time, the GPS is usually going to be within a yard because it's still reading the same satellites the whole time. Most GPS error comes in as the satellites move out of range and the receiver changes the ones that it uses for a fix.

I mainly play on city courses and city courses don't have an "ego" where they will inflate the scorecard. They are packed full of all types of players all the time because the price is right in the middle of a busy area. At the tee box there are stone distances (which often differ from the scorecard), for example "481" yards, planted in the ground and are not moveable. They measure to the center of the green, I've asked before. The 200, 150, 100 yard posts are also planted in the ground and are inserted in concrete on the sides of the fairways. In between the posts are yard markers in the middle of the fairway that intersect the posts, and there are also 75, 125, and 175 yard markers in the fairway -- its a rather good system and it makes it rather easy to measure distance from the center of the green. Flagpost color marks where on the green the hole is (back, center, front). When it comes to doglegs, downward sloping holes, raised tee boxes, etc -- I take all this into account. City courses generally don't' have these advantages for distance. Many of the holes are dead straight, which makes it rather easy to measure your distance off the tee. Off the top of my head at one local course, in the first 9 holes the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 9th (elevated a bit) are all straight for over the first 300 yards. I play at some courses where you can't count on the fairway markers at all so I understand what you are getting at. At this type of course, it is pretty much impossible to measure distance and the messed up distance markers makes approach shots rather tedious. I have seen a consistency on these posts which many people seem to be taking lightly -- that people who have previously played other swinging sports, for me its baseball, already have the main parts of the swing down. It is easier for me to hit my driver 285 yards on the fairway or slightly off it than it is for me to hit it 40 feet from the hole from 150 out. With the driver, it never touches the ground so the shot does not need to be perfect, you just need a connection which is very similar to baseball. When hitting with irons, you must hit the ball in the ground at the precise time to get a clean hit or else you will hit it fat or thin. For me, it is easier to hit the driver cleanly than it is to hit my irons. The driver swing came first, now I am working on the irons. For those that have been playing baseball for a long time the golf swing comes naturally. I am not saying all baseball players will be hitting the ball 300 yards, but I am saying that hitting a driver will come easier than most.

[Neco]

You can have a fundamentally sound swing and have just started playing like I did and be able to hit the ball extremely well 1 out of 10 or 2 out of 10 or like I do which is about 50%.

I think you just have an ego problem rather then a problem wrapping your head logically around the fact that someone who isn't a well rounded golf player hitting the ball 300 yards. IT can be done and is done all the time.

Getting it in the fairway and then in GIR all the time at 300 yards is a completely different thing as you well know.

[Fourputt]

I mainly play on city courses and city courses don't have an "ego" where they will inflate the scorecard. They are packed full of all types of players all the time because the price is right in the middle of a busy area.

All I can tell you is that if you haven't measured it yourself, then you really don't know how far you've hit the ball. Just because someone tells you that the hole is accurately measured, doesn't make it so.

[denver_nuggs_15]

Curious that when I'm playing with one of the 300 yarders they're usually hitting the same club for their second shot as I am and we're not chipping back to the green after flying it. I think most people just don't have a clue how far they hit it.

IMO, better golfers know their distance much better than higher handicappers. They are usually more consistent and have a more repeatable swing. For the most part though, most of the people that I've seen (approx. 60-70 rounds caddying/year x 4 years + all my golfing) don't know their distances...at all. Club short here, can't clear the bunker in the fairway there, woops short again, etc.

I am relatively bad at putting and not the greatest at the short game. Hell, I don't even strike the ball very consistently at the moment but I will tell you that I have developed a swing that is fundamentally sound with correct hip turn and my hands are in front of the ball.

This confuses me so much. How can someone have a fundamentally sound swing and not have under a 20 handicap? Don't blame it on short game or putting because I have those issues too (worst putting through 9 this year for me: 23 putts with 1 GIR). I would guess that your "fundamentally sound swing" is not as fundamentally sound as you think it is.

You don't have to have a well developed game in order to swing the club fundamentally sound and hit it long from time to time.

The key is "from time to time." I think that a 20 handicap

can hit a 300 yard drive once in a blue moon, but mistakes happen. I do not think that a 20 handicap can average 300 off the tee. They are completely different. I think almost anyone can hit a 300 yard drive, but AVERAGING 300 is out of the question for almost anyone.

