Average Distances - How Far Do You Hit Each Club? (And Don't Lie!)

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwdial

He was unknowingly adding anywhere from 20 to 60 yards to every drive he hit by using the scorecard.

That may be the gentleman who was in front of my group yesterday.  Before we teed off in our club event, he asked me about my qualifying round on Thursday and I explained how well I was doing and that on one particular hole I "really piped a good drive" out there.  Before I could finish he cut me off to ask me how far it was.  I responded that I measured it at 285 and it was my best drive of the day and left me 70 yards to a wide open pin location (which I promptly hit a hosel rocket and ended up with double-bogie on the hole...which was the point of the story).

Anyway, he went on to tell me how sometimes when he really gets a hold of it, it goes 300-315.  Mind you, this guy was at least 60 years old with a knee brace and seemingly a bad back (from the way he was walking and warming up on the range).  I watched some of his tee shots in front of me and most were weak push-slices that probably traveled 175 yards).  There's no way he could ever have sniffed 300 in his current condition/age, but he sure was enthusiastic in telling me about it.  Makes you wonder where he gets his numbers from, 'cause it definitely ain't from gps tracking.

Brandon

If someone asked me how I was playing and I replied with a tale about "really piping a good drive" I'd be surprised to not get a follow question.  "How far?" When I read your anecdote, I assumed you're the one who started the distance discussion by mentioning a piped drive. Still, unless the old guy was driving close 280+ in the 1980s, there's no way his hobbled self is getting past 280 now, let alone 300.

[RGoosen]

Driver: 250-265

3 Wood: 240-250

3 Hybrid: 205-210

4 Hybrid: 195-200

4-iron: 190

5 Iron; 180

6 Iron: 170

7 Iron: 160

8 Iron: 150

9 iron: 140

PW: 130

GW 49*: 115

SW 55*: 100

LW 60*:  80

[soon_tourpro]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

If someone asked me how I was playing and I replied with a tale about "really piping a good drive" I'd be surprised to not get a follow question.  "How far?" When I read your anecdote, I assumed you're the one who started the distance discussion by mentioning a piped drive. Still, unless the old guy was driving close 280+ in the 1980s, there's no way his hobbled self is getting past 280 now, let alone 300.

300y is long.

The question for me, trackman verified?
I dont mind people telling they are long, question is always can they play the game and stay in fairways.

I am 5 clubs longer than I was 3 years ago and all due to improved technique.

as I like to say, plenty long for the game I want to play.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

If someone asked me how I was playing and I replied with a tale about "really piping a good drive" I'd be surprised to not get a follow question.  "How far?" When I read your anecdote, I assumed you're the one who started the distance discussion by mentioning a piped drive. Still, unless the old guy was driving close 280+ in the 1980s, there's no way his hobbled self is getting past 280 now, let alone 300.

Well, I left out some information.  After explaining how my round went (shot a personal best 77 which is like a net 60 playing off of my current index), he responded with how close he feels he is to playing good but he always has a couple blow up holes ...etc, etc.  My playing partner had a blow up hole and never recovered himself.  My playing partner is a good buddy of the gentleman I was speaking with, and he mentioned how the guy never mentally recovers from 1 poor shot.  I responded by telling him how important that is to a good round of golf... to mentally recover and not compound it with another poor shot or poor decision.

So that's when I started in on my story about the double-bogie hole.  The emphasis (and preface) wasn't about the good drive, it was about the double bogie and how I didn't allow it to derail my round.  So to set up the story, I started it with how good the drive was so it would illustrate how horrendous the second shot was (a hosel rocket from dead center of the fairway--75 yards from the pin--into the woods adjacent the fairway).

But before I could finish the point about how I lost concentration for one shot, he cut me off to ask how far it was.  So, yeah the question was valid, but it was a definite tangent from the subject.

Brandon

[Kapanda]

For a beginner, is hitting a driver 200 okay or crappy?

[DocPangloss]

Originally Posted by Kapanda

For a beginner, is hitting a driver 200 okay or crappy?

Concern yourself more with hitting the ball straight than hitting it far.

[Kapanda]

Yeah, I hear you.

