Driving Distance

[jlh1508]

I never said my swing was perfect. Who's is? Surely not yours...and nobody else's is either. Everyone's got something.

Actually you did say your swing was perfect when you claimed a smash factor of 1.50, which is a theoretically perfect swing

[Vance87]

Actually you did say your swing was perfect when you claimed a smash factor of 1.50, which is a theoretically perfect swing

jlh1508, read your PMs. There's enough banter in this thread already.

Let's return to the topic, shall we?

[Devo]

Never posted in here before due to fear of all the chatter and doubt but yesterdays round had two drives I must talk about.

First drive was a 270 carry into a small wind on a par 5.
Second was almost flying it on the green of a 325 yrd par 4, which caused the group on the green to turn and wave. The drive flew into the hill leading up to the green, got no roll and was less than 20 yrds to the green.

Before anyone goes and gets all technical on me, last summer I had my swing speed stay in the 120s while testing a few drivers at my course's demo day so according to all the talk being thrown around these numbers should make sense to people.

[Shankapotomus]

I hope you birdied it.

[Devo]

I hope you birdied it.

Lipped out the chip and was given the 1 footer for my second birdie of the day.

[Shanks A Million]

Never posted in here before due to fear of all the chatter and doubt but yesterdays round had two drives I must talk about.

It's no problem to say you hit some shots that long, hell, we all do. I've nuked drives a mile, my longest ever was 326

carry (extreme tailwind, downhill). But it's average we're talking about. As a 12 handicap, I would venture to guess that while you hit a good number of drives very well, if you averaged out all of your drives, your average with that swing speed would be around 240-265, maybe 270 if you're really catching it good. But most 12 handicaps, even with high swing speeds, often fail to strike the center of the face, and fail to deliver the club to the ball on the right path. Those are more important to driving distance than swing speed, and they're almost directly related to handicap. In all my years, I've never seen a ballstriker who had a swing that could deliver the club squarely and on plane play to anything more than about a 5 handicap. A lot of people mention short game, but it's just false. Chipping is directly related to the full swing, and most players' putting is also related to (similar to) their full swing. If you can deliver the ball on plane, and on center, chipping is fairly easy. You'll find almost no players with a great swing who go to the chipping green and flub and duff chips, save for some people with mental blocks.

[sean_miller]

It's no problem to say you hit some shots that long, hell, we all do. I've nuked drives a mile, my longest ever was 326

No. It really isn't what he was talking about. The thread is called "Driving Distance" and one would assume that all things driving distance related would be fair game - even 12 handicappers broadcasting their one-off drives of a lifetime. Hell, this guy even said he almost holed the chip, so he really had his mojo working on that hole!

[Devo]

Tricky thing with me at the moment is judging my distance and swing by my handicap. I've taken the past 4 years or so off of golf due to having to work myself through university. This summer already I've played more golf than I have the past 4 combined, 17 rounds, which are the only rounds counting towards a handicap. I used to have quite a decent game, with my lowest handicap being around a 7, and am slowly trying to find it again. At the moment I have no idea of my yardages, I'm errant far too often with everything except my tee ball, and my short game is lacking. I do hope you're right shanks and I can get down to a 5 because I know I'll break through to the single digits this summer but have only guessed and dreamed about how low that number may get. Guess it all depends on how much time a spend on that range.

In a typical round for me I'll pop at least one drive out over 300 and the rest will be closer to the 260 - 290 range, but its been awhile since I haven't hit my driver over 240.

[sean_miller]

In a typical round for me I'll pop at least one drive out over 300 and the rest will be closer to the 260 - 290 range, but its been awhile since I haven't hit my driver over 240.

Sounds familiar (except the last bit - hit a fat one last Wednesday that was definitely < 240). This topic inspires me to contiue working on the short game, and of course putting.

[Devo]

Sounds familiar (except the last bit - hit a fat one last Wednesday that was definitely < 240). This topic inspires me to contiue working on the short game, and of course putting.

