Skeptical of reported distances

[wedge player]

Wedge Player, that might be because you had a video of your swing posted. i watched it and it looks like you are a big hitter for sure.

could be never thought of that

[mad max]

me thinks mad max is sayin cause hit hit that far it must be solid everytime and about the trees who knows where he got that at

My point was you must be raw to never hit a drive less than 270.

[iacas]

I put my average driving distance at 290.

I don't get a lot of roll.

105-115 mph swing speed

Given all that, it's unlikely you average 290.

But that's all I'll say, because I couldn't care less what other people report as their distances. Golf's a game of getting it in the hole in as few a number of strokes as possible. If you're lying about your distances on a forum somewhere, that's one thing. If you're lying in your head and to yourself... well there's a reason most pros who play with amateurs say their number one tip is to take an extra club or two.

[right handed phil mickelson]

hey RHPM its funny that you think this thread is about your distances whereas i have same driver distance and noone ever said anything to me

Well, its in my signature =/ Here's what I'll do. I can't do it right now since its 8:15 pm. But tomorrow, I will go to the course and film my swing. I'll do it a little bit later when there's not really anybody on the course, and I'll go to hole #1 par 5. I'll film consecutive shots and not edit anything out. Then I'll take the camera and drive my cart to my balls. I'll give all of the distances regardless of them being long or not. Also, I give my figures based on fairways in regulation. I'm not perfect and nobody is. I don't have 100% fairway's in regulation. Its just not possible to have that extreme accuracy and to be that long. I hit it in the trees. I hit it in the rough. But I also hit it far. Hitting it far doesn't matter if you hit it in the rough or in the trees. But, this thread is about distances, so thats what I'm going with right now. I'll have that video up either tomorrow or wednesday. Thank you all. P.S- I hate sounding like this. I sound like the guy who thinks he's all that and a bag of skittles, which I am not. Thank you. ~RHPM

[chspeed]

Well, its in my signature =/

How do you have an average drive of 290 (and often over 300) and don't have any eagles on par 5s? Let's say you average 220 yds into par 5s (just a guess), which if your distances are relatively consistent, shouldn't be more than a 3 or 4 iron. You must really be a horrible putter. But wait, you're a 6, you must be a good putter. Hmmm.....

[RocketSauce]

Well, its in my signature =/

rhpm, im not calling you a liar or anything, it just seems weird to me that you can average 290 yards on your drives but you've never had an eagle on a par 5 and you are a 6 handicapper. i probably average 240 off the tee and ive had quite a few eagles on par 5's so far. im just thinking you're not hitting it as far as you think you are, or your short game is horrible (but you say you're a 6 which doesnt add up). again, im not saying you're lying at all, cuz i dont know you from Adam. im just saying with that kind of length, eagles on par 5's should be like birdies on par 4's for me another thing is, how do you know your average driving distance is 290 yards? do you actually measure and keep track of EVERY drive you hit during a round of golf? and remember, just because a hole is 400 yards long on the scorecard, and your drive ends up at the 100 yard marker, that doesnt mean you hit your drive 300 yards. the tee boxes could've been moved up 30 yards or more EDIT: looks like Chspeed and I were writing the same thing at the same time

[tricky]

......Found this in an article online...

This article makes sense, in the light of my experience. I'm pretty long, compared to the average club player. I'm also hugely wild. I'm working on accuracy, rather than hitting the ball even further into the rough. My signature shows that I haven't yet settled on a driving implement - this is because I've yet to find one I hit well, and consistently.

