Obsession with distance

[ScottRempel]

I am yet to meet a good player who has an obsession with distance.

Good players do not tend to have an obsession with distance because they usually have plenty of it. A good player is going to have a good swing, and hit the ball near the centre of the club face most of the time...with that they get their distance. If you routinely hit the ball 280 down the middle of the fairway you are not likely going to worry about distance very much...on the other hand, if you are struggling to get it to 230 then I can see where people feel they need to increase their distance somehow.

In the end, all other things being equal, farther is generally better. What do you want...280 down the middle or 240 down the middle!? Just because someone wants to hit it further, doesn't mean they want to give up their accuracy. Yes, a lot of people spend too much time working on this aspect of their game...but it is far from worthless...they just need to spend as much or more time working on everything else so they can be a good well rounded golfer.

[Kingfisher]

A lot of folks are still missing the point. I never once said distance with accuracy is a bad thing. If you have this combination, then great, but if you don't then what's the point of distance? A goog, solid iron game trumps a long but wild driving game any time. I can understand low cappers trying to sqeeze a few more yards out of their game, but mid and high handicappers like Average Joe? Average Joe doesn't realise that a ball which has missed it's target at 200yd is going to be even further offline at 250yds and further still at 300yd - we don't need to talk about 300yds though, because it doesn't apply to Average Joe - anyway, any increase in distance that Average Joe gets is going to see him get worse with his accuracy

Oh, by the way, a lot of the guys are still in a a dreamworld about the distances they think they hit the driver. Maybe if y'all realised that the 290 drive you think you once hit was actually closer to 250 you may start to think differently

I see Average Joe week in week out on the driving range, thrashing drive after drive, until his hands have blisters on them. For what? Average Joe never gets any straighter, because the harder he tries to crush the ball the worse the direction gets. Average Joe then picks up his 7 iron and because he read on some forum somewhere that he should be able to hit it 170yds, he starts trying to kill iron shots, but for some reason they're all dropping around the 150yd mark. Goddamit, these clubs are ruining Average Joe's game, because he's a good player and it can't be his fault

Frustrated, Average Joe then goes to the local golf store, credit card in hand, looking for the answer to his distance problems - he gets hooked up to a launch monitor, which probably hasn't been calibrated in years. The sales guy tells Average Joe that he's got a good swing and that the launch monitor results for his current driver mean he's not optimised. Though the sores on his hands are still weeping pus, he goes through the pain barrier and hits a bunch of drives, 300yd screamers one after another, all of them launching at the optimal angle and spin rate. Shit, that old driver was holding Joe's game back

Joe's convinced - the new Taylor Made R69 with depleted uranium face and ICBM flight control is the club he needs - it's a steal at only $500. The sales guy tells Average Joe that the Pros are all using the Diamana 'King-Kong' XXX tour-stiff shaft, but it's an adder of $500 - no problem. Average Joe is also going to regrip it touor-style, with the grip logo underneath. Holy shit, Average Joe is going to kick some ass with this new driver. Even if he still comes last in all the club competitions and wins no skins from his regular buddies, at least he can nuke drives past all of them - Average Joe still thinks he's a winner because to him, golf is all about how far you can hit the ball. HOO-AHH!

Wrong, because at the end of the day, Average Joe still has a swing that looks like an octopus falling out of a tree and because his fundamentals are piss poor, he'll never be able to hit solid golf shots. If only Average Joe had spent a bit more time working on his short game, the basics of the short game would improve his iron game and a solid iron game would see his long game improve. What Average Joe doesn't realise is that distance is not purely a product of inhuman swing speed and that finding the sweetspot of the clubs consistently is a much easier way of adding yards.

Average Joe will never reach his full potential

[enduro]

i can hit my 3w off the deck as far as my driver off the tee...

I hit my 3-wood a lot better than my Driver usually and use it to tee very often. Because, of course, if I crush my driver it's going further, but more often than not I'm not crushing it. Although, I'm getting better with it.

But yeah, using the 3-wood for most players is probably the smart move. I really crush that thing and hit pure shots so often. I'm in a phase of rapid improvement right now so things are coming along well. But I still use my 3-wood on most par 4's. Only on the really long 4's and 5's that usually have a big landing zone do I hit the driver. To me, that's a smart play for my current ability. I do hope to improve the driver enough to use it more often. But it isn't there yet so I don't. I'd rather not be frustrated the entire day. I don't play the way back tee's usually anyways. So driver becomes even more of a moot point. It's all about playing within your game. But there's nothing sexxier in the game than crushing a huge drive. I love finding a groove at the range and watching them carry 290 and hop/roll a bunch more. But I hit my short irons about 4x as much as my driver becuase I know those are the scoring clubs.

[timwalsh300]

Kingfisher,

You just painted a classic "straw man" argument. If someone does what you describe, they are stupid. But who here has suggested that players should spend $500+ on a new driver or aimlessly beat balls on the range until their hands bleed in an attempt to get longer?

