Distance

[Gerardv]

About two weeks ago I shot 82 which was my best round since coming back from serious medical problems and not playing for a few years. Hell, prior to all the surgeries my best ever was 80. To be honest, my game has gotten better since I can only hit it 240-250 on average and lost a full club in distance.

It takes my ego out of the game and forces me to play within my means. When I have to, I can take a huge whack at one and get it 270. So, there is an extra gear I can call on. However, if I swung that hard all the time, and I'm only talking about 85%, my reconstructed neck would come apart. So, I stay with 75% most of the time.

It's made me more accurate, more able to work the ball and more able to score since I play my game. The guys with me might hit it farther than I do, but I still beat them.

Distance is addictive, as someone already mentioned. But, what is more addictive is a really low score or getting in your competitor's head because he has to hit the green in regulation to have a chance.

There is something fun about having your competitor or partner drop you off at your ball, right in the middle of the fairway, while they drive all over looking for their ball. That or saying" let's go find your ball since we know right where mine is" as you pull away from the tee.

Nobody should believe they don't need distance to play good golf since a certain amount of pop is needed. But, it is far from everything.

[brgolf]

There are a bunch of people out there who have really good short games but don't have the distance to make hitting GIR easy.

Distance is a bit of a mystery to me at this stage.

I am young fit and 6feet 4inch. I hit the ball very solid and have worked on most aspects of my swing. I'm accurate but 5 iron 155 consistent draw, driver 200 just doesn't cut it yet it leaves the clubface at the range with a decent trajectory.

I do wonder if a stiffer shaft in my driver or irons could be the answer?

[Chief Broom]

The long ball is like crack. Once you get a taste, you're always trying to top that high. As long as I hit it, it's a shame I'm not better. I usually score a high number or two and sometimes blow easy up and down opportunities. I've been beaten countless times by old guys who have grooved their swings and bring it with their regular flex shafts, a bag full of woods, and a bottle of Alieve. This game is great... so many ways to score.

Amen brother!

[enduro]

I do wonder if a stiffer shaft in my driver or irons could be the answer?

Probably lessons from a PGA Professional would be a better answer. A man of your size should be able to generate 155 yards from a 5 iron with a half swing to be honest.

[GopherGolf]

There are a bunch of people out there who have really good short games but don't have the distance to make hitting GIR easy.

Interesting point. This is only my third year playing golf, and this year I have been struggling a lot with distance. I am not bent on trying to hit a ball 280-300 yds off the tee, but it seems the prior two years I hit the ball much futher with each club (albeit with much more inconsistency) than I do now. I am not exactly sure why this is happening. I spent a great deal of time this winter reading magazines/tips on how to alter my swing, and I am not sure if that hurt more than it helped. While I feel that my swing is more technically sound, there has been a substantial loss of distance. (Sweeping? Keeping club face open?). Example: I could take a sand wedge anywhere from 60-85 yards before, and now it seems to shoot up and die at around 55-60 yards. I took a lesson recently, and it definitely helped me with my stance and backswing, but we didn't really work on much more. My trajectory seems better (more right to left, allowing my wrists to rotate over), but the distance is still not where I would like it to be. I asked about distance and he mentioned something about holding the hinge in my wrist longer through the downswing and said I was likely releasing power too early. [I hope to have this clarified in the next lesson.] If this is true, does anyone know of any drills or exercises that help train you to hold the angle in your wrist longer (or just general informatoin on why I may be losing distance)? Also, has anyone ever had a frustrating day at the range where you feel like all of your clubs are going the same distance? haha .... I'm starting to sound like a golf basket case. Still can't get enough though! 24 yrs old; 97-101mph swing speed based on 30 swings in a launch monitor; on a good hit my 7 iron can push 150 Much appreciated!

