Driving Distance

[cody west]

oh my bad. i edited after i read it

[Shanks A Million]

So what you are saying is that you've never actually measured a drive????? If you are using the course yardage markers to figure your driving average then your numbers probably aren't even close to accurate. You simply can't do it that way... the math never matches the actual measurements.

Yeah, if we're going by course yardage, then my driving distance is about 290! Haha! No, those markers are always well, well off. They measure in doglegs, but we measure drives on a straight line. The course yardage makers will make you feel like a total stud. Also, people tend to... um, "overestimate" when they go by those anyway, and it all adds up. The tees may be 10 yards up, and their ball may be 5 yards past the marker, but they end up counting it as the tees being back, and the ball being 10 past the marker, adding 15 yards to their total. Now add to that the markers are often off by 20 or so yards, and you've got as much as 35 yards added distance.

[Shanks A Million]

So let me guess Shanks, all of the launch monitor's stats were fine EXCEPT for smash factor. Because smash factor makes or breaks a club sale, right? That must have been the one they skewed on me. Damn them!

No, not at all, your numbers come out fairly simply. 100 mph clubhead speed, at sea level, with a perfect launch angle of 12.7°, and an optimum spin rate for the dimple pattern on the ball, the optimum drive will go 247 yards. Fairway conditions can add a few yards to this, as can altitude, so I would say your well struck drives will go, maybe 265 with no wind and no elevation change.

It's wise to note that I have a friend who has one of the most perfect swings in the state, and he swings around 100 mph as well, and hits the driver squarely all the time. his average drive is almost exactly 245 yards, exactly as the numbers say. I swing 110, and my well struck drives go exactly as far as the numbers say they should, 270 yards.

[cody west]

No, not at all, your numbers come out fairly simply. 100 mph clubhead speed, at sea level, with a perfect launch angle of 12.7°, and an optimum spin rate for the dimple pattern on the ball, the optimum drive will go 247 yards. Fairway conditions can add a few yards to this, as can altitude, so I would say your well struck drives will go, maybe 265 with no wind and no elevation change.

in all seriousness for literally 15 yards you argued for about 8 pages. waste of time, i think so. in the end he ended up being closer to his "actual distance" according to you who, not to dump on your effort because you did put up a good fight but in the end you proved his point for him. a little tail wind and its going 280 a little head wind its going 250 like was this really worth the argument?

[Vance87]

Yeah, if we're going by course yardage, then my driving distance is about 290! Haha! No, those markers are always well, well off. They measure in doglegs, but we measure drives on a straight line. The course yardage makers will make you feel like a total stud. Also, people tend to... um, "overestimate" when they go by those anyway, and it all adds up. The tees may be 10 yards up, and their ball may be 5 yards past the marker, but they end up counting it as the tees being back, and the ball being 10 past the marker, adding 15 yards to their total. Now add to that the markers are often off by 20 or so yards, and you've got as much as 35 yards added distance.

The Par 4 9th hole is a completely straight, uphill hole. According to the markers, I have hit a 302 yard drive on that hole, albiet with a 15 MPH wind at my back. Does that sound humanely possible? I think it does. Also, the fairway grass is very tight here, so the ball rolls more as well.

The fact that the launch monitor said I hit it in the low 270s and given the air and the fairways on the actual course give me some added yardage, a 280 yard drive doesn't sound too far fetched.

[Vance87]

in all seriousness for literally 15 yards you argued for about 8 pages. waste of time, i think so. in the end he ended up being closer to his "actual distance" according to you who, not to dump on your effort because you did put up a good fight but in the end you proved his point for him. a little tail wind and its going 280 a little head wind its going 250 like was this really worth the argument?

Agreed. Come on.

[Shanks A Million]

in all seriousness for literally 15 yards you argued for about 8 pages. waste of time, i think so. in the end he ended up being closer to his "actual distance" according to you who, not to dump on your effort because you did put up a good fight but in the end you proved his point for him. a little tail wind and its going 280 a little head wind its going 250 like was this really worth the argument?

Um, what? He never said he catches the occasional drive 280, he said he averages 275-280. What I said was, if he had a perfect swing, he'd be averaging about 260 at best. The odds are, he doesn't have anywhere near a perfect swing, or he would be a very low handicap. I will not cease to argue this point, because it annoys the hell out of me.

Iacas said this well in another thread:

So one guy beats the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent scientifically determining these kinds of things? Yeah, I'll believe that... or not, no. He's wrong. It's that simple.

What you are expecting us to believe is that this guy's numbers refute the years of research and testing done by the USGA and other golf research groups?

