20+ handicappers hitting 300 yards (mild rant)

[Parker0065]

I had an interesting match today in my clubs match play championship. I was pitted against a young mid twenties kid about 6'3" and could crush it pretty good. The kid was a 10 handicap so he was a bit better than the examples in this thread but I thought it would be interesting to map out his drives from our match. We use 80% handicaps so as a scratch player I had to spot him 8 shots for the match.

These are only the holes where we both hit Driver on.

Hole #1: OK, my driving average is around 275 so I'll hit some drives in the 290 range as well as the 260's throughout the course of a round. On the first tee a straightaway par5 I hit an above average drive of 293 yards. My opponent hit a beautiful fade down the right side of the fairway a solid 20 yards ahead of me. So his first drive was in the 315 range.

Hole #2: I hit a very poor drive by my standards pulled to the left about 260 yards and barely stayed in bounds. My opponent dribbled it off the tee about 50 yards.

Hole #5: I hit my best drive of the day. I rarely get the ball over 300 yards these days but hit a beauty with a soft draw down the middle 302 yards. My opponent hit a massive block to the right that crossed our fairway and the adjacent fairway as well, hitting a tree and ending up far in the rough about 285 yards from the tee.

Hole #6 I hit my stock Drive down the middle at 275 yards. My opponent(probably in an attempt to fix the block from the previous hole) pulled his tee shot into a group of small maple trees about 100 yards from the tee box. His ball ripped through the leaves then we lost sight of it. We found it just off the fairway in the rough about 15 yards ahead of mine at 290 yards. LOL I thought geeze this guy hit through the trees and still outdrove me.

Hole #8: I went for a draw on this slight dogleg and overdrew it into the left rough 270 yards out. My opponent hit another block into the right rough but not as bad as the previous one at about 295 yards.

Hole #10: I hit a solid drive 285 yards down the right side. the hole is a dogleg left par5 and the fairway runs out at the 300 yard mark. My opponent hit his best tee shot of the day straight down the fairway past the corner and into the rough at 320 yards.

I won the match on hole #12, come on you didn't honestly think a scratch golfer with 38 years of experience was going to be intimidated by a kid that can hit it long, lol! I pitched and putted that poor kid to death!

If you add up his average, including the 50 yard dribble on #2 his average comes out to about 260 yards. Which maybe isn't fair to count it against him since he only did that once during the match so take that out and he was around a 301 yard average. He was a good kid and a pleasure to play with and it was fun to see him hit a couple of his good drives.

But I think this is a good example of how some golfers with decent power play the game. If this 10 handicap was that wild you can imagine how wild a 20 handicap player is that tries to hit every drive +300 yards. Too many shots O.B. water, woods and heavy rough with more than a few 50 yard dribbles mixed in!

[Slice of Life]

The kids on your team is completely believable (mainly because there are two on my team that do that as well), but I still find it unlikely that anyone with odds so terrible at even making solid contact is going to generate a 300 yard drive more than once in every 20 swings, especially if there is pressure on the shot.

To your thing on "point style writing", I would have to say that either your teachers didn't explain it well or you didn't pick up on it well. If your points build upon each other in succession, then you would still have something cohesive to read. When you jump from point to point within the same block of text, it can be relatively hard to follow for some people. Thus the reason it's perfectly acceptable to just add a small break between different topics and ideas just to make it others easier to read it.

This. I had a ton of clubhead speed when I first started playing...but couldn't drive it further than 225 or so. Couldn't hit the center of the face, and even when I accidentally did, I sliced it so bad, that it still only traveled forward about 225.

With no golf skill, you could be Lou Ferrigno and not hit the ball over 250.

[nick1998bunker]

The kids on your team is completely believable (mainly because there are two on my team that do that as well), but I still find it unlikely that anyone with odds so terrible at even making solid contact is going to generate a 300 yard drive more than once in every 20 swings, especially if there is pressure on the shot. To your thing on "point style writing", I would have to say that either your teachers didn't explain it well or you didn't pick up on it well. If your points build upon each other in succession, then you would still have something cohesive to read. When you jump from point to point within the same block of text, it can be relatively hard to follow for some people. Thus the reason it's perfectly acceptable to just add a small break between different topics and ideas just to make it others easier to read it.

