20+ handicappers hitting 300 yards (mild rant)

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

I would say 5-10% could be the difference in 30 yards. I mean, that's all of what, 10 mph swing speed difference?

And I agree, that's why I posted that one specifically. The one drive I found of Bubba that was full bore all out trying to crush it. And it went over 360 yards.

...And the course conditions could have had a significant impact.

I can't tell much from that video.  However, I know that when you watch some of these bombers on flat, wet courses where the ball nearly plugs after landing, they don't get nearly the distances that we see them get on other courses with dry, windy and firm conditions that allow them to carry bunkers 300 yards out and end up with drives of 340+.  You rarely hear the announcers talk about their driving distances on those (wet) days.

There was a tournament last season where guys were letting loose on a particular par 5.  Don't remember the tournament, and I'm not sure if it was an official PGA event.  Anyway, they had a swing speed analyzer on the tee box and we got to see Tiger, Bubba and DJ all rip their drives.  Bubba and DJ really went after theirs, and their swing speeds I believe were in the 124-127 range.  The carry was like 290-ish if I remember correctly.  Tiger was just a bit behind them with a 122-124 swing speed and about the same carry.

[Harmonious]

A 290 carry is around average for the PGA tour's LONGEST hitters, like Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson. The 320+ yard drives are due to conditions, as bplewis says.  Tour fairways are set up to play fast so, unless it rains, 40-50 yard rollouts are not uncommon.

On the Bubba video posted earlier, I tried to catch where his drive landed. It looked to be relatively close to the end of the right hand bunker, which was 302 from the tee.  So, on that day, playing from a slightly elevated teebox (Torrey #13), hitting downwind, he carried in the 305 range.  That sounds like an average downwind, elevated tee ball for him. The remaining 50+ yards is roll. Why Kostis and McCord were creaming their jeans, I have no idea.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by Harmonious

A 290 carry is around average for the PGA tour's LONGEST hitters, like Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson. The 320+ yard drives are due to conditions, as bplewis says.  Tour fairways are set up to play fast so, unless it rains, 40-50 yard rollouts are not uncommon.

On the Bubba video posted earlier, I tried to catch where his drive landed. It looked to be relatively close to the end of the right hand bunker, which was 302 from the tee.  So, on that day, playing from a slightly elevated teebox (Torrey #13), hitting downwind, he carried in the 305 range.  That sounds like an average downwind, elevated tee ball for him. The remaining 50+ yards is roll. Why Kostis and McCord were creaming their jeans, I have no idea.

What are you watching? Either I'm missing something, or that ball is hitting, and ending up withing 10 yards of where it lands. At least from my view. Maybe I'm not looking at it right?

[GingerGolfer]

You have to understand that these guys can easily carry it 300. Bubba has a 44" driver, and if you notice his average this year is right around 300 yards, leading me to believe he has put more of a premium on accuracy. I've seen drives where they flush it and carry it 300 easily, hell at the Greenbrier classic Bubba had 290 out and he carried a 4 wood onto the green. If he went after all his drives I'm pretty sure they'd be out there well over 300.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by Harmonious

On the Bubba video posted earlier, I tried to catch where his drive landed. It looked to be relatively close to the end of the right hand bunker, which was 302 from the tee.  So, on that day, playing from a slightly elevated teebox (Torrey #13), hitting downwind, he carried in the 305 range.  That sounds like an average downwind, elevated tee ball for him. The remaining 50+ yards is roll. Why Kostis and McCord were creaming their jeans, I have no idea.

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

What are you watching? Either I'm missing something, or that ball is hitting, and ending up withing 10 yards of where it lands. At least from my view. Maybe I'm not looking at it right?

You guys are both wrong. ;)  The cameraman stops panning down before the ball has hit the ground.  It does look like it's really close to touching down when it goes off the screen, but there's no way to tell.  Harmonious is correct that the end of the bunker is about 305.  The point in the fairway where the ball goes off the screen is about 310, and when they go back to the ball sitting in the fairway, it's somewhere around 360-365.  (I used the edge of the patch of iceplant to the right of the fairway as a reference).  So based only on what we know for sure ... he had anywhere from 0-50 yards of roll on that drive.  Since that fairway pitches downhill and that ball was screaming, I'm gonna guess it's closer to the 50.

So we're talking about something like a 315 yard carry or so.  Now, turn that around on a slightly uphill, upwind shot on a soggy day and it's easy to imagine he could cream one "only" out to 290 or so to bring that average back to earth all the while still swinging at 95%-100%.