[cody west]

i hit the ball anywhere from 290 to 310 with about 285 carry. and i dont play very well in stroke play but in match play i will destroy most competitors.
the main thing is most of us hit our wedges are pretty short mainly because we want to score, i can take a controlled 3/4 swing with my pitching wedge and hit it 145, as opposed to the "horrible" golfer like you said who is taking a full swing and hitting the ball 100 yards.
if you listen to tiger woods he will say anything inside a 7 iron is a scoring club. i dont know about you but im hitting a "scoring" club when im 185-190 out.
the main reason we score is because we have shorter clubs in our hands from greater distances. and were usually closer to the green.
i played with a kid today that hit is 6 iron as far as i hit my 9 iron. on most par 4s (around 400 yards) i was hitting my 56* wedge into the green just varying the back swing to fit the distance i needed. while he was hitting about 5, 6, or 7 iron into every green. and he would b around 150 out and i was around 100 out.
the other thing is that when you hit the ball far you dont have to try to outdrive your friends it jsut happens, i cant remember the last time i swung extra hard to keep up with the rest of the guys who hit it far. im not trying to gain distance. at this point in my game im trying to lose distance and gain accuracy (with every club but driver)

guys who hit the ball far tend to do well in match play because other guys try to play their game. i have played and outdrove my opponent my 65-70 yards and got him to lose so many balls off the tee by playing mind tricks on him like walking past his ball then stopping and backing up slowly (like you forgot he wasnt as long as you). or looking down and his ball like it might be yours then look at him and jsut keep walking up to your drive. also you can pull out a club you would hit from the farther up location early so your opponent sees that you are hitting a wedge into the green. his ego will sometimes take over and he will usually try to match your club selection.

i jst hit a bunch of greens and 2 putt, if i stick it close il make the putt. i dont hit alot of long putts but i get up and down about 50 percent of the time because if i miss i miss big. if i miss a tee shot its not going to be like a 5 yard fade or draw it will be a huge slice, because the farther it flies the farther off course it can go.

just some experience i have from hitting the ball far

[bogeyhitter25]

I'm not that big of a guy (5'9"; 140lbs.), but I can get up there in distance. In our match today I ripped a drive up 8 (402 yards slightly uphill) and was left with 125 in. If I could make a putt in the 10' range I'd be nasty.

[WUTiger]

TitleistMan,

In your OP info, you list the following:
----------------------
Handicap Index: 2.9
Location: USA
----------------------

Is your HI by chance 22.9 ?

If it's 2.9, I'm not sure what you're complaining about.

[Parker0065]

There's no doubt that distance can make the game much easier. I average around 275-280 yards off the tee and my short irons are usually pretty accurate. My GIR % is very high because I'm usually not hitting more than a 9-iron or wedge into the green from the back tees of most courses.

When I tee off I have no thoughts of trying to bomb it, I'm concentrating on hitting it as solid with proper swing technique because I know this will maximize my distance. The average player will swing for the fences with poor technique which usually ends with some pretty ugly results.

Physical size does matter but we have a woman at our course who is 5'2" and 110lbs and consistantly drives the ball 245-250 yards because she has excellent swing mechanics and hits the ball solid. She puts most grown men to shame,,,lol!

In golf there is more than one way to skin a cat. You don't have to bomb it to score on most courses. But if you are a younger player that is looking to seriously compete in the Highschool/College/Pro's you are going to have to develop a swing that is consistant and powerful enough to get those shorter clubs in your hand on your aproach shots so you can make birdies.

[Doctorfro]

Distance is very overrated. I am hitting the driver well these days but it's not necessary. I don't know about the courses you play but unless you are playing a lot of 400+ par fours, a guy who can hit 3 metal(or driver) 240-250 can hit fairly short iron approaches to greens. On the par fives it's about hitting a short iron close, you don't always have to get there in two. I hit driver 250-280 (and occasionally longer). But I hit three metal not too far behind that. I can also get away with hitting my hybrid on some of the shorter par fours so that I can hit a full short iron shot into the green. In other words, I don't necessarily have to use the big stick to get so close. it's about getting your approaches in a comfort zone. If I'm hitting approaches 150 to 120, I'm happy. The other day I only hit four fairways but I was not far off and I was in the 150 and less approach range and I hit 12 greens. I scored 75 that round.

