How far do you hit your clubs?

[Stewie007]

Originally Posted by wadesworld

I'm surprised how many tour-level hitters there are.

I see tons of people saying 280-290 carry, and quite a few saying 300-330 total.  If you're saying that's how far you hit your driver, you mean that's your typical shot.

The tour average is 289.  The longest hitter on tour, Bubba Watson, averages 315.

A pro the other day told me most people who claim to be 290/300 hitters typically average about 260.  The average golfer goes around 230.

Now, that's not to say there aren't some big hitters on here.  After all, there are guys who aren't on the tour that can outdrive the guys that are on the tour.  I'm just surprised how many there are.

Am I too cynical?

There are two things that happen here. When people say how far they can hit it, they like to add the farthest ever. Others are simply embellishing their distances, perhaps unknowingly; perhaps knowingly.

Anyone can swing a golf club extremely fast, but it doesn't mean that you're going to hit it well.... I've taken joke swings that probably were pretty speedy.... then I line up to the ball and try to hit it and watch it go in all sorts of directions..... If I hit a ball so fast and it looks like it is orbiting my position, I cannot claim that the circumference of the orbit is the distance I drove the ball..... hehehe

Most people don't track every single drive, and still many of the times they thought that it had to have gone a million miles, it actually went much less farther than they had hoped. No need to tell anyone about that, right? So when one goes especially far, it is exciting and it is remembered. All of that other "nonsense" is forgotten. So the average golfer goes dutifully home to report on his lengthy drive and will not update that until he hits one farther.... maybe never.

I love it when I hit it that far, and I will admit that it makes me beat my chest over it for a little bit. However, you've gotta come back down to Earth and realize that your average is not that high. I believe people when they say they HAVE hit it 300 or 315 yards. If I can hit one 306 yards like I did today, and I did verify it by GPS from point to point, then I see no reason that someone else cannot. I, however, know that given my skill level and that of the average golfer around me, they are probably not hitting these blazers an average of that far.

That would suggest that their drives either go REALLY far (up to 340 or more) to compensate for the under 260 ones, or they all would have to be very consistently around that average with a low Standard Deviation. That means the distribution curve would be VERY tight and mound shaped.... Usually they're quite skewed, especially for the average golfer.

I know, then, that the probability of that well distributed curve for anyone who says they have a horrible swing and a very high handicap is very low. Embellishment and nothing more. So, no, you are not being cynical. You are being realistic. :)

Anyone can hit a freak shot. Most 300+ duffers hit their drives under 250 average. Gotta count the worm burners that go 100 yards... that really hurts the average.... hehehe.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Stewie007

Quote:

Originally Posted by wadesworld

Am I too cynical?

Anyone can swing a golf club extremely fast . . .

No, that is not true. Colour me cynical now.

[Penny Pulz]

My averages as a senior women golfer just under 60. haha!!

220 Drive on a good day

7iron 135

wedge 100 yards

Since I hit menapause  I lost 20 yards from my Driver, and 10 yards in my irons.  What happens to guys length when your big tire in the middle overtakes your body?

[Parksy]

I play on public courses and play with different people constantly. Just this year for instance I played wth probably 150 different people and I can honestly say that not one of them could hit the ball even 250 yards.So you guys ouy there hitting the ball eveb n 280 yards where are you playing.

[poser]

Originally Posted by Parksy

I play on public courses and play with different people constantly. Just this year for instance I played wth probably 150 different people and I can honestly say that not one of them could hit the ball even 250 yards.So you guys ouy there hitting the ball eveb n 280 yards where are you playing.

I play on the moon I guess according to you.

[Stewie007]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

No, that is not true. Colour me cynical now.

You missed the point Sean.... You are assuming that I said anyone can swing really fast as if that is to say they're good....

I was saying that they can swing like a mad man in any direction they want, but it doesn't equate to good results. It wasn't a serious proposition to say they're swinging like a pro.

You took it too literally.... But then, that's what happens when you single out a SINGLE line.

[Lihu]

I play on public courses and play with different people constantly. Just this year for instance I played wth probably 150 different people and I can honestly say that not one of them could hit the ball even 250 yards.So you guys ouy there hitting the ball eveb n 280 yards where are you playing.