I do not write like thus quoted unless I am typing on my Iphone. You have a valid point and from this point onward I will type as if it was an essay. [quote name="bplewis24" url="/t/18107/20-handicappers-hitting-300-yards-mild-rant/960#post_892245"] I never said I found that hard to believe.[/quote] I understand, please read the quote that follows. [quote name="Parker0065" url="/t/18107/20-handicappers-hitting-300-yards-mild-rant/960#post_892249"]I had an interesting match today in my clubs match play championship. I was pitted against a young mid twenties kid about 6'3" and could crush it pretty good. The kid was a 10 handicap so he was a bit better than the examples in this thread but I thought it would be interesting to map out his drives from our match. We use 80% handicaps so as a scratch player I had to spot him 8 shots for the match. These are only the holes where we both hit Driver on. Hole #1: OK, my driving average is around 275 so I'll hit some drives in the 290 range as well as the 260's throughout the course of a round. On the first tee a straightaway par5 I hit an above average drive of 293 yards. My opponent hit a beautiful fade down the right side of the fairway a solid 20 yards ahead of me. So his first drive was in the 315 range. Hole #2: I hit a very poor drive by my standards pulled to the left about 260 yards and barely stayed in bounds. My opponent dribbled it off the tee about 50 yards. Hole #5: I hit my best drive of the day. I rarely get the ball over 300 yards these days but hit a beauty with a soft draw down the middle 302 yards. My opponent hit a massive block to the right that crossed our fairway and the adjacent fairway as well hitting a tree and ending up far in the rough about 285 yards from the tee. Hole #6 I hit my stock Drive down the middle at 275 yards. My opponent(probably in an attempt to fix the block from the previous hole) pulled his tee shot into a group of small maple trees about 100 yards from the tee box. His ball ripped through the leaves then we lost sight of it. We found it just off the fairway in the rough about 15 yards ahead of mine at 290 yards. LOL I thought geeze this guy hit through the trees and still outdrove me. Hole #8: I went for a draw on this slight dogleg and overdrew it into the left rough 270 yards out. My opponent hit another block into the right rough but not as bad as the previous one at about 295 yards. Hole #10: I hit a solid drive 285 yards down the right side. the hole is a dogleg left par5 and the fairway runs out at the 300 yard mark. My opponent hit his best tee shot of the day straight down the fairway past the corner and into the rough at 320 yards. I won the match on hole #12, come on you didn't honestly think a scratch golfer with 38 years of experience was going to be intimidated by a kid that can hit it long, lol! I pitched and putted that poor kid to death! If you add up his average, including the 50 yard dribble on #2 his average comes out to about 260 yards. Which maybe isn't fair to count it against him since he only did that once during the match so take that out and he was around a 301 yard average. He was a good kid and a pleasure to play with and it was fun to see him hit a couple of his good drives. But I think this is a good example of how some golfers with decent power play the game. If this 10 handicap was that wild you can imagine how wild a 20 handicap player is that tries to hit every drive +300 yards. Too many shots O.B. water, woods and heavy rough with more than a few 50 yard dribbles mixed in! [/quote] The point you have just made is exactly what I have been trying to bring to the attention of all. A kid, nonetheless, can drive a golfball a mere 300 yards, imagine what a large man can do. I am not trying to profile, but I beleive most of you on this forum fall into the average driving distance, am I correct?

[Parker0065]

I do not write like thus quoted unless I am typing on my Iphone. You have a valid point and from this point onward I will type as if it was an essay.

I understand, please read the quote that follows.

The point you have just made is exactly what I have been trying to bring to the attention of all. A kid, nonetheless, can drive a golfball a mere 300 yards, imagine what a large man can do. I am not trying to profile, but I beleive most of you on this forum fall into the average driving distance, am I correct?

Sorry if you misunderstood me but the guy I played was a full grown man in his mid-twenties and as I stated a pretty good size at 6'3".

I only called him a kid because I'm pushing 50,,lol!

[Lihu]

This. I had a ton of clubhead speed when I first started playing...but couldn't drive it further than 225 or so. Couldn't hit the center of the face, and even when I accidentally did, I sliced it so bad, that it still only traveled forward about 225.

With no golf skill, you could be Lou Ferrigno and not hit the ball over 250.

You and I both had a ton of speed when we started. Obviously, neither of us could hit it over 225 without consequences. You stated that you couldn't. I could hit it 260 about 10 times, then get all sweaty and sore. I eventually injured myself.

With some golf skill, I can carry about 220 yards with relative ease. Not sure hot far you currently hit it now, but I agree with you as far as we are concerned.

If a large and flexible body building type became a golfer he would be called "Golfzilla" and win 5 long drive championships. Kind of like Jason Zuback.

[bplewis24]

I understand, please read the quote that follows.

The point you have just made is exactly what I have been trying to bring to the attention of all. A kid, nonetheless, can drive a golfball a mere 300 yards, imagine what a large man can do. I am not trying to profile, but I beleive most of you on this forum fall into the average driving distance, am I correct?

