20+ handicappers hitting 300 yards (mild rant)

[Joeyvee]

Do you mean 300 yards and it lands in the fairway? Cuz I know a 30 Handicapper that CRUSHES the ball with his driver, but people in the next neighborhood better be behind a solid wall, cuz that balls coming for them. 

 

[Buckeyebowman]

On 9/21/2013 at 6:39 AM, Lihu said:

I'm not trying to reinforce what Nick said, but my experience is somewhat different than yours. Every time I hear balls hissing out from a stall, it seems to be some kid with good form. I was practicing my half swings working on keys 1 and 2 the other day, hitting okay, I might add. Bunch of seniors one other sub-middle aged man sets up next to me. He is hitting rapidly, and I hear a few shanks. Suddenly, I hear balls hissing. I'm thinking, maybe he's good after all. Then I notice he is getting increasingly frustrated, and see the source of the hissing balls. A high school kid. Funny but true. Seems like its rare for me to see an older person hitting that well on the range. Most of the older good ball strikers are probably on the course.

Reminds me of a tip for amateurs I read years ago. If you're playing well, go play! If you're having problems, go practice!

On 9/22/2013 at 3:38 AM, notsohard said:

read the first two pages then the last two pages, some funny shite here, i have come to the conclusion that a lot of guys here buy penis enlargement cream as well.

I guess that explains your forum name!

[downbylaw11]

a lot of people exaggerate their ability, so im surprised that the so called 20 handicap doesnt claim to be scratch. usually when anyone tells me they hit it 300, i roll my eyes, unless of course they are a very good golfer who played regularly.  but ive had guys who play pitch and putts, and maybe one full course a year tell me they hit it 300 yards, which is such unbelievable bullshit.  I mean, maybe, just maybe they have the ability in them to hit a 300 yard drive, but if 9 out of 10 times you top your ball 75 yards, i don't consider you a 300 yard driver, and were probably lying to begin with.  but yeah, if you were a legit 300 yard driver, it boggles my mind how you could be a 20 handicap if you owned a putter, but maybe I just fail to relate to people who have no desire to acquire any type of feel around the greens and squander their natural ability to hit the long ball. 

[mailman]

I don't see what the problem is? I know plenty of high hcpers that can hit it 300 yards but if course the real issue isn't distance but whether they can find the ball or how much they've missed the fairway by ??

[mtsalmela80]

4 hours ago, mailman said:

I don't see what the problem is? I know plenty of high hcpers that can hit it 300 yards but if course the real issue isn't distance but whether they can find the ball or how much they've missed the fairway by ??

That is not even true. Hitting a drive something like 300 yards requires refined technique, not just swinging the club as hard as possible. Most of those guys probably never flirted with 275.

[MattD]

Nah 300 yards is not hard if you know how to hit , my best so far is 320 metres which is 350 yards once converted , but some guys who grew up playing cricket or baseball will  find it easy and others will find it hard if they don't understand how to get swing speed up. I do say this;

heaps of guys hit further than me and those that don't believe it and bag guys who can hit 300 yards are just jealous .

Edited August 16, 2017 by MattD

[Zekez]

One of my daughters ex-boyfriends could hit the stuffing out of the ball.  Dude hit it close to 300.  Hell he hit a 9 iron on a 200 yard par 3. But.....his overall game was pretty bad.  He was probably a 20 handicap at minimum.

 

So these people do exist!

[jsgolfer]

3 hours ago, mailman said:

I don't see what the problem is? I know plenty of high hcpers that can hit it 300 yards but if course the real issue isn't distance but whether they can find the ball or how much they've missed the fairway by ??

I'm sure there are plenty of players that can hit a ball 300 yards, but not sure they can every time.  So if someone says they hit the ball 300 yards every time, my B.S. meter goes up.  If there is a person who can do that, who isn't named Rory or DJ, I've never played with that person in my 35+ years of golf.  At least none who could do it every time.  I think most people remember the one or two times they bombed it and forget the other 12 drives where they didn't.