[Gioguy21]

I'll be honest and say right now that it doesn't mean anything how far my average drive is b/c shanks a million is jesus and is the know all be all, he already knows how far i hit. Shanks, do me a favor...tell every man in here they're a liar so we can just call this, 'theliarbox.com' here's an idea: if you make a thread that asks a question to the general public, establish caveats so that way, no one on a high horse can dictate. for instance, "how big is your johnson? *Caveat* not to be construed to mean anything other than an outboard motor"...the op didn't say, "how far can you drive? Shanks, please make a note after everyone posts how big of liars they are"
/rant

[Shanks A Million]

I'll be honest and say right now that it doesn't mean anything how far my average drive is b/c shanks a million is jesus and is the know all be all, he already knows how far i hit. Shanks, do me a favor...tell every man in here they're a liar so we can just call this, 'theliarbox.com' here's an idea: if you make a thread that asks a question to the general public, establish caveats so that way, no one on a high horse can dictate. for instance, "how big is your johnson? *Caveat* not to be construed to mean anything other than an outboard motor"...the op didn't say, "how far can you drive? Shanks, please make a note after everyone posts how big of liars they are"

Actually, the reason is I'm the only one still arguing the point. Most of the lower handicaps gave up long ago. I suppose I may do the same soon.

Again, all of this can be solved with one swing video. Of course, it has been tried once in this thread, and the user, of course, was proven to be absolutely full of it.

[Vance87]

Um, what? He never said he catches the occasional drive 280, he said he averages 275-280. What I said was, if he had a perfect swing, he'd be averaging about 260 at best. The odds are, he doesn't have anywhere near a perfect swing, or he would be a very low handicap. I will not cease to argue this point, because it annoys the hell out of me.

Haha...

If you want to know, the first swing I took w/ that Cobra driver on the LM was terrible. I hit it too close to the hosel, and it told me it went a total distance of 230 yards. Was THAT one off too? You still can't comprehend the fact that I have no reason to lie. And that, annoys me.

[jlh1508]

Early on in this thread I posted that I was averaging 211 yards in the faiway, with a long of 247. I don't measure shots that don't hit the fairway because if they are not in the fairway I screwed up.


Well good news my penis has grown 3.75 feet and I now drive the ball 421 yards with a 7 iron. I have yet to hit my driver because I have heard people are fond of the moon and I do not want to damage it.

[jlh1508]

Haha...

You still can't comprehend that a swing speed of 100 mph does not equal 280 yard drives

You still can't comprehend that a smash factor of 1.50 is theoretically the perfect swing. Do you get what you are saying. You are claiming that you swung the club completely perfect, to its complete optimal ability to be swung without any defiency at all. You are claiming to have a smash factor better then tour pros. I am not sure you comprehend what you are claiming.

[iacas]

462 (now 463) posts later...

Guys, seriously. Is this thread worth your time?

[Gioguy21]

no, please close for as long as this site remains online lol

[cody west]

Um, what? He never said he catches the occasional drive 280, he said he averages 275-280. What I said was, if he had a perfect swing, he'd be averaging about 260 at best. The odds are, he doesn't have anywhere near a perfect swing, or he would be a very low handicap. I will not cease to argue this point, because it annoys the hell out of me.

first of all you said 265, second of all numbers are numbers. when everything else is being questioned people turn to numbers because they are a set of standards that cannot be changed. i don't know how good you are at math but if you did all the equations with some random launch angle that you pulled out of no where and got 265 i'm going to use it. if hes using a regular flex shaft his launch angle is probably going to be higher than 12.7* because the shaft is going to be more eratic and kick with a great forward for which would be redirecting in a circle because the golf swing is an arch. ft the club is farther along in the circle or currently rotating around a flex point in the shaft (a different radius) making the circle smaller the ball will be launched at a greater angle which would actually give the ball more air time at the same speed giving it a longer distance. time and distance vary proportionally, speed and distance vary proportionally, time and speed vary inversely therefore at the same speed a ball launched at a higher angle will give you a greater distance. this just makes his 280 look more and more probable given certain conditions that he has stated he plays in. it took you over a full day to come to the conclusion that 265 is a probable average considering the numbers you used were averages you forgot to account for human error and force created by the mass of the golfer moving with is swing.

[Koth]

I just started playing this year. I drive it about 190-220 with my 3 wood. I don't use my driver because I'm not very comfortable with it, and if I can drive my 3 wood 200 yards, I'm in decent shape.

[Vance87]

What is this "claim" crap? I saw a number on a screen. I posted it. Call that golf shop and tell them their machine is jacked up for all I care.

I know what I've seen. Other people have too. I'm done arguing in this thread.

[masterzj]

I generally drive 275-290, depending on weather and course conditions, with a natural fade that ive decided to not try and cure but just use it to my advantage.

But the hard thing for me is i also play Softball and Hockey, so between the hip turn on my softball swing, and the right hand release on a slapshot in hockey i tend to get in a little bit of trouble with accuracy. Then it comes down to confidence in my irons.