Guess what I'm saying is that there is more than one way to skin the proverbial cat.

[brgolf]

Probably lessons from a PGA Professional would be a better answer. A man of your size should be able to generate 155 yards from a 5 iron with a half swing to be honest.

It's a good point about lessons, though it will be at least a couple of months before I can take any. I do try to work through my issues myself but considering I have fairly exhausted my attempts to get more distance, it has come to a point where I need to go to a pro.

[R7Player]

Play a draw and it will go futher. Just do it.

[Gerardv]

Play a draw and it will go futher. Just do it.

Yeah, there is a lot to be said about a draw. Most of the courses I play punish people for missing right and the left side is wide open to boot.

My natural shot is either dead straight, or a slight draw and I wouldn't trade it for a fade. Even with draw spin, a wedge will stop on the green due to the big nasty grooves on most clubs. Hell, with my X-18s I can stop a four iron on most greens. It's not me, it's the big nasty grooves.

[sean_miller]

Yeah, there is a lot to be said about a draw. Most of the courses I play punish people for missing right and the left side is wide open to boot.

It could be a little about the swing and the ball too. On Sunday I stopped an Apex 2-iron from 230 after I flubbed my drive on a short par 4. I think the ball somehow knew I was angry and tried real hard to hold the green.

[topspin4hand]

The distance is addictive comments are so true... I spent the 2007 messing around at the range. June 2008 was the first time I played a full 18 on a course (a 102 on one of the easier courses - 70 rating 119 slope). I'm 6'2" mid 30's and I used a very controlled swing to constantly hit drives in the fairway and many times if it wasn't in the fairway it was because I didn't know where to aim a blind tee shot. I'd drive the ball about 230-240.

Well ... In early July 2008, I hit a drive of about 310. I went for it and bam, right in the middle of the fairway. Well that one shot ruined the rest of 2008 for me b/c I spent the rest of the summer trying to hit 280+ yd drives and that 102 was still my high when the 2008 Fall ended the season for.

In 2009, I still didn't reacquire the consistent drives I began with on day 1, until a couples tourney in September. I didn't want to hit the ball out of bounds all day with my wife right there so I choked down and swung 80%. In the fairway all day. And because of my improved ability to approach, better short game and my new Scotty's helping with my propensity to 3 putt every hole, I got into the 80's (I'd broken 100 twice in the 2009 summer). I've learned my lesson and 2010 will be a season to remember for me ... I hope.

[cody west]

Play a draw and it will go futher. Just do it.

i would never play a draw off the tee. especially at tight courses. i hit a baby cut that flies well over 280 and doesnt get much roll at all, like 15-20 yards.

if you can keep the ball in play your going to beat half the people in golf. i dont hit my driver on my home course because its so tight, i hit my fw wood about 265. when i am away from home like for a school match i hit driver as much as possible because we play such easy courses. also people give the rough way too much credit. 90% of golfers cant make the ball stop from a tee so its not like a little grass is going to matter. plus rough isnt that long. i think i get more bad lied in the fairway than the rough and i play at one of the nicest courses in the state. basically hit it big but keep it in play.

[Gerardv]

i would never play a draw off the tee. especially at tight courses. i hit a baby cut that flies well over 280 and doesnt get much roll at all, like 15-20 yards.

If I hit it 285 with a cut, I would hit a cut. One problem I don't have is missing the fairway with my draw since it is such a mild draw. Half the time, I hit it dead straight anyway so I play for the slight draw and usually end up in the fairway.

About a month ago, during a scramble, I hit every fairway with my driver and hit driver on every hole (non par 3). Yes, you're right, I shouldn't hit it when the hole is only 325. Read this thread for why I play aggressively all the time. http://thesandtrap.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29591

[cody west]

If I hit it 285 with a cut, I would hit a cut. One problem I don't have is missing the fairway with my draw since it is such a mild draw. Half the time, I hit it dead straight anyway so I play for the slight draw and usually end up in the fairway.

i didnt realize you are godly accurate thats truely impressive that you can hit 100% firs.