How far do you hit your clubs?

[msd3075]

So I guess Golf Digest must have been way off base with their extensive research this month then?

While I do think there are many on here inflating their yardages, I also think that blanket statements of what a "typical handicap's yardages should be" are oversimplifying the situation. People could have a high handicap for a ton of different reasons; they can't putt worth beans, they have multiple blow-up holes during the round, they can't escape from trouble properly and instead try to play the low-percentage shot, they can't control distance with their irons of wedges, they have extremely poor course management,........ There are scratch golfers that hit their driver 220 yards. There are 25 handicappers that hit it 300+ yards. Yardage, while it does correlate to a certain extent, does not directly match up to handicap. Take my brother-in-law as an example. He's just starting to establish a handicap, but from they way he scores he's probably in the low 20's. He hits the ball just as far if not further than I do (he's a former baseball player and is built like a linebacker), but all the other aspects of hit game (listed above) prevent his scores from coming down.

[$2 Nassau]

I have no idea. It varies so much. It seems like I'm longer than most of the guys I play with, but a lot shorter than the very good players that I play with occasionally.

[TheNatural]

While I do think there are many on here inflating their yardages, I do think that blanket statements of what a "typical handicap's yardages should be" is oversimplifying the situation. People could have a high handicap for a ton of different reasons; they can't putt worth beans, they have multiple blow-up holes during the round, they can't escape from trouble properly and instead try to play the low-percentage shot, they can't control distance with their irons of wedges, they have extremely poor course management,........

ALSO how did they track that many shots 100 per person! I hope they didnt do this on a range with range balls! and remember most golfers(or core target market) these days are gonna be 40-60 yrs old IMO and the distance is dropping, so the digest doesnt want to make them feel bad. fyi My dad is 64 and he has hit a 300 yard drive or two.(flat,cut fairway.. no wind...again 1 or 2) he averages 245 & down the middle every time. He has a severe chipping problem and is a 15 hi when playing regular and 20hi when not.

[TheNatural]

I also find it hard to believe that high handicaps are hitting it so far. I flush my 5 iron 195 up to 205 off a tee. But my average is probably in the 180 or 185 range because of an inconsistent swing.

for the record... I said "UP TO" The post asks for how far ...not average or i would include my duffs, but then again when coming in from 150 I dont plan on duffing. just so happens I play my distances as my top end, its easier for me to manage my %85-90 swing so I dont clear the green, I would always rather come up short of a green than fly over it. a little lesson learned a couple years ago so I tend to club under but swing 85-90%.

[Williamevanl]

A week ago I hit an 8i well over 200 from below a ladies tee(topped drive) one guy in my foursome hit a solid drive that cut the dogleg and he hit it 240+. His third stroke and mine were both pin high, but that took 2 pure shots from me to catch him. The ball does actually tower as it will clear a 75 ft tree. I just havent played with someone who does NOT deloft and hits it the same distance to see if my trajectory is even close to a true 8i. For instance my 5i may go 30-45 ft in the air and thats it, unless its hit pure and then it whizzes away and tends to climb(I assume it means that i DIDNT deloft).

So you realize that you can hit an 8 iron 200 yards and that you can't seem to hit a four iron and yet you don't believe that you are severly delofting the club? Again, get yourself a two iron, and hit that off the tee, you should get an average of 275 yards with it. That is if you aren't turning your 8 into a 4 because you wont be able to turn that 2 into a -2.

[TheNatural]

I understand the point and agree with you, I just dont understand the true flight path of a 4i or 5i compared to my 8i. for instance this ball I hit was not a boreing type drive more like a high iron. It went high and went extremely long, so it may be like a 6i? not a 4i or 5i... I dont know. The PW can be used up to 160 and it stops on a green,mostly trajectory since I dont get a ton of backspin,( could be the ball and the crappy irons)

How high should a well hit 4i go? Ive never played with someone and asked them oh btw was that a 4i?

On a side note, I dont deloft my driver too much at 9.5* it still goes out. Its a different stance and I address the ball with toes out 40" from ball.

WHAT is the * of a 2 iron or a 3 iron? just curious.

[BigTazz53]

While I do think there are many on here inflating their yardages, I also think that blanket statements of what a "typical handicap's yardages should be" are oversimplifying the situation. People could have a high handicap for a ton of different reasons;

Thats me, I can get their usually in allowed shots but 2 and 3 putting kills me. Playing only 1-2 times a month, I kinda expect that. Hoping to get more rounds in and lower my score to get in and stay in the 80's is my goal. Tazz

[RocketSauce]

i love this thread. this is one of the funniest " How Far Do You Hit It " threads that I've seen in a long time. ALL the big hitters came out for this one
I've never seen so many 200+ yard 6 irons in my life

[DavidFehertysBike]

i love this thread. this is one of the funniest "

If you could hit a 6i 200 yards in the air, youd proably only need 10 clubs..lol.