Wondering still though, in light of this thread, if I hit it an acceptable distance when I hit it 200 yards (and it was straight).

[soon_tourpro]

Originally Posted by Kapanda

Yeah, I hear you.

Wondering still though, in light of this thread, if I hit it an acceptable distance when I hit it 200 yards (and it was straight).

for a beginer absolutly.

some would argue they hit their 7iron that far.

all depends on technique and for some wishful thinking..

[Bubbaboy1]

Driver:250-280

3 Wood: 230

3H: 210

4I: 195

5I: 185

6I: 175

7: 165

8I: 155

9I: 145

PW: 135

GW: 125

SW: 105

LW: Never hit full.

[mdl]

Originally Posted by Kapanda

Yeah, I hear you.

Wondering still though, in light of this thread, if I hit it an acceptable distance when I hit it 200 yards (and it was straight).

You can score perfectly well from the right tees driving it 200 yards, and I've definitely seen some old guys do just that.  Playing the tees where the par 4s are almost all <400 yards, 200 yard drive in the fairway, hybrid on or near the green, good putting and good save percentage, can definitely get you into the 70s.

This will be slightly unpopular here, but if you're not old and don't have injuries or disabilities that physically keep you from generating more club head speed, and you've caught the bug and are dedicated to improving, then I think it's worth trying to figure out (on the range!) how to hit the ball further.  With all the caveats about taking lessons, how improving club head speed isn't about feeling like you're muscling it with whatever technique is natural that way, and all that, if you're only able to hit it 200 yards straight right now, I think it's worth your time to spend some of your time on the range seeing what it feels like to hit a straight drive, say, 240 yards.

Until you can hit it 240 with at least almost as good accuracy as you can hit it 200 yards, of course take your controlled swing where you can hit it straight onto the course for now.  And spend the majority of your time on the range learning to improve your controlled, slow swing, building up the club head speed slowly.  But personally I believe that you'll learn to have a controlled swing with higher club head speed more quickly if you also explicitly spend some time practicing really whipping the club head through impact to get a feel for what a straight shot with higher club head speed feels like, even if you can't control that club head speed enough yet to take that swing out on the course.

[carrx]

Originally Posted by Kapanda

Yeah, I hear you.

Wondering still though, in light of this thread, if I hit it an acceptable distance when I hit it 200 yards (and it was straight).

"Acceptable" is, of course, a relative term.  I play with plenty of guys that average about 200 yards with their driver.  They are perfectly good players, some even high single digit handicappers.  The question of whether 200 is acceptable (I believe) must be applied to your "potential" distance.  That is to say, if you optimized your equipment and swing mechanics, where would 200 yards fall on the scale?

Also, in relation to this thread, a lot of folks (not you Sean) have a lofty idea of how far they hit their shots.

[Kapanda]

Originally Posted by mdl

You can score perfectly well from the right tees driving it 200 yards, and I've definitely seen some old guys do just that.  Playing the tees where the par 4s are almost all <400 yards, 200 yard drive in the fairway, hybrid on or near the green, good putting and good save percentage, can definitely get you into the 70s.

This will be slightly unpopular here, but if you're not old and don't have injuries or disabilities that physically keep you from generating more club head speed, and you've caught the bug and are dedicated to improving, then I think it's worth trying to figure out (on the range!) how to hit the ball further.  With all the caveats about taking lessons, how improving club head speed isn't about feeling like you're muscling it with whatever technique is natural that way, and all that, if you're only able to hit it 200 yards straight right now, I think it's worth your time to spend some of your time on the range seeing what it feels like to hit a straight drive, say, 240 yards.

Until you can hit it 240 with at least almost as good accuracy as you can hit it 200 yards, of course take your controlled swing where you can hit it straight onto the course for now.  And spend the majority of your time on the range learning to improve your controlled, slow swing, building up the club head speed slowly.  But personally I believe that you'll learn to have a controlled swing with higher club head speed more quickly if you also explicitly spend some time practicing really whipping the club head through impact to get a feel for what a straight shot with higher club head speed feels like, even if you can't control that club head speed enough yet to take that swing out on the course.

