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

[mdl]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Driver on good contact: 300+

Driver on poor contact: somwhere between 0 and 280

3 wood: it's my guaranteed 260 club

2-iron: 250

3 - 235

4 - 220

5 - 205

6 - 190

7 - 175

8 - 160

9 - 145

PW - 130

54 - 115

60 - 90

Putter - at least 6 feet short or long

"Stock" distances at ~ 2800 feet altitude. Success rates vary.

I'm wondering if you know why you've got 15 yard gaps?  For low clubs I've got very similar distances to you.  With the short clubs especially I've got a range from easy and smooth to go-after-it:

8i:    160

9i:    145-150

PW: 130-140

54:   105-115

60:   80-95  (though I rarely try to hit the 60˚ 95 yards, as I tend not to be super accurate with the very aggressive swing with that club)

But then I get mostly ~10 yard increments after that:

8i:  160

7i:  170

6i:  180

5i:  190

4i:  200

3i:  210

Obviously those aren't exact, and shot to shot it's variable, but sitting at those distances if I take my stock smooth but still fairly aggressive swing my variation is definitely centered around hole high.

Is that maybe cause I'm at sea level?  Or just that you've got a higher swing speed than me (especially with the irons, my driver and 3w are similar to yours. A bit shorter with the driver but similar with the 3W, though that's with my tour edge exotics, and other 3Ws I've hit more like 250 instead of the 260 off the fairway and 265-270 off the tee)?  Or maybe you average better contact with the longer irons than I do?

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by mdl

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Driver on good contact: 300+

Driver on poor contact: somwhere between 0 and 280

3 wood: it's my guaranteed 260 club

2-iron: 250

3 - 235

4 - 220

5 - 205

6 - 190

7 - 175

8 - 160

9 - 145

PW - 130

54 - 115

60 - 90

Putter - at least 6 feet short or long

"Stock" distances at ~ 2800 feet altitude. Success rates vary.

I'm wondering if you know why you've got 15 yard gaps?

. . .

Is that maybe cause I'm at sea level?

I think a bit of altitude is a huuuuuge factor. Long clubs put the ball in the air for a longer period of time. When I play in the mountains (e.g. Banff / Canmore) I have to really gear down or take a lot less club. I suspect the 300 yard drive would be a rarity for me at sea level.

[Jimdangles]

im at sea level and i am:

Good driver      300+

average driver   280

3 wood            260ish

3 iron              220

4 iron              205

5 iron              195

6 iron              185

7 iron              175

8 iron             160

9 iron             145

pitch              130

52                  120

56                  110

60                  green - 100 (love this club)

[bplewis24]

You should really work on your short game, Jim.

[carrx]

Interesting perspective Moparman, but I have seen some a fair share of "good" players (via SCGA team play), including an SCGA Mid Am Champion, some club champions from places like LACC, as well as some young pros trying to make it in the pro ranks.  Rarely is there a guy out here who can carry a driver 290, and by rarely I mean virtually never, excepting some of these young pros or college players, and they definitely aren't playing to a 15.

Never did I suggest that a 15 handicap couldn't hit it long, but I do find it humorous that so many posters out there believe they are really hitting these distances.

I suppose I'm not a "long hitter" by most definitions, but I'm definitely not a short hitter either, unless we're going by Tour averages.

I hope you don't take my comment personally.  I'm just taking the piss.

Quote:

You should go out and get an immunization shot then, as it appears you may be infected.  Hitting the long bomb =/= low handicap.

Cheers!

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by carrx

Interesting perspective Moparman, but I have seen some a fair share of "good" players (via SCGA team play), including an SCGA Mid Am Champion, some club champions from places like LACC, as well as some young pros trying to make it in the pro ranks.  Rarely is there a guy out here who can carry a driver 290, and by rarely I mean virtually never, excepting some of these young pros or college players, and they definitely aren't playing to a 15.

Never did I suggest that a 15 handicap couldn't hit it long, but I do find it humorous that so many posters out there believe they are really hitting these distances.

I suppose I'm not a "long hitter" by most definitions, but I'm definitely not a short hitter either, unless we're going by Tour averages.

I hope you don't take my comment personally.  I'm just taking the piss.

Quote:

Originally Posted by moparman426

You should go out and get an immunization shot then, as it appears you may be infected.  Hitting the long bomb =/= low handicap.

Cheers!

So when you were calling a ton of people liars, you weren't calling them liars, just saying they're mistaken if they think they're actually doing what they said they do. Got it.

btw - not too many people put their carry distances in for the driver. It's sort of an "if the stars are aligned" kind of number.

