How far?

[Konrad]

Okay, after searching around this fourm and looking at people boast about their driving distances, my question is, How far do most people overestimate how far they hit it? I'm probably the second longest kid on my high school team, but I do it because of correct swing mechanics, not because I swing at 120 MPH. I swing at about 96 on average, and I hit it about 255 or 260. I was on a launch moniter recently, and I was relieved that these were actually the distances I hit. Then a guy who had a appt after me was only hitting it 210 or 200 with his driver, and he said that the launch moniter was "bullsh*t" and that no one could hit it 250 on this machine.

I hit one ball 251 on my first try.. :)

[Thrash13]

That's a pretty broad question. Everyone here may be telling the truth for all I know. It's definitely not my right to tell someone they aren't hitting it as far as they say they are.

I never really care how far I hit my drives, as long as they are 240-250 right down the center of the fairway. A 240-250 yard drive will put me in great position 9 times out of 10 at the courses I play in Oklahoma.

I've hit drives in excess of 300 yards in the past couple months, and I've topped balls off the tee box (50-100 yards). However, when I make solid contact, I hit the ball 250-270. I just don't make good contact very often.

I don't think many people falsify their driving distances though. There is really no reason to do so, and sooner or later, someone will find out if they are telling the truth or not.

Then again, maybe I have too much confidence in other peoples' words.

[pingman360]

i would say that some overestemate w/o doing it on purpose but others try to make themselves look better... i said 25yds+ b/c that seem the most common to me

[DDBowdoin]

without a doubt, I average between 250 and 260 off the tee and I am happy with that... looking towards the pga tour the average is somewhere around 285?

I used to work at a golf store and the same thing happened there, launch monitors don't lie when properly used... I had guys come in telling me they were driving 285 off the tee, step to the monitor and hit 225... its funny

[allin]

To some degree a forum like this is self selecting. The golfers who are most interested, put the most time in, have the most talent, (people usually don't have a passion for something they really suck at) will tend to be active. Equipment knowledge and the number fitted using a launch monitor is pretty high also. Given the nature of human memory and confidence. Exceptional drives are treated as normal and less successful ones as aberations. I carry the ball 200+ and average 220 total maybe a max of 235 with roll. Golf experts say the average is a 27 handicap and 192 average driver distance. Most of the golfers I see who practice regularly are much beyond those figures. Although the numbers on the site are high, with so many people riding carts which have GPS it doesn't take much to come up with your real world distance, I bet they are not as exaggerated as we short hitters would like.

[iacas]

I don't exaggerate, and I make no bones about being a mild-length hitter. I carry the ball 240 on a not-so-good day, 250 on average, and 260 occasionally. I get minimal roll at the courses I play, so my "long" drives tend to top out at 270-275.

I have hit a few 325+ this year, without the aid of wind, but with the aid of what must have been some pretty good bounce and roll on the fairway! (And, as I said in my TaylorMade TP ball review, they've all been with the TP Black...).

Most golfers over-estimate by a good percentage. But as allin said, we're not "most golfers" on this forum.

[iacas]

BTW, how are these two options different?

They don't overestimate They're right on

I edited it. They seemed the same to me and the latter didn't have any votes, so, no effect.

[flap]

This months golf magazine has a page devouted to this subject and they say on the average 25 to 30 percent over real average.How they reach this?your quess is as good as mine.

[thehillgolfer]

i probably overestimate how far i hit just cuz there are so many variables in golf and how far a ball should go. like at my home course, based on where my ball usually is and course yardages my drives go as follows:
1. 285 yds (major downhill)
2. 225 yds (back up the big hill)
5. 260 yds (pretty flat)
7. 245 yds (pretty flat)
8. 290 yds (downhill)
9. 230 yds (major uphill)

and i would say that my average drive is like 275 yards...go figure

[ttee9]

Okay, after searching around this fourm and looking at people boast about their driving distances, my question is, How far do most people overestimate how far they hit it? I'm probably the second longest kid on my high school team, but I do it because of correct swing mechanics, not because I swing at 120 MPH. I swing at about 96 on average, and I hit it about 255 or 260. I was on a launch moniter recently, and I was relieved that these were actually the distances I hit. Then a guy who had a appt after me was only hitting it 210 or 200 with his driver, and he said that the launch moniter was "bullsh*t" and that no one could hit it 250 on this machine.

.... Aaah yes, the 3 biggest lies on the planet ....