I'm pretty sure I'm not hitting it further because a) don't coordinate hip n upper body movement well enough; b) I can't control the plane of the swing or the club face at impact if I crank up the twist (I don't twist all that much). For now, I'm working on consistency, because even 200 yards straight doesn't come nearly often enough. Then, will start working on the other two parts. But yeah, I know someone like me easily has the potential to hit it further.

Originally Posted by carrx

"Acceptable" is, of course, a relative term.  I play with plenty of guys that average about 200 yards with their driver.  They are perfectly good players, some even high single digit handicappers.  The question of whether 200 is acceptable (I believe) must be applied to your "potential" distance.  That is to say, if you optimized your equipment and swing mechanics, where would 200 yards fall on the scale?

Also, in relation to this thread, a lot of folks (not you Sean) have a lofty idea of how far they hit their shots.

I can't tell how much of my potential 200 yards corresponds to, because I never really had a good, full pace swing on anything above a 5i, and even then I'm absolutely sure I could improve my shot tremendously (think I hit it 150 yards, but with much more consistency). If I were to hazard a guess, 250 is probably my realistic limit.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by carrx

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kapanda

Yeah, I hear you.

Wondering still though, in light of this thread, if I hit it an acceptable distance when I hit it 200 yards (and it was straight).

"Acceptable" is, of course, a relative term.  I play with plenty of guys that average about 200 yards with their driver.  They are perfectly good players, some even high single digit handicappers.  The question of whether 200 is acceptable (I believe) must be applied to your "potential" distance.  That is to say, if you optimized your equipment and swing mechanics, where would 200 yards fall on the scale?

Also, in relation to this thread, a lot of folks (not you Sean) have a lofty idea of how far they hit their shots.

I've never played with someone IRL who overestimated distance once they actually measure (via pacing or a rangefinder) their distances. In my experience people are fairly honest so when I se a group waiting to tee off when they should obviously be hitting, or going for greens they can't possibly reach, I assume it's due to poor depth perception. Then again I've never seen hecklers at the TPC before so anything's possible.

[bunkerputt]

Originally Posted by Kapanda

For a beginner, is hitting a driver 200 okay or crappy?

200 is a great drive for a beginner.  In fact, I think it's somewhere around the national male average.  The average person isn't a beginner, hence, great drive.

[GixxerTed]

Driver: 255-285

3w 240-275

5w 230-240

3h 220-225

2iron 215-225

3iron 210-215

4iron 195-205

5iron 185-195

6iron 175-180

7iron 160-170

8iron 150-160

9iron 135-145

PW 115-135

GW 85-115

SW 75 max

[Bullitt5339]

I've been working on generating more power in my swing and measured some shots throughout the last week to come up with a rough average, so that I can compensate on the course.

These are all rounded averages for now, subject to change:

58* Wedge - 75

54* Wedge - 105

50* Wedge - 115

PW - 125

9 - 135

8 - 150

7 - 160

6 - 170

5h - 185

4h - 195-200

7W - 210

4W - 240 off the tee, 225 off the ground

Driver - 240....... And nowhere near straight.  Yeah.  That's a problem.  I'm 5'5" and my new driver is 46" and I'm having serious problems with it.  Just dropped it off to be shortened to 44" and the swingweight adjusted to pick up some accuracy and yardage because I should be able to hit the face finally.  My irons have been absolutely awesome lately, but the driver and shortgame are killing me all of a sudden.  I've buckled down and am practicing, practicing, and practicing some more to try to get my 34 putts per round down.  If I can get drives in the fairway and 30 or less putts, I'll be in the 70's easily.

[jlt73]

Driver - 230

4 hybrid - 180

5i - 165

6i - 150

7i - 140

8i - 130

9i - 125

PW - 115

SW - 65

LW - 40

*distances do not include the flubs and shanks normally associated with my normal round.  Just an average of the "good" shots for me.

[Jimdangles]

So i played yesterday and didnt hit my driver very often but I noted on 2 holes the distance. I hit one 265 into the wind and 292 with the wind. Used my 3 wood on every other hole and I think i just have it dialed in. 265 yards or so with a perfect little draw