[rustyredcab]

How far I do hit -- not how far I can hit -- on "full" swings for each club. In other words, no chips or odd pitching shots but some easy and choked up swings.

Driver -- 220-250 carry

3-wood -- 210-230 carry

3-hybrid -- 200-220

4-hybrid -- 175-200

5-iron -- 160-170

6-iron -- 150-160

7- iron -- 140-150

8-iron -- 130-140

9-iron -- 120-130

PW -- 100-120

GW -- 70-100

56* -- <80

60* -- <60

[moparman426]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

So when you were calling a ton of people liars, you weren't calling them liars, just saying they're mistaken if they think they're actually doing what they said they do. Got it.

btw - not too many people put their carry distances in for the driver. It's sort of an "if the stars are aligned" kind of number.

That's what prompted my response to carrx.  I hate being stereotyped as a hacker because I carry a double digit index.

Originally Posted by carrx

Interesting perspective Moparman, but I have seen some a fair share of "good" players (via SCGA team play), including an SCGA Mid Am Champion, some club champions from places like LACC, as well as some young pros trying to make it in the pro ranks.  Rarely is there a guy out here who can carry a driver 290, and by rarely I mean virtually never, excepting some of these young pros or college players, and they definitely aren't playing to a 15.

Never did I suggest that a 15 handicap couldn't hit it long, but I do find it humorous that so many posters out there believe they are really hitting these distances.

I suppose I'm not a "long hitter" by most definitions, but I'm definitely not a short hitter either, unless we're going by Tour averages.

I hope you don't take my comment personally.  I'm just taking the piss.

Quote:

I do take being called a liar personally, even if it is over the internet, seeing as I am in the group you are stereotyping with your comment.  So what?  My HC is higher than yours.  So what?  Are all my drives center fairway?  No.  So what?  Did i post the average from testing out 3 woods last Monday on a launch monitor?  Yes I did.  So what? (Btw, the Ozik 4.8 in the 2.0 SF is shit) I also dinged a couple of 286 carries with the Ping G15 3 wood.  So what?  Inside of 10 yards, my game is crap.  So what?

Every long hitter with a double digit index better go back and edit their distances to "N/A", because apparently, they are not applicable.  I am more concerned with trying to get the ball to go where I want it to go more consistently, not with how far it will go. That doesn't mean I can't put it out there.

[carrx]

It was pretty evident what I was saying.  I didn't specifcally call anybody a liar, I just noted the humorous propensity for apparently huge hitters on this thread.  I'm sorry if my comment ruffled your feathers, but thanks for translating what "most people" do.

Originally Posted by sean_miller

So when you were calling a ton of people liars, you weren't calling them liars, just saying they're mistaken if they think they're actually doing what they said they do. Got it.

btw - not too many people put their carry distances in for the driver. It's sort of an "if the stars are aligned" kind of number.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

btw - not too many people put their carry distances in for the driver. It's sort of an "if the stars are aligned" kind of number.

I don't even know my carry distance.  In fact, I would probably have a lower carry distance in relation to my total distance, because I hit sort of a low draw with my driver.

Brandon

[carrx]

Dude, relax.  I did not call you a liar, and wasn't referring to you when I mentioned the "15 handicap".  It's ok, I'm sure you misunderstand me.  It's a humorous thread, and I was just pointing that out. You can choose to take my comment personally, or you can take it for what it is, a tongue in cheek comment.

I am sure you are a fine player, and a finer person to play with.  Enjoy yourself, it's a game after all.

Originally Posted by moparman426

That's what prompted my response to carrx.  I hate being stereotyped as a hacker because I carry a double digit index.

I do take being called a liar personally, even if it is over the internet, seeing as I am in the group you are stereotyping with your comment.  So what?  My HC is higher than yours.  So what?  Are all my drives center fairway?  No.  So what?  Did i post the average from testing out 3 woods last Monday on a launch monitor?  Yes I did.  So what? (Btw, the Ozik 4.8 in the 2.0 SF is shit) I also dinged a couple of 286 carries with the Ping G15 3 wood.  So what?  Inside of 10 yards, my game is crap.  So what?

Every long hitter with a double digit index better go back and edit their distances to "N/A", because apparently, they are not applicable.

[carrx]

I think carry distance is only important in the sense that, for many holes, you'd have to figure whether or not you could carry a particular hazard/bunker, etc, to determine the best club to hit (i.e. if I can carry the fairway bunkers on a short par 4 it is advantageous to hit driver, whereas on another similar hole, hitting driver brings the hazards in to play, so I lay back with a fairway wood or iron).