[kris]

haha we have some mighty big hitters in here. allow me to post some below average numbers...

Driver: 215-225
3 wood: don't use
5 wood: 200
4 hybrid: 190
BIG GAP HERE, hate it
5i: 155-160
6i: 150
7i: 135-140
8i: 125- 130
9i: 120
PW: 105-110
SW: 90 on in

[plickerman]

Driver: 260, with roll
3W: 230 with roll
4H: 190-200
4I: 180-185
5I:165-175
6I:155-160
7I:145-150
8I:135-140
9I:125-130
PW:115-120
50:105-110
54:90-100
58:75-85

I used to hit farther, though more inconsistently and have been working on smoothing out my swing "nice and easy". Have lost some distance, but have become much more consistent on these distances whereas before I would hit an 8 iron at a target 150 and either chunk it, fly it, and every now and again hit it...lol. Also, I used to get into hooking shots more before, and now it seldomly happens. Consistency over power is my latest trend and I have seen my handicap drop 4 strokes thus far.

[$2 Nassau]

Personally, I equate distance with handicap index to some extent. It doesn't hold true with every player, but almost all the good players I play with hit the ball further on a more consistent basis. I've never met a 25+ that hits the ball over 300 yards, or hits a 7i 170, or anything even remotely close to that. To achieve those distances you need to do a lot of things right.
Not to sound like a jerk, but with the distances some of you hit the ball your indexes really should be lower. And if the argument is "well I don't always hit it straight" -then how do you know how far you hit it? I don't see any yardage markers in the woods.

[Williamevanl]

300 yard drives... probably not but a 170 yard 7 iron is a pretty easy shot for a lot of high handicappers because they just swing the club wrong.

You don't have to hit irons particularly well to hit them far, Center yes but you can be way off swing plane with a really shut face and still crush it in some direction a long way.

I was playing with an old guy once that said is grandson hits his lob wedge 150 yards. I told him to tell his grandson he was doing it wrong.

Just because the ball is going further doesn't mean you're hitting it more properly. *with the irons anyway*

[plickerman]

I have played with low handicappers that I hit the ball further than; however, they hit it straight on a high percentage of their shots. On the other hand, I've played with people who can really generate alot of power, but have high handicaps because they can't control said power; therefore, when all things fall into place, the planets align with the stars, and the gods are pleased....they can crush the ball in play every once in a while.

That said, I am impressed with how many people can really hit a long ball.

[Kraiz]

Driver: 240 carry
3I: 220
4I: 210
5I: 190
6I: 180
7I: 165
8I: 155
9I: 140
PW: 125
AW: 110
56: 90
60: 75

I don't carry any fairway woods since I don't find myself in a position where I really need it. I'd also like to think I hit the ball really well, with a fade on every club except my wedges and driver. It's funny how many long hitters are here, reminds me of a time I got teamed up with a guy on the weekend. We spent 10 minutes waiting on the first tee off and he was bragging about his 320 yard drives on every hole, only to hit maybe 240 yards max for the whole round. :)

[$2 Nassau]

300 yard drives... probably not but a 170 yard 7 iron is a pretty easy shot for a lot of high handicappers because they just swing the club wrong.

I'll respectfully disagree, just because of what you mentioned above..."crush it in SOME DIRECTION." I guess when I think of what my yardages are I'm assuming a shot that goes straight with a controlled swing. I didn't know we are talking just any old swing that sends the ball anywhere. If that were the case, then sure 170 no problem. But no way a high handicapper hits a crisp, controlled 7 iron 170 yards every time. No way.

[Williamevanl]

I'm not sure what we disagree on... What someone means when the say iron distance? I'm quite sure for a high handicap that whatever club they pull on a 180 yard par three is the club that they hit that yardage, seems simply enough.

Also, the better my swing gets the more distance I lose with my irons. I now hit an 8 iron into par threes that I used to hit a pw into two years ago. But I used to get 8 feet of forward roll off my pw, now I hit an 8 iron and it comes back a couple inches.

[alpinejwl]

Driver: 240-275
3 wood: 220-230
5 wood: 200-220
3 hybrid: 180-200
4 iron: 170-180
5 iron: 160-170
6 iron: 150-160
7 iron: 140-150
8 iron: 125-135
9 iron: 110-125
P wedge: 20-100
52 wedge: 50-75
60 wedge: 30-50