I've long ago learned that my distance does not really mean much on the course. I used to get kicked around by my grandfather who was just magic around the greens. He shot his age quite a few times in his life and I know he couldn't hit a driver over 200. It's easy to get a ball to the green, the challenge comes when trying to get it in the hole. I had the misfortune to watch the scariest display of the yips on a putting green I've ever heard of. Mostly 3-putts, with two 4-putts, and double clutching at anything under 6 feet. Short game is scoring.

[jamo]

Chipping is directly related to the full swing, and most players' putting is also related to (similar to) their full swing. If you can deliver the ball on plane, and on center, chipping is fairly easy. You'll find almost no players with a great swing who go to the chipping green and flub and duff chips, save for some people with mental blocks.

I guess I can understand chipping, but not putting. The putting stoke is totally different from the golf swing.

[jamo]

Chipping is directly related to the full swing, and most players' putting is also related to (similar to) their full swing. If you can deliver the ball on plane, and on center, chipping is fairly easy. You'll find almost no players with a great swing who go to the chipping green and flub and duff chips, save for some people with mental blocks.

I guess I can understand chipping, but not putting. The putting stoke is totally different from the golf swing. I think I've said that before, but I digress.

[Shanks A Million]

I guess I can understand chipping, but not putting. The putting stoke is totally different from the golf swing. I think I've said that before, but I digress.

Address, grip, shaft lean, alignment, hand position at impact, prevelance of hands vs body, all that stuff. It's not noticeable to everyone, but it exists. A good grip, address, and allignment do more for most than they may ever realize. My putting stroke relfects my full swing in quite a few ways.

Greenreading and judgement, as well as capacity to perform reliably and under pressure, however, is another thing entirely, and that's what seperates the tour pros from the scratch golfers. Anyone can become a good golfer, maybe even scratch, with good fundimentals and the proper physical ability.

[Fatphil]

I guess I can understand chipping, but not putting. The putting stoke is totally different from the golf swing. I think I've said that before, but I digress.

Gonna have to agree with the Shankapotomus...chipping fundementals are very similar to the full swing...putting is more subtle...but certainly if you early release on your full swing that's the guy you see on the green flipping his wrists, missing the sweet spot..coming to impact toe up or toe down in relation to setup...shaft high (or low) at impact compared to setup. A few mm movement of your wrists in putting will cause you to miss the sweet spot..while it may take a few inches in the full swing with a 460cc driver to screw up.

(and yeh I think we beat this subject to death a few weeks ago)

[sean_miller]

I guess I can understand chipping, but not putting. The putting stoke is totally different from the golf swing. I think I've said that before, but I digress.

/continue digression

There might be a correlation of putting skills but it's also true that often a beginner can sink as many putts in a scramble as an experienced golfer. Beginners have no fear and they don't tend to over-read their putts and play for non-existent break. I know a couple guys who can out-putt me any day of the week (I'm getting better though) but tee-to-green it's no contest. I'm usually ahead by their number of penalty strokes and hero shot related flubs. I'm sure we've all played with seniors who may or may not be able to drain short putts - we'll never know for sure because they pick up everything less than 4 feet. Some of these guys can barely hit a hybrid out of their own shadow, so they should really be putting out.

[Shankapotomus]

Gonna have to agree with the Shankapotomus...

That would be Shanks A Million not me but I agree as well so it's all good. :)

[MasterP]

I drove the green on a 274 yard hole last round, rolled off the back in to the rough actually. I took an easy swing knowing full well that I wasn't going to stick the elevated green even with a great shot, but I guess I caught it just right, pretty shot. 2 holes later, par 5 and took a swing out of my shoes to give me a chance to make it in 2. I proceeded to pop the drive up about 180 yards. Lesson learned.

[sean_miller]

I drove the green on a 274 yard hole last round, rolled off the back in to the rough actually. I took an easy swing knowing full well that I wasn't going to stick the elevated green even with a great shot, but I guess I caught it just right, pretty shot. 2 holes later, par 5 and took a swing out of my shoes to give me a chance to make it in 2. I proceeded to pop the drive up about 180 yards. Lesson learned.

Anyone who's ever hit an easy layup through the fairway and into the drink has learned this lesson - your ball was still in play though, so not too painful.