I would suggest that the player start by working on his/her swing. Find an instructor, read books, use video feedback and start building something that is powerful, efficient, and repeatable.

In my opinion, good distance is simply a product of having a good swing (i.e. using your hips and core to accelerate the club, achieving lag, and "cracking the whip"). I've not yet seen someone who "has a swing that looks like an octopus falling out of a tree" hit the ball 300 yards.

Corollary to that, if someone finds that they hit the ball shorter than other people of their age, gender, and level of fitness then I think the person should take a step back and reevaluate things: something is wrong, and the shorter distance is a symptom of that. The only way to significantly improve the distance is to address the fundamental problems with the swing.

This will ultimately allow him/her to hit every club in the bag not only longer but also straighter with greater consistency , as it did for me.

Tim

[wrx_junki]

I am that average Joe who hits it regularly 250 and on occasion 300 and crave for distance. I love being inside of 150 yards since my percentages of greens hit drops considerably if I am more than 150 yards out. I definitely do not have the best fundamentals but I do not have the swing of an octopus or do I go out to my local pro shop and shell out my paycheck for a new driver. I will never reach my potential because I don't believe in limiting myself.

[TheNatural]

First, the driving ranges I go to, total distance can be measured on google earth, all to easy. Very clear to see that woods are 285-290, one cant see that its uphill though towards the 280-90 area. The sat pic's are as accurate as you need to be. I never gauge yards by the distance to the hole and what the scorecard says.

A funny side note, this driving range actually keeps their office at a chilly 60 degrees so the balls dont fly as far. When you first start hitting them, they sweat all over your clubs.

As a few other posters here stated they like to approach with their pw as opposed to a 6i. Thats exactly what I strive for on every hole. However I want to approach my a 60* from 130 and in. It is my favorite club. the longest par 4's I have played, I can still get on with my 8i, which is my next favorite club. If i duck hook a ball 200 yards on a 475 yard par 4, Im getting on in 3 maybe 4. If i hit 300 yards to behind a tree, a chip out to fairway or low punch with a 4i and im maybe a bit closer in 2 enough to use a 60* or PW. The point is from 2nd stroke needing 275 I cant afford to mishit a shot, chunk fat, thin, and im still possibly 190 away from the hole. For a high HI like myself, the closer i get to the green in the trees, rough, bunker hell even a hazard at 300 yards. I have that much less distance to worry about getting to the green. If I go in a pond at 300 and its a 475 hole, i drop with 175 to green on my 2nd.

What I believe is that for the mid capper, average distance is fine, their iron play will save them. For a newbie golfer or high HI say 18 and higher avg or long distance becomes much more important due to lack of iron consistency, a short drive kills them and makes them a high HI. Confidence lowers and the chance for duffs on the way to the green increases as the real estate to the hole increases after their drive.

I would venture to say that the scratch player needs steady better than average distance if they play from the tips.

For the record my maltby driver head cost me $12. its a 11.5* and the ss is 120+. The balls stays low despite the degree due to mechanics(baseball)

[Leftygolfer]

[QUOTE=deronsizemore;338163]That's great that you're practicing your short game and I apologize if I sounded as if I meant to insinuate you thought short game didn't matter. My point was that you said in your league, you hit SW into every hole on the days you're on. So, the days you're off I'm going to assume you have nothing longer than a 9i. That just proves that you gaining more distance won't lower your scores. If you've already got SW into every green and are averaging a 41 this year, sounds like you're throwing shots away with wedges in your hand? So, my point being that you said earlier that if you could only hit the bar further and have something shorter than a 6 iron in your hand on long par 4's that you could score better and get your handicap down to a 5 and I'm trying to point out that you're already hitting SW into every green into your league and are still throwing shots away so distance gained isn't going to get you down to a 5... more short game practice however, will.

I do not believe distance is holding me back right now. It is consistancy and iron play. All I want is those distances, a 165 7I and to fly the ball 260 consistantly. I know that my problem is with my iron play. I am fully aware. I had pitching wedge on 3 par 4s in a row last night. Score was 4 over on those. My swing was totally off. Drove the ball ok, just hit these 30 yard pulls.

But back to the thread, good players have distance. That is part of what makes them good. You aren't going to find a scratch golfer who doesn't consistantly fly it 250 and hit there 7I 160.

[Leftygolfer]

If you carry it 265 you are a long player. On an average day you will average over 280 if you hit a good one everytime. People think they drive it 300, they might with 40 yards of roll. A good dry day my good drives will average 260 but that is with 20 yards of roll. But very few players can fly it over 280.

[goblue107501]

I have read a few posts, but certainly not all 9+ pages so this may have been said already.