Generally I hit my three wood. I hit it as far as most of the players at my club hit their driver - when I hit it well even further. On our 18th there is a fairway bunker that is a 195 yard carry. If I hit a good three wood I land in the bunker (unless i get the accuracy right and run the ball up the left side of the bunker, which is a very narrow track). There are probably only five percent of our club who can consistently carry the bunker. Almost exclusively they are low single figure handicappers. I played yesterday (monday) and hit a really nice drive on our sixth. The landing area slopes away downhill. I was in an advanced position that few people achieve. I've just measured it using google maps. I carried 230 yards, and finished 260 yards from my tee area. It was a very nice drive that outdrove my father (11 handicap) and a friend of his (4 handicapper) who has a strong fast swing. On our fifteenth (a par five 525 yards) the guy off 4 hit a great drive, and said that it would have to be a good drive to beat him (he was being modest, he considered it a very good drive). I asked him how much he wanted to bet and I really went after it. Loose grip, very relaxed muscles, quick turnaround at the top, and quick swing tempo. I nailed it on a great line. I've just measured it on google maps. It was about 290/295 yards. It was right at the top end of my range, and he beat me by about five yards. I slightly mishit my three wood approach and came up 30 yards short of the flag, misjudged the weight of my chip from the rough and took a sideways bounce from a greenside bunker surround, chipped from there to about five foot, and missed the putt for an ugly 6. I hate to think what my average drive is (given how inconsistent I am), but am still considered relatively long. It's certainly not where my focus is. Of more concern is almost every time I hit a good drive, I hit a crappy approach. I generally play a hole much better when I get my approach right. Generally I reckon to hit a 7 iron about 150 yards, and I hit high and land soft with little run. I'm normally hitting one club less than my playing partners from an equivalent position. By internet standards I'm a very short hitter, in the real world length is not my problem - it's consistent hitting and accuracy. That's what I'm working on. I don't really care what club I have to put in my hand to make the distance, as long as I can hit it on line with the target. I believe this focus will make me a better golfer. I rarely get involved in trying to hit long drives.

[TheNatural]

I hate to be a doubter cuz I've been called a liar by a few here myself.
BUT I have a 22HI and even I have had 2 eagles on par 5's and Ive only played 70 some rounds of golf in my life (all in less than 3 years)

when your playing as much as you play with a 5 HC..geez with that distance you should have 10 -20eagles on par 5's even from the tips.


go do the filming thing. what the hell prove everyone wrong.

[Leftygolfer]

This is getting silly. If your long, your long, and there is no reason to talk about it. I just want to score. That is all this game is about.

[Stuart]

I totally agree with the comment about NOT using the scorecard yardages to try and determine your drive yardage. I used to do that when I started and its not the most accurate way of determining your distances. Now I have a range finder and that makes it a cinch. I think most people are just interested in knowing how far they hit it when they hit a good drive, not a career best drive, but a good one. I've actually lost distance as I've improved. I can still hit a 300 yard drive (with roll) but its not my avg by any means. I also use an 8i now alot from 150 instead of my 9i. High handicappers are too concerned about yardage. If that was the name of the game, it would be an easy game. Its MUCH more satisfying to me to stick a pin to a few feet than it is to hit a 300 yard drive. I've never had a hole in one, but i've holed out from 150 yards 5 times.

[tricky]

I hate to be a doubter cuz I've been called a liar by a few here myself.

I don't think having good results on individual holes, occasionally, is the issue. I myself have birdied every hole on our course except our par 4 17th (475 yards, and my best score there a par). It's all about consistency, and putting together rounds of golf rather than occasional good holes. In that regard swinging for distance, rather than consistency, may hurt your scores. It's not impossible for a very bad golfer to hit the ball a long way. I was that man in the first year of playing the game. Man could I hit the ball. Normally deep into the rough. Sometimes deep into the rough the other side of an adjacent fairway. On the odd occasion it went straight I could seriously damage the scorecard, but more often it cost me a fortune in balls.

[ZaPPPa]

Was talking to a guy yesterday at a wedding. Turned out he was a golfer. Talked about various things and suddenly he started talking distance. So far he was a pretty decent guy, but then it got interesting.

He talked about hitting a 5I 220y, which is far, but not entirely impossible. I've hit my 5I 200y twice (normal distance being 180 or so). Then he calmly explained how you should always tee off with a 3W on the first tee and that he can easily do this because he hits his 3W 320y... (I almost spilled my drink at this point). Then he goes on about hitting his driver 360y on average, but that's with roll and carry, so no big deal. I had a hard time keeping a straight face, but think I managed to do a reasonable job.

Anyway, he wanted to play together, so I am looking forward to seeing what a 360y drive looks like. I am willing to bet he won't be more than 50y in front of me and I hit 230-250 on average.