I've hit a drive 300+ yards, downwind and downhill and hit the speed slot, but I certainly can't hit that every time, in fact, I probably average around 260, but I don't hit that far every time either.  

[chilepepper]

I've never seen a 20 cap hit it 300 though I have played with some who claim 250 as 300. Ive seen a number of single digits hit it 275 and keep it in play most of the time. Gps verified both types

[Jeremie Boop]

1 hour ago, jsgolfer said:

I'm sure there are plenty of players that can hit a ball 300 yards, but not sure they can every time.  So if someone says they hit the ball 300 yards every time, my B.S. meter goes up.  If there is a person who can do that, who isn't named Rory or DJ, I've never played with that person in my 35+ years of golf.  At least none who could do it every time.  I think most people remember the one or two times they bombed it and forget the other 12 drives where they didn't.

I've hit a drive 300+ yards, downwind and downhill and hit the speed slot, but I certainly can't hit that every time, in fact, I probably average around 260, but I don't hit that far every time either.  

I agree that part of the problem is the mistaken thought that hitting it 300+ occasionally leads to people saying "I hit it 300+ all the time". The other side is people who refuse to accept someone with a higher handicap being able to hit it 300+ at all. Both sides are wrong and neither tend to be willing to admit it. Being able to hit it far doesn't mean you are a good golfer, it just means you can swing the club fast. I'm not a good golfer because I can hit it past people off the tee, or because I hit a more lofted iron on approach shots. I know that and it doesn't bother me. It used to bother me when people would question my truthfulness, but at this point I just don't care if they believe me anymore. People need to stop getting hung up on how far other people hit the ball.

5 minutes ago, chilepepper said:

I've never seen a 20 cap hit it 300 though I have played with some who claim 250 as 300. Ive seen a number of single digits hit it 275 and keep it in play most of the time. Gps verified both types

Fair statement, I'd say it's fairly uncommon for higher HC players to hit it that far and misjudging distances is pretty common, especially when cutting a corner and going by the distance to the green/pin instead of the distance to the tee is usually the culprit. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't legitimately those out there who can do it.

[DaveP043]

31 minutes ago, Jeremie Boop said:

People need to stop getting hung up on how far other people hit the ball.

I agree completely.  I'm skeptical when anyone, low handicap or high, claims to hit the ball consistently 300 yards.  Statistically, I know 300-yard hitters are rare., so its likely that some stranger on a website is exaggerating or simply doesn't know how far he actually hits it.  But to be honest, it doesn't matter, and I rarely voice my skepticism.  What matters, in the end, is the score.  If someone chooses to focus on distance, and doesn't mention score, I feel pretty confident I can beat him.  And that's what matters, winning a dollar, or maybe a beer  

[TN94z]

1 hour ago, DaveP043 said:

I agree completely.  I'm skeptical when anyone, low handicap or high, claims to hit the ball consistently 300 yards.  Statistically, I know 300-yard hitters are rare., so its likely that some stranger on a website is exaggerating or simply doesn't know how far he actually hits it.  But to be honest, it doesn't matter, and I rarely voice my skepticism.  What matters, in the end, is the score.  If someone chooses to focus on distance, and doesn't mention score, I feel pretty confident I can beat him.  And that's what matters, winning a dollar, or maybe a beer  

Agreed. I am trying to drive this point home with Jacob. His friends are hitting the ball a little further and I just tell him "all that matters is the number on the scorecard" and not to get caught up in the distance game. I feel the same way as well. When someone plays with us (that doesn't normally play with us) and starts talking about how far they hit it, I immediately get the impression that they don't score very well.

[p1n9183]

I was told a choke when i was young here in Argentina... It´s called the 3 hundred yards Monkey.

One time a guy was ready to tee up on the first tee but the starter stop him and tell him that he will be paired up with some random guy, but que added that he was told that this player can hit the ball 3 hundred yards so he should be a good player.
On the first hole 330 yards par 4 the new guy  bomb it 3 hundred yards into the middle of the fairway, just a few yards from the green. Everyone were amazed. Then on his second shot he step up to the ball and hit another beautifull shot, another 3 hundred yards shot... The first man look at the second man´s caddie and the caddie told him that it was the only thing he learned to do in golf.. hit 3 hundred yards shots, like a stupid monkey.