Off the white tees at public courses, I don't see a reason to hit more than 250 except on a long par 4 or par 5. even then there are lots of bunkers. I would rather hit my good old trusty 5wood to get me the rest of the way when there are lots of hazards. So, at least some of the people you play with on those courses, hit shorter by choice. I for one, hit as hard as I dare to get that distance. Plenty of folks hit their irons 190 yards plus around where I practice.

[Stretch]

Originally Posted by Penny Pulz

My averages as a senior women golfer just under 60. haha!!

220 Drive on a good day

7iron 135

wedge 100 yards

Since I hit menapause  I lost 20 yards from my Driver, and 10 yards in my irons.  What happens to guys length when your big tire in the middle overtakes your body?

A senior woman golfer just under 60 who was once in the top 10 in the world!

We guys actually get longer as we get older. Gravity.

[Effington]

Originally Posted by Parksy

I play on public courses and play with different people constantly. Just this year for instance I played wth probably 150 different people and I can honestly say that not one of them could hit the ball even 250 yards.So you guys ouy there hitting the ball eveb n 280 yards where are you playing.

Just a thought, but the average person who reads and replies on a golf internet message board is probably very different than the random crowd you encounter at public courses.

I just picked up the sport two months ago and can strike it better than probably 30-40% of people I've encountered on local courses in my area.  Granted, I have some fairly excessive practice habits, but I'm just trying to illustrate what the casual golfer's skill level is.  This is a very difficult game.

Just as a frame of reference, I've been out on the course about five times this year at three different locations, and each time, the group in front and in back of me have had players topping the ball 15 yards, hitting the ball to the wrong fairway, hitting into trees, and I've even seen whiffing.

[Flav]

I have been working on my swing and grip this year so my distances are allover the place. The average so far  for the clubs that have been tracked the most according to the gps shot tracking are:

Driver : 200 - 230 (Longest has been 280 with roll, and shortest was 110 topped it bad)
3 Wood : 215ish (tee), 200ish (deck)
6 Iron : 150-180
7 Iron : 160-180
8 Iron : 155
9 Iron : 140 - 154
PW : 130-141
48 : 120-126
56 :90-113

Dont really rely on the longest as its not consistently there yet and may have been a fluke. Just dont have enough shots tracked for the other clubs that round out my bag yet.

[Lihu]

My averages as a senior women golfer just under 60. haha!! 220 Drive on a good day 7iron 135 wedge 100 yards Since I hit menapause  I lost 20 yards from my Driver, and 10 yards in my irons.  What happens to guys length when your big tire in the middle overtakes your body?

Most of us take up golf with the tire on already. I for one, have used golf to get rid of some of this excess baggage. It's great excercise, because there is a desire to "get it right", and not just for the calorie burn. By the way, someone mentioned your career as a golfer. You were a pretty impressive player, and still are with a 2 handicap. Took the liberty of looking you up.

[Pablo68]

It's all about egos I guess.

Reminds me of a guy I was in the Air Force with that always had to 'one up' people. His replies always started with "sh_t, that ain't nothing. I ______"  If you told him you just summited Mount Everest's south face without oxygen but lost a testicle in the process he'd reply "sh_t, that ain't nothing. I summited the North face of Everest without oxygen, carrying a sherpa while smoking a cigar and I lost 3 testicles on the way down."

[wadesworld]

I definitely *can* hit a 280 or 300 yarder, but my typical drive is in the 240-250 neighborhood, given a landing in the fairway and some roll.

I'm having a bit of trouble judging my other clubs right now.  I've added a good 10-15 yards if I hit it flush, which I'm doing a lot more consistently.  However, it's not all the time, so it's making it a bit difficult to club myself right now.

As a final data point, I was in GolfSmith trying out some irons the other day.  The monitor reported I was hitting 190.  I was VERY impressed I was hitting a 6-iron that far.  The guy said, "I gave you a 7."  I figured the machine had to be broke.  So, he tried it and got his normal results.  I tried some drivers and got my normal results.  My normal 7-iron is about 160.  The point of me telling the story is not to brag, but rather to say, I'm not always sure monitors and simulators are right.  We never did figure out what the issue was, but I'm still unconvinced I was really hitting 190-yard 7-irons.