[Leftygolfer]

Was talking to a guy yesterday at a wedding. Turned out he was a golfer. Talked about various things and suddenly he started talking distance. So far he was a pretty decent guy, but then it got interesting.

I bet it will not be more than 10 yards out front.

[RocketSauce]

Was talking to a guy yesterday at a wedding. Turned out he was a golfer. Talked about various things and suddenly he started talking distance. So far he was a pretty decent guy, but then it got interesting.

LOL! dont you just hate when people talk like that and you have to try and keep a straight face? PLEASE let us (or me via PM) know when you play with this guy. im curious about his 260, err, i mean, 360 yard drives too, hehe

[right handed phil mickelson]

Look everybody, I'm sorry I said that my drives are 290 yards. I will take it off my signature. But here's the stats that I go by: 5/10 drives are about 260-270. 2/10 are about 280-290. 2/10 are O.B and 1/10 are 300+. I've reconsidered my position and changed my signature's statistic on my average drive.

I was wrong and hyprocitical. I'm truly sorry. Also, I still plan to put the video up; not because I want to prove anybody wrong. I want it 1. for swing analysis, and 2. for any suggestions, and then possibly distances. I'll still walk out the yardages for you albeit 250 yards or 300 yards. Thank you all.

[ZaPPPa]

LOL! dont you just hate when people talk like that and you have to try and keep a straight face? PLEASE let us (or me via PM) know when you play with this guy. im curious about his 260, err, i mean, 360 yard drives too, hehe

I'll be sure to write a little note about it

. Though the guy wasn't a dick about it. He was quite friendly and he was probably just trying to impress me or he had a bit too much to drink. I don't care that much anymore about distance. I used to care a lot when I just started and I was very short, but recently I realized that I am distinctly average for my build, so I am focussing more on accuracy. I have also noticed almost nobody mentions the wind when they report distance. With my high ball flight the wind is a huge factor. In the Bay Area where it is always windy, it is the difference between a 140y 6I and a 215y 6I. Two weeks ago I played in 20mph winds and barely carried the water on a 160y Par3 for 140y. Two holes later I teed off on a Par4 with the same club and it plugged in a bunker at 214y. It averages at 177, which is pretty close to what I hit on the range on one of those rare calm days. Obviously, for internet reasons, I now average 200+ yards with my 6I.. I did decide not to play on windy days any more. It is killing my score and killing my handicap. Hitting a 6 200+ yards makes for great bar talk, but when you expect it to land well in front of a bunker and it overflies the target by 30+ yards, it kind of takes the fun out of the game. And short/long isn't nearly as bad as balls being blown away by a cross-wind to land 50y left of where I was aiming. I recently switched from TM RAC OS reg to Mizuno MX-200 stiff and my ball flight went from a fade to a high draw. So much so that I am currently clueless as to where I need to aim and where the ball will land in windy conditions. Screw distance... it's accuracy I need. I'll trade you 20 yards long for 20 yards straight right now...

[TN94z]

To me its really not that big of a deal until someone throws in the word "average." When you use that word, it puts a entirely new spin on things

I could honestly care less how far anybody I play with hits their clubs. If my cousin is hitting his driver 50 yards farther than me and takes a 7I where I take a 5I....it doesn't matter. The reason being, once the 18th hole is over, I will be around a 76-77 while he is around an 86-87 and still talking about how far he hits his clubs

[chspeed]

I did decide not to play on windy days any more. It is killing my score and killing my handicap. Hitting a 6 200+ yards makes for great bar talk, but when you expect it to land well in front of a bunker and it overflies the target by 30+ yards, it kind of takes the fun out of the game. And short/long isn't nearly as bad as balls being blown away by a cross-wind to land 50y left of where I was aiming.

This is off-topic, but since I was the OP, I'll do it anyway ;)

It's a shame that you think that wind takes the fun out of the game. It definitely makes it challenging, but can be a blast. Some of my most fun rounds were on an old 9-hole links course on Cape Cod (Highland Links). 50 MPH+ winds. Hitting a driver on the 140 yd par 3 and coming up short is an eye opener. So is hitting a 3-wood 300 yds...into the dunes! Plus, you get to practice hitting knock-down shots all day.