Side note:  Knowing how tight they cut the fairways on tour and if the course was dry, he is really not that far from the beginning of the big dip ... which could have put his ball at the spot where they usually lay up (about a 420 yard drive) ;)

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

What are you watching? Either I'm missing something, or that ball is hitting, and ending up withing 10 yards of where it lands. At least from my view. Maybe I'm not looking at it right?

I know you were responding to Harmonious, but like I said, I can't tell a whole lot from the vid (I never saw the ball land...and the camera appears to stop for some reason).

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

So based only on what we know for sure ... he had anywhere from 0-50 yards of roll on that drive.

Way to narrow it down, Mr. Engineer!

[Lihu]

Here's my 300 yard drive from a 20+ HC:

Of course, what's missing is the fact that I am hitting from the top of a hill into the valley below. Probably 70 yards or more of elevation loss, that was the steepest cart path I ever went down. I think I hit a sprinkler head as well, but I didn't really see the ball below the horizon due to the houses that were the same color as the ball. I knew it was my ball because it had my triple mark in sharpie on it.

[RayG]

Here's my 300 yard drive from a 20+ HC: [URL=http://thesandtrap.com/content/type/61/id/82265/] [/URL] Of course, what's missing is the fact that I am hitting from the top of a hill into the valley below. Probably 70 yards or more of elevation loss, that was the steepest cart path I ever went down. I think I hit a sprinkler head as well, but I didn't really see the ball below the horizon due to the houses that were the same color as the ball. I knew it was my ball because it had my triple mark in sharpie on it. :roll:

Play it forward.... a 20+.. from the tips?

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by RayG

Play it forward....

a 20+.. from the tips?

Nothing wrong with playing from the tips if you can maintain pace of play and depending on the length of the course from the tips. I still shot my handicap from the tips on a course because it was only 6300 yds from the tips.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by RayG

Play it forward....

a 20+.. from the tips?

For guys with the distance, it doesn't make a huge difference. I can play on a 6000 or 7000 yard course, and likely shoot the same score.

I'll birdie a 440 yard par 4, and follow it up with a double bogey on a 350 yard one.

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

For guys with the distance, it doesn't make a huge difference. I can play on a 6000 or 7000 yard course, and likely shoot the same score.

I'll birdie a 440 yard par 4, and follow it up with a double bogey on a 350 yard one.

I almost always play better on longer holes/courses. It's strange.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

I almost always play better on longer holes/courses. It's strange.

I won't go that far. I mean, I have the skill to screw up any length hole, but if I took statistics, I'm sure my average scoring for a par 4 is better for a 350 yarder than a 450 yarder.

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

I won't go that far. I mean, I have the skill to screw up any length hole, but if I took statistics, I'm sure my average scoring for a par 4 is better for a 350 yarder than a 450 yarder.

I'm just more comfortable at 150-130 than I am 100 and in, which is probably why the longer holes are better for me. I should play smart and hit whatever club leaves me that distance but it's hard to do for some reason.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

I'm just more comfortable at 150-130 than I am 100 and in, which is probably why the longer holes are better for me. I should play smart and hit whatever club leaves me that distance but it's hard to do for some reason.

See, there's our difference. If it's 330 yards, I feel no reason to hit driver unless it's wide open. I can smack out a normal safe 5 iron, and still only have 140 yards left. If it's 430, I need a great drive for the same result.

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

See, there's our difference. If it's 330 yards, I feel no reason to hit driver unless it's wide open. I can smack out a normal safe 5 iron, and still only have 140 yards left. If it's 430, I need a great drive for the same result.

That's probably a major reason your handicap has dropped and mine hasn't. I can't get out of my aggressive playstyle.

[RayG]

Nothing wrong with playing from the tips if you can maintain pace of play and depending on the length of the course from the tips. I still shot my handicap from the tips on a course because it was only 6300 yds from the tips.

Then you are an exception... How often do you hit that shot? Or that straight....? I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought the same thing about a 20 from the tips, after all the THOUSANDS of posts on that very subject. I wasn't picking on you personally, I was kind of having fun with the "play it forward" edict from just about everyone.

[saevel25]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

See, there's our difference. If it's 330 yards, I feel no reason to hit driver unless it's wide open. I can smack out a normal safe 5 iron, and still only have 140 yards left. If it's 430, I need a great drive for the same result.

Depends on the hole, if its a hole were my major miss with my driver is there, i will iron it. If not, then i let it fly. I can get the ball closer to the hole out of the rough from inside 100 than i can from laying back.

To me i rather take a 50 yard pitch shot from the rough than a 150 yards iron shot.

[bplewis24]

Based on avatars, I sometimes mistakenly assume Jeremie and Slice are the same person, just having a conversation with themselves.