How do they hit the tee shots so damn FAR!?

[kleraudio]

How in the world are these guys hitting it 350?? Watching the match plays and these guys are bombing it......

They arent big guys or anything like that, how are they hitting it 100 yards farther than the average joe??

Jim

[uttexas]

They eat, sleep, drink golf. Work on flexibility, strength, endurance, their golf swing for hours and hours every day. Have the best equipment and equipment fitters. All that and natural talent.

[kleraudio]

well I need that talent!!

Im just talking about mechanics and stuff, how the hell do they hit it so far..... I mean, even guys Ive played with that are scratch dont hit it nearly that far.... I know these guys can mop up a scratch golfer, but still 350?? cmon....

660 yard par 5's on in 2 with 3 wood off the tee......

thats just INSANE

Jim

[iacas]

660 yard par 5's on in 2 with 3 wood off the tee.....

You do realize they're about half a mile elevation, too, right?

[Mrd19abhs]

yeah aint that the truth man i am excited when i get a hold of one and it gets to 250 with 100 yards of roll. lol. Casey today was ripping em hitting them as far as poulter with his 3 wood.

[jamo]

You do realize they're about half a mile elevation, too, right?

This really does make a huge difference. I played a round in Santa Fe, NM, with some old rented clubs and I was hitting my driver 300 and my PW 150. It was pretty fun but I was long on each of the first couple greens before I got used to it.

[kleraudio]

Yea I did consider this, but how much extra yardage can you expect from being that high up??

Makes me want to go golf in CO!

[Yukari]

Yea I did consider this, but how much extra yardage can you expect from being that high up??

Rule of thumb here in CO is that we get about 10% more distance. So for the driver, I can consider myself getting about 30 yards extra. I hit my PW about 140 and 7 iron 170yrds. But when I go play at sea level, I need to account for 10% decrease in my distance.

[uttexas]

I lived and played for a year in the mountains of Utah. The 3 wood loft of 15 degrees carries the ball further than lower lofted drivers at high altitude. I'm going to Santa Fe in a month, will take my dad's 12 degree driver that he stores in my garage.

[deronsizemore]

Like Erik said, the elevation makes a difference and the fairways usually roll quite a bit too. I didn't get to watch a lot of the match play championship so I don't know how the fairways where rolling, but not all guys are out there hitting it 350 yards. There are a few guys that can, but most are flying it in the 250 - 290 range. Then, with the extra roll they typically get, some are hitting it 300+.

Paul Goydos last week was averaging a little over 250 off the tee if I remember correctly.

[iacas]

Like Erik said, the elevation makes a difference and the fairways usually roll quite a bit too. I didn't get to watch a lot of the match play championship so I don't know how the fairways where rolling, but not all guys are out there hitting it 350 yards. There are a few guys that can, but most are flying it in the 250 - 290 range. Then, with the extra roll they typically get, some are hitting it 300+.

Yeah, earlier in the week Zach Johnson hit it through the first fairway, some 356 yards away or something. He's not a long hitter.

[Doctorfro]

Commentators at Match Play tourney said it was a 5% increase

[iacas]

Commentators at Match Play tourney said it was a 5% increase

In the air, yes. Zach's tee shot ran out 30+ yards.

Get up to a mile high altitude (the old International tournament) and it's like 10%, I think.

[deronsizemore]

Yeah, earlier in the week Zach Johnson hit it through the first fairway, some 356 yards away or something. He's not a long hitter.

Exactly. :)

Recent issue of Golf Magazine that I have has a feature on Zach Johnson and has his 2009 numbers which were 108 mph swing speed and a carry distance of 259 yards.

[RC]

I remember playing a tournament in Telluride years ago... I think the elevation was well above 8,000 feet. Took a couple of practice rounds to realize some shots are better played with more lofted clubs because the thin air changed the trajectory so much.

[Rusty Shackleford]

There are a bunch of scratch golfers out there with natural ability that, if given everything the pros get, (time included) they could hit the ball as far if not farther.

[WALRUS]

There are a bunch of scratch golfers out there with natural ability that, if given everything the pros get, (time included) they could hit the ball as far if not farther.

well ya... me and you hit the ball around 300 yards now off the tee and between the two of us we can count how many lessons we've had on one hand

[Rusty Shackleford]

well ya... me and you hit the ball around 300 yards now off the tee and between the two of us we can count how many lessons we've had on one hand

Haha like 2 quickie lessons from Jud? I don't even think I did what he told me to do... That right hand is strong as ever