As to all the hyperbole, I guess I am alone in my feeling, I certainly did not mean to get everybody upset.  Maybe a bigger temper might lead to greater distances for me?

Originally Posted by bplewis24

I don't even know my carry distance.  In fact, I would probably have a lower carry distance in relation to my total distance, because I hit sort of a low draw with my driver.

Brandon

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by carrx

I think carry distance is only important in the sense that, for many holes, you'd have to figure whether or not you could carry a particular hazard/bunker, etc, to determine the best club to hit (i.e. if I can carry the fairway bunkers on a short par 4 it is advantageous to hit driver, whereas on another similar hole, hitting driver brings the hazards in to play, so I lay back with a fairway wood).

As to all the hyperbole, I guess I am alone in my feeling, I certainly did not mean to get everybody upset.  Maybe a bigger temper might lead to greater distances for me?

Quote:

Originally Posted by bplewis24

I don't even know my carry distance.  In fact, I would probably have a lower carry distance in relation to my total distance, because I hit sort of a low draw with my driver.

Brandon

The key to longer drives is to 1.) swing for the fences and 2.) prepare to burn your scorecard later.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by carrx

I think carry distance is only important in the sense that, for many holes, you'd have to figure whether or not you could carry a particular hazard/bunker, etc, to determine the best club to hit (i.e. if I can carry the fairway bunkers on a short par 4 it is advantageous to hit driver, whereas on another similar hole, hitting driver brings the hazards in to play, so I lay back with a fairway wood).

As to all the hyperbole, I guess I am alone in my feeling, I certainly did not mean to get everybody upset.  Maybe a bigger temper might lead to greater distances for me?

Carry distance actually came into play this last tournament for me.  One hole #2, there is a very short par 5 that begs me to hit driver.  By very short, I mean like 455 yards.  Problem is, about 230 yards out there is a small ravine/hazard that crosses the fairway.  It takes about 245 to carry it and be safe.  On a normal day I may be able to carry this because I get what I estimate to be about 30 yards of roll on my drives.  Problem is, the wind was in our faces on this hole.  I felt like being an idiot and going for it this day, and I made it by the skin of my teeth.  I know this because I hit the ball on the screws, and it still must have landed right on the hazard line, because it took a funny bounce about 10 feet in the air and to the left, and when I found the ball, it had only cleared the hazard by about 12 yards.  I had 180 yards to the pin, and still ended up with bogey.

And don't feel too bad about your post.  The reality is that the majority of high handicappers that claim to hit it as far as the average tour pro are delusional.  It's no skin off my back, so it's probably not important enough to argue over.

Brandon

[Timothyjack]

Originally Posted by carrx

As to all the hyperbole, I guess I am alone in my feeling, I certainly did not mean to get everybody upset.  Maybe a bigger temper might lead to greater distances for me?

You're not alone. I have a buddy who everytime I talk to him, he is hitting the ball 275-280 down the center. When i play with him, he is hitting his driver 220 with a banana slice that ends up in the middle of the fairway. Everybody lies. House says it all the time and its true. House would say the only people that get upset about saying everybody lies is a liar. Don't kill the messenger. Im just sayin. But im in no way calin anyone a liar, other than my buddy who hits it 275 whenever he's not playing with me. LOL

[mosnas]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

The key to longer drives is to 1.) swing for the fences and 2.) prepare to burn your scorecard later.

My brothers outlook on the game is this "You see golf is just a few shots no one cares about crammed between 12-14 drives." Needless to say he's the guy that swings so hard his backfoot slips. He's actually a descent golfer if he tries, he only gets out a few times a year though so he swings for the fences everytime.

[VMAN]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

You got me - I do know my exact index. I put in a vague number because people at 5.7 think they're miles ahead of a guy at 6.7 and so on and so forth. The handicap index caste system is lame.

I wasn't singling you out, I did think the previous comment was funny though.  But by that reasoning there seems to be a caste system when it comes to distance as well.  I always thought the point of the game was to put the ball in the hole using the least amount of strokes.

My new driver distance is 301.  Took a lesson today and really figured some things out.  ;)

[bjornarneson]

Dr - 285 yds

3w - 240

3i - 220

4i - 205

5i - 195

6i - 180

7i - 170

8i - 155

9i - 145

PW - 130

53-degree - 110

58-degree - 85

Putter - anything inside 120'