I'm above average driving distance.  I won't speak for others.  My carry+roll is generally in the 275-285 range when hitting it well (flat and no wind), with the occasional 290.

The "kid" you're referring to was "mid 20s", which is about the physical peak of male adults in terms of strength and athleticism (or maybe just a couple years short of it), and he was big guy with a 10 handicap.  That doesn't illustrate your point.  In fact, the last paragraph he wrote is contrary to your point.  It takes some skill level to hit it 300, not simply size and strength.  Obviously, they (size/strength) help a lot if you have some baseline level of skill, as it gives a higher ceiling for potential length off the tee.  However, many of my college football teammates couldn't even drive a ball 250--let alone 300--and they are much bigger and stronger than me (5'7", 175).

[nick1998bunker]

You and I both had a ton of speed when we started. Obviously, neither of us could hit it over 225 without consequences. You stated that you couldn't. I could hit it 260 about 10 times, then get all sweaty and sore. I eventually injured myself. With some golf skill, I can carry about 220 yards with relative ease. Not sure hot far you currently hit it now, but I agree with you as far as we are concerned. If a large and flexible body building type became a golfer he would be called "Golfzilla" and win 5 long drive championships. Kind of like Jason Zuback.

He could also be a man by the name of Gorilla James. This man hits 300 yard 3 irons and is under the instruction of Mark Crossfield. [quote name="Parker0065" url="/t/18107/20-handicappers-hitting-300-yards-mild-rant/960#post_892261"]Sorry if you misunderstood me but the guy I played was a full grown man in his mid-twenties and as I stated a pretty good size at 6'3". I only called him a kid because I'm pushing 50,,lol! [/quote] I was mistaken indeed! On my golf team we have a student who is 6'5" and a student who is 6'8",both capable of drives exceeding 315 yards.

[Lihu]

I'm above average driving distance.  I won't speak for others.  My carry+roll is generally in the 275-285 range when hitting it well (flat and no wind), with the occasional 290.

...me (5'7", 175).

I would say you are above average driving distance.

[nick1998bunker]

I[quote name="Lihu" url="/t/18107/20-handicappers-hitting-300-yards-mild-rant/960#post_892268"] I would say you are above average driving distance. :-) [/quote] I do believe average driving distance is in the 225 range. For all of you who do not know, review the thread on Internet driving distance for conversion comparison.

[theworldengine]

I don't believe the 3 kids on his golf team that hit 300. Damn, I am cynical. This would have to be an extremely competitive team if that were true.

[nick1998bunker]

I don't believe the 3 kids on his golf team that hit 300. Damn, I am cynical. This would have to be an extremely competitive team if that were true.

My team is pretty good, we lost 6 seniors before I got there and still had difficulty making the team. I was a 9 HDCP

[theworldengine]

A team that's pretty good doesn't have 3 guys that hit 300 yd drives. I know that a lot of Hs scratch players are hitting 280 with consistency, thats closer to what you witness

[Slice of Life]

A team that's pretty good doesn't have 3 guys that hit 300 yd drives. I know that a lot of Hs scratch players are hitting 280 with consistency, thats closer to what you witness

Yeah, 300 for kids that are still developing is impressive. Not impossible, but impressive.

[theworldengine]

When I played Hs golf I never saw a kid touch 300, and I saw some of the best players in my state. One team having 3 dudes with that much power is lol

[Slice of Life]

When I played Hs golf I never saw a kid touch 300, and I saw some of the best players in my state. One team having 3 dudes with that much power is lol

When did you play HS golf? If it was 15 years ago, that may have something to do with it...

[theworldengine]

7 years ago

[Slice of Life]

7 years ago

Ok. Yeah, distances haven't changed that much in 7 years. Either way, not impossible...but it would be impressive and it's highly likely.

Although he may just be considering a 280 yard poke "300", or a dry day with a ton of bounce and rollllll.

It's impossible to say without knowing the golf team members EPSs.

[David in FL]

When I played Hs golf I never saw a kid touch 300, and I saw some of the best players in my state. One team having 3 dudes with that much power is lol

It would have to be a very good team, but yeah, I can see it these days.  Of course, they tend to over estimate too.....

I played with a local HS kid a couple of weeks ago.  Number 2 on a pretty good team, playing off a 6 hcp.  He was a good 20 yards longer than me.  Call it 250-260ish carry.  Firm fairway and he might get it out close to 300 a couple of times a round.

Forget roll......the question is how far do you carry your driver.  Hell, even I'll catch a sprinkler head, downwind, downhill and sneak one out there on occasion.  But I carry the ball about 235ish.