People have an obsession with distance because it makes the game easier. It's as simple as that. This is a very hard game that we play. Anything that we can do to make it easier will be to our benefit. Let's say a person hits a driver 225 yards on average. If that average can go up to 250 that person just made the game easier. Maybe they could reach a par 5 in two, or they could hit a 6 iron into a green instead of a 4. Regardless, they just made the game easier for them, and probably a lot more fun.

I think some people get too worked up with how far tour players hit balls. You have to remember that they play courses that are 10-15% longer than the average course that we play. My distances are about 15% less than a tour player, which I am fine with, because my courses are not as long. We don't need to hit a 200 yard 6-iron, because we don't play courses that have 500 yard par 4's, and 235 yard par 3's.

If someone wants to make the game easier for them, more power to them. Although I will add, it is not that easy to do so.

[chaprichard]

longer distance = further into the thick stuff when you hook / slice it. Mid handicappers and up should never take the driver out of their bag.

[iacas]

With a fairway width of 28 yards, here are the angles offline you have to hit the ball, at various distances, to miss the fairway.

None

[envoy98]

I have a buddy who shoots about the same as I do. He can bomb his drives past me most of the time, although prior to my 460cc head, I could poke one 300 a couple times a round. He is one to always make a point of asking the distance and then telling you what club he's going to hit. "let's see, 110...56*" The other guys and I get a great kick out of it. I now crack them up by saying "Hey, you've got 205 to the center. 56 degree?"

In an effort to control my shots and straighten everything out (and my increasing age and decreasing flexibility) I've gone to taking an extra, sometimes two extra clubs for the shot. I get laughed at but then I make par or bogey and they end up making bogey, double or worse... I used to agree with the OP but do exactly the opposite. Now I agree and follow my own theory. I still think I could drop 10 strokes if I just used a 7 iron all day. That was, until the dreaded sh...I won't even say it.

[deronsizemore]

He is one to always make a point of asking the distance and then telling you what club he's going to hit. "let's see, 110...56*"

Those types of guys are great for money games. They typically fill everyone's pockets. Doesn't matter if I hit a 56 degree SW 110 or a little choke down PW 110. The end result matters.

In an effort to control my shots and straighten everything out (and my increasing age and decreasing flexibility) I've gone to taking an extra, sometimes two extra clubs for the shot. I get laughed at but then I make par or bogey and they end up making bogey, double or worse...

Really? You get laughed at for needing more club? Might be time to find a new group to play with. I don't see any room for ridicule because someone doesn't hit it as far and is trying to make the game easier for them by taking the club necessary to get the job done. That's why we have 14 of them.

[TheNatural]

205 with a 56* ?? thats just sick, not saying it cant be done. I deloft the club a good deal and that still makes me wonder.

[DiverDown]

longer distance = further into the thick stuff when you hook / slice it. Mid handicappers and up should never take the driver out of their bag.

A ridiculous statement. How is someone getting to get control of their driver then, by practicing at the range only with it? There are no penalties at the range and this game is 80 - 90 percent a mental.

I'm a mid handicapper but I lose more strokes on my short than I do my long.

[chaprichard]

A ridiculous statement. How is someone getting to get control of their driver then, by practicing at the range only with it? There are no penalties at the range and this game is 80 - 90 percent a mental.

I agree - most mid handicap players will lose more stokes on their short game than their long. But if you take the average driving skill of a mid handicapper - if they uses the driver on every par 4 / 5 - they will inevitablly be in the thick stuff at least once or twice in a round. Those shots kill a card. You'll never improve your short game if you fighting your way out of the rough every other hole. figeratively speaking....

[crazygoalie13]

I would MUCH rather be able to make a good short shot than hit my drive 300 yards.

[denver_nuggs_15]

I have a buddy who shoots about the same as I do. He can bomb his drives past me most of the time, although prior to my 460cc head, I could poke one 300 a couple times a round. He is one to always make a point of asking the distance and then telling you what club he's going to hit. "let's see, 110...56*" The other guys and I get a great kick out of it. I now crack them up by saying "Hey, you've got 205 to the center. 56 degree?"

Sounds like this guy I caddied for. He's probably a 19 handicap and claims to hit a 7i 192 yards. He's done it once downhill and downwind. Ever since, he's been at least 3 clubs short on approach shots. He had 125 or so and asked me "58* or 54*" and I didn't know what to say.

In an effort to control my shots and straighten everything out (and my increasing age and decreasing flexibility) I've gone to taking an extra, sometimes two extra clubs for the shot. I get laughed at but then I make par or bogey and they end up making bogey, double or worse... I used to agree with the OP but do exactly the opposite. Now I agree and follow my own theory. I still think I could drop 10 strokes if I just used a 7 iron all day. That was, until the dreaded sh...I won't even say it.

I'm in the same boat; I'm 1-2 clubs shorter than most of the golfers I regularly play with. And I drive the ball 250-260 average! I'm hitting a 6i into a par 3 and my parner has an 8. When their 3 woods go as far as my driver, it gets a little depressing. But, they are also 5-8 shots better than me, so it makes sense.