[Mr3Putt]

I have been playing golf for almost 20 years.

I have played with all types and handicaps. Too many rounds to count.

During all that time I can think of just a handful of players who could consistently drive the ball 290-300 yards.

I can think of hundreds who tell me they can do it, but very, very few who actually can.

One I particularly remember was a club professional. I was hitting some of the best drives of my life at that time and his ball was taking satellite photos of mine.

300 yards is a HUGE tee shot. Too many people think they know how far it is and are extremely disappointed when their 300 yard shots are measured with a GPS and turn out to be under 250. (I mean well under)

When you have the opportunity download google earth and find your golf course. There's a measuring tool as part of the GE software. You can then find your teebox and you should know about where your balls usually land on your course. Measure them and get back to me.

[jones]

All I can tell you is that if you haven't measured it yourself, then you really don't know how far you've hit the ball. Just because someone tells you that the hole is accurately measured, doesn't make it so.

Just used someone's idea of google mapping the course. Great idea by the way! The distances are pretty spot on.

[NM Golf]

I played 80+ 18 hole rounds of golf last year. In addition to that I played a ton of late 9's or even 4-5 holes. In those rounds I must have played with 60-70 different people as I often just go out as a single in the summertime when all my buddies have to work. Out of those people I saw nobody that could hit the ball 300 yards. Nobody! I work at a golf course and have to marshall on occasion when we have tournaments. During those marshaling shifts I have seen 1-2 people that could maybe hit the ball 300 yards on occasion.

Too many people are like the fool I beat on the longest drive hole in a scramble last year. I hit it 30+ yards past him. We used my buddies GPS and measured it at 310. This guy goes bezerk at the awards dinner saying I was a liar and there was no way I hit it past him because he had hit that drive 350. I couldn't believe it his drive was maybe 275 and this knucklehead thought he had hit it 350!

I hit the ball 300 yards most of the time. I have no idea what my average is because its a non-stat. I just know that when I check it, or more often other people check it, I have hit it over 300. That being said its a rarity that anyone I play with is within 40 yards of me.

Its a joke people have no idea how far 300 yards really is. I have always had a high swing speed, and even I couldn't sniff 300 yards until I was at least a 12 handicap. I did not have the ability to make good enough contact.

So get over it, there is nothing wrong with hitting the ball 275. If you hit anything over 250 you are probably outdriving 90% of the people you play with anyway. If being long is that important to your ego, buy some extenze, because all the luck in the world isn't going to let you hit the ball 300 yards.

[flopdarock]

Did you actually measure the drive or did you just eyeball it?

first off... ive never claimed to be a long baller... heck im happy getting it 230-240... and the guys ive played against arent related or my friends so its not in my benefit to brag about them except that they hit it way farther than i did... and i still beat them by more than a few strokes... more like 10+ strokes and im a mid/high handicap...

secondly... you do realize tour players hit it farther than 300 right? 340-350 is realistic... they just dont do it cuz its more trouble than its worth to bomb balls... remax long drivers are beyond 400 yards now... yet i dont see any of them beating the pants off of tiger... with the logic that you have... the remax long driving champ should be kicking tigers ass on tour because his fundamentals are much much much stronger than tigers

[jones]

I played 80+ 18 hole rounds of golf last year. In addition to that I played a ton of late 9's or even 4-5 holes. In those rounds I must have played with 60-70 different people as I often just go out as a single in the summertime when all my buddies have to work. Out of those people I saw nobody that could hit the ball 300 yards. Nobody! I work at a golf course and have to marshall on occasion when we have tournaments. During those marshaling shifts I have seen 1-2 people that could maybe hit the ball 300 yards on occasion.

So basically you are the only person you have played with that can hit it 300 yards. I find that hard to believe. I generally remember really good players that I play with and I do not play as often as you. Off the top of my I can think of 4 people that I played with that hit over 300 yards.

[jrm1493]

One time I hit it 310 (gps verified), that was with roll and about a 25mph tailwind... all the stars aligned and it was just a freak occurrence, so it is possible. I typically hit it about 230-240 and I outdrive most of the 15-30 handicappers I play with. One guy I play with is around a 25 and hits it a bit farther than me, but he has a poor short game. He usually gets about 1 a round in the 300 range, with lots of OB and such thrown in as well. I think that is where the 300 yard stories come from - one time the stars aligned and they got it out there and from now on they are 300 yard drivers.