Distance is important if it is accurate and you have the rest of the game in shape.
I´m a +1 handicap and i hit 270 yards on a well stroke shot, but on average i guess it´s 260 or less. I was a 2 handicap while hitting 250 with my driver too but keeping it in play almost every shot.
20 handicaper hitting it 300 hundred yards average? no way, maybe one in his life with all the conditions favoring more distance. Yes one time i hit it 350 on a par 5, pitching wedge on the second shot into the green, but it was just one time with an hurracain behind me and on rock solid fairways , i cannot say i hit 300+ yards drives.

 

 

[mtsalmela80]

I can't even believe its up for debate if any 20+ capper can average around 300, only the top 42 or so guys on tour average over 300!!

[downbylaw11]

I guess maybe my issue with it is from the types of swings from the 'average joe' golfer I see all the time on the course/range.  the sames types of people that tell me they can hit it 300 yards are the same types of people i see on the range trying to use 100% upper body to swing a golf club.  or maybe theyre just wastes of natural talent, because I would expect someone who could hit it 300 yards to golf more often than twice a year.  Honestly, I don't even think I've ever gone to the range or played with anyone who has hit it over 260 under any conditions.  I'm usually the longest hitter when I'm at the range, and by no means am I long.  I can probably get it out there 270 if I really step on one though I've never been fitted for a driver and would be curious to see how high I can get that number because I've seen a lot of interesting numbers on trackman when guys get fitted on youtube.  I've always been of the belief that the type of flexibility required to hit 300 yard drives, is typically acquired through playing the game seriously from a young age which is why it seems like every pga player/web.com/euro/college/serious junior player hits it near 300 yards, regardless of their physical stature.  

 

The point is, I'm saying 300 seems pretty damn rare to me in neutral conditions.  I would believe it if it werent for the fact that I never actually see these people do it lol. it's always a story

 

as for being jealous......... youre damn right I'm jealous of anyone who can hit it 300 yards.  heck, im jealous of anyone who can hit it 280

[iacas]

12 hours ago, MattD said:

heaps of guys hit further than me and those that don't believe it and bag guys who can hit 300 yards are just jealous .

I don't think that's entirely accurate. People over-state how far they hit the ball all the time.

I'm not saying YOU are, but people do this often.

[CarlSpackler]

According to Game Golf, I hit the ball 300 yards.

One or 2 times. 

Edited August 17, 2017 by CarlSpackler

[Xunzi]

I'm one of these people. I used to play a lot when young, had a 15 year break and picked up golf again three years ago. 

My handicap is 25. I regularly hit 300 yards with my driver. Last weekend I played a tournament and another guy decided to measure one of my drives using gps and it came out at 317 yards. Do I have a lousy swing? No. In fact, I've been told my swing is too good for my handicap on multiple occasions.

So how is it possible? It's really easy - I hit half of my drives into the woods/out of bounds. That's something like 14 shots lost per round with penalty. My approach game is ok but definitely needs improvement, I regularly flunk my wedges. A 300 yard drive + wedge + wedge is no better than a 150 yard drive + 150 yard drive + wedge. It adds up. Putting is alright.

I know I could easily lower my handicap by using my rescue as a driver and play safe. However, for me that would be boring as hell. My goal is not to minimize handicap - my goal is to maximize my potential. Right now, I'm spending a lot of time on the range trying to get consistency in my drives and minimize the number of slices and hooks (it's all over the place). Once I get that sorted, I expect my handicap to drop.

To say that you cant have good enough a swing to hit 300 yards and be a 20+ handicapper is clearly false. Power and accuracy are two different things - look at the long driving competitions - most of the shots miss the fairway - so clearly they have good enough a swing to hit 400 yards without being accurate. Add some trees and those drives aren't worth much.