[Lihu]

It's all about egos I guess. Reminds me of a guy I was in the Air Force with that always had to 'one up' people. His replies always started with "sh_t, that ain't nothing. I ______"  If you told him you just summited Mount Everest's south face without oxygen but lost a testicle in the process he'd reply "sh_t, that ain't nothing. I summited the North face of Everest without oxygen, carrying a sherpa while smoking a cigar and I lost 3 testicles on the way down."

First off, I have had many helpful responses from you on other posts. Especially, the wrist feel for flipping comment, at is helping me a lot. Next, Some of the people posting here want a reaction from us as well. Some because they want to know how they compare so they can see if they have more potential than most established golfers like yourself. This might give them more fuel to Either invest more time and money into it, or to give them more excitement into the game. Others, just because it's the internet and they don't seem to use it to learn more about the game nor to improve their game. 3 testicles? I suppose he had 4 to start with and had ten kids later in life. Well, it is almost tee time for me. Have a good one. :-)

[Pablo68]

Originally Posted by wadesworld

As a final data point, I was in GolfSmith trying out some irons the other day.  The monitor reported I was hitting 190.  I was VERY impressed I was hitting a 6-iron that far.  The guy said, "I gave you a 7."  I figured the machine had to be broke.  So, he tried it and got his normal results.  I tried some drivers and got my normal results.  My normal 7-iron is about 160.  The point of me telling the story is not to brag, but rather to say, I'm not always sure monitors and simulators are right.  We never did figure out what the issue was, but I'm still unconvinced I was really hitting 190-yard 7-irons.

I'd be skeptical too. I know there are people who swear by those machines but personally, I'd rather trust what I'm seeing on the range (in real life) than a machine being operated by someone trying to sell me equipment I'm trying.

Kind of like when people were refinancing and taking equity out of their homes. They'd rely on Banks that wanted to loan them money to tell them what their house is worth.

Originally Posted by Lihu

First off, I have had many helpful responses from you on other posts. Especially, the wrist feel for flipping comment, at is helping me a lot.

Next, Some of the people posting here want a reaction from us as well. Some because they want to know how they compare so they can see if they have more potential than most established golfers like yourself. This might give them more fuel to Either invest more time and money into it, or to give them more excitement into the game. Others, just because it's the internet and they don't seem to use it to learn more about the game nor to improve their game.

3 testicles? I suppose he had 4 to start with and had ten kids later in life.

Well, it is almost tee time for me. Have a good one.

I get what you're saying and agree. Some of the posters here are on fishing expeditions to see who will bite on their outlandish claims.

Hope you hit em well.

[Flav]

Anyone ever use the OptiShot golf simulator by dancingdogg? Just wondering how accurate it is. I am probably getting it and using it for fun but also a replacement for the range on days I dont feel like driving to one.

[Stewie007]

Originally Posted by wadesworld

As a final data point, I was in GolfSmith trying out some irons the other day.  The monitor reported I was hitting 190.  I was VERY impressed I was hitting a 6-iron that far.  The guy said, "I gave you a 7."  I figured the machine had to be broke.  So, he tried it and got his normal results.  I tried some drivers and got my normal results.  My normal 7-iron is about 160.  The point of me telling the story is not to brag, but rather to say, I'm not always sure monitors and simulators are right.  We never did figure out what the issue was, but I'm still unconvinced I was really hitting 190-yard 7-irons.

I never put much weight in the results of those "machines." They seem to be geared to tell you that you're hitting it a lot farther than you really are. I remember hitting an obvious duff at GolfGalaxy yet the machine said I hit it 250. I know what would have REALLY happened.

I also remember the guy who tried out a driver before me nailing it over 300 yards each time with the sales person saying "It would go 10 yards further in reality, outside."

Seems to me the store's machines embellish a bit to make you want to buy a club.... hehehe Make you feel like it goes soooo much farther than your 2 year old club. hehehe

[sean_miller]

I find it useful to know distances with various swings, including an all out, swing for the fences recovery/hero shot type of swing. Would never consider that as a stock distance, but it,s nice to know which club will not end up long on a par 5 approach from position A. :-(