1.) what somebody paid for their vehicle. 2.) what somebody paid for their house. 3.) last but not least, their golf stats. The first two I discovered because I've looked at 30,000+ credit bureau's in the last 20 years. The golf stats.? .... me personally, I'm not a long ball hitter .. like you Konrad, I have a swing speed of 96, and I'll hit it 235/245ish .. give me a little luck, some favorable wind, a little slope and some roll action and I'll wander down the fairway and "maybe" end up 250/260 yards out - and that's on a good day with Mars and Venus being properly aligned .. I guess what always fascinates me is (now that I have an opportunity to play 15/16 times a month at different courses in various area's of the country) .. that no matter where I go, or who I meet, they all can hit a ball 280/300/325 yards .... the funny part is, when we play, their ball is either 10 yards in front of mine or 10 yards behind, and thats "if" they haven't blown themselves 30 yards into the tree's ..l.o.l.... I have a friend of mine that's a manager at Golf Galaxy and they probably see 200/300 people a week and test 20/30 a week .... most are striking 190/220, you'll get a few in there that smack it 250/260 and a few times a month you'll get one or two that club it 270/280 .... and depending on the time of the year and the last adjustment most simulators are off by 10% (most times, even more) in favor of the simulator, not the player .l.o.l... so most "think" 250 and they're really 225 or less ... and lets not forget that consistency issue -- who cares if your hitting 290 yards if the last 70 yards were spent flying over the parking lot.

[cdriver]

I hit a lower trajectory drive than any of my playing partners. Just the nature of my swing. All of them kid me about the ball rolling further than it went in the air. That is not true, but I do get good roll out most of the time. I can hit a higher trajectory, but it usually costs me distance. I only do it if I have to carry some obstacle. Average drive for me is around 250, with an occassional bomb out to 280-290 range.

What is so funny is that I can be playing with someone who hits the high ball and everyone will oooh and aaah about their drives. When I hit my lower trajectory ball, everyone is quiet. When we get down to them in the fairway, I am 10 to 20 yds beyond em. I guess mine just don't look like they are going anywhere.

[DDBowdoin]

I feel you man... I have two different swings I put on with my driver, with one I have sort of a descending blow so my launch angle is pretty low, with this my drives max out at 240 but its an accurate shot. My other swing is like Tiger (haha except about 40 yards shorter) launch angle is good, ball speed is high (152) swing speed 108) and I'll carry the ball 260-270 (no roll at all, small fade usually) but it can go in all directions, so as long as you keep in play who cares how long you hit the ball... they dont ask how, they ask how many

but yeah, when I go to public courses around here I usually play alone and get paired up with a group, first tee is always the best... guys will be like yeah I'm pretty long off the tee you know like 280-285 then they duff a drive and its like oh man im pretty stiff today... well, 18 holes later they hit 2 fairways and never broke 230

[Lefty2380]

i average around 303...and if you want to see it call me up haha...

I dont see why you would lie about something as minescule as driving distance ins a FORUM where it doesnt MATTER

and even if people do, let them, so long as it doesnt affect my game i dont care what people say

[cold]

I hit about 260 - 290 in low or no wind, higher and lower depending on wind direction. My swing speed is around 115mph

i didn't even read the first post..

i don't know.. some people over estimate and some don't.. take some swings at a launch monitor, or something..

[BigAl5150]

i probably overestimate how far i hit just cuz there are so many variables in golf and how far a ball should go. like at my home course, based on where my ball usually is and course yardages my drives go as follows:

I voted 25+ yards. Not so much on this forum but other forums (or reviews) I have read people going from 220 to 300+ just by changing their driver. Get real. I agree with thehillgolfer as course conditions and variables play a role in this.

[MaRx]

Its fun to see the ball get hit a long ways, and of course people will say they can hit the ball at LEAST 25+ yards farther than they really can.. People do this with thier cars, and how much HP they have too... To me, people who worry/ brag about how far they hit must have some in-security or are just annoying (someone I would never want to golf with!)

The last time I was in a simulator was probably 2 months ago at Golf Galaxy when I bought my 983K driver (used). The sim was showing anywhere from 260-287 yds. I didnt catch the swing speed.. When I was fitted for irons years ago my swing speed was 105-115. I was honestly swinging as hard as I could and somewhat control it (Had to out-do my buddies of course). I really was wondering how accurate those sims work too.. At my local course i'm regularly over 300 yds. Depending on ball flight, roll, wind, and hardness of surface yardage varies from 280-360. Our fairways get pretty hard during the summer, so i'm not going to brag about hitting 360s, but it sure is fun to be able to hit a 140 yd PW into a par 5 on the second shot tho!

[Everardo]

I voted for 20 yards because that's what I seem to find more when talking to people in my area.

[thehillgolfer]

does no one else think they themselves overestimate???

i know i do, but since i drive farther than everyone i play against its all ok, cuz we all get to lie and be happy

but, if i am playing a nice course and a prov1, i think i am pretty darn good from inside 75 yards with my trusty cg10.