"you wont make it with a 4 iron."

[misty_mountainhop]

No offense, but in spite of the thread title and the OP's anecdote, the poster in question (pick one) said nothing about 8 cappers using a 4-iron specifically. He implied reaching the green at all was a 30% proposition. I still agree, but I'm just sayin'.

None taken. If that's the case then I mis-read it somewhat. The 4-iron suggestion is where I'm sceptical.

In response to a comment about people I play with regularly out-driving select active major champions:

Come on. You're comparing pro

averages to your playing partners', one-off, full-on, swing-out-of-their-shoes, best strike ever. Apples and oranges by way of comparison.

While I agree with what you say, my point is that it was the correct club to choose. If he has 200 yards, and his 4 iron is his 200 yard club, then that's what he hits, regardless of handicap. What would you have suggested, that he hit 2 wedges, or a 5 wood? Either way, not going to be as good of a play.

True. I'd never offer to tell someone what they should/should not hit. Up to them. I might think they're fooling themselves but I won't tell them

.

[Shanks A Million]

I'm definitely with shanks on this one. If you've got a club for a certain distance and you want to his it that far on the couse you pull that club. Is it going to work out perfectly everytime? Obviously not. However, as you get better it'll workout more often and you won't be second guessing yourself. You'll never get better until you make yourself make the shots. Don't play the shank play the pure.

Yeah, I mean, what's the other option here? Lets say I have 200 yards, right? I will probably take out a 3 iron if there's something to carry just short. I could also hit a pretty stock 4 iron if there's, say a bunker in front. Level green with no obstacles, a 5 iron will do well. Water or something long, I'll bust a 6. If I'm really feeling cocky, I'll smash a 7. Either way, I can't say for sure I'm going to make it, but if it's a perfectly flat green, with no obstacles at all, I'll hit 4 or 5.

The real question is, if someone tells me I won't make it, what should I do instead? I could hit a 5 wood, sure. Now I am going to fly the green by 20 or 30 yards possibly. I could hit two wedges, that's going to be 2 strokes though, same as a 4 iron and a chip, and I could still miss the green with two wedges. I could just give up and go home perhaps? No, the best idea is to hit what I know will get me the right distance.

[flopdarock]

i dont have a 200+ iron in my bag... but ill pull an iron if its the club i need for the shot

[sean_miller]

In response to a comment about people I play with regularly out-driving select active major champions:

Oh, I thought you meant the LPGA Tour - still, I bet Kerr, Pak, Matthews, and Webb can pump one out there pretty far on that hole. I wonder how far Petterson can stroke it on an easy hole . . . what was the question?

[jamo]

All of these distance debates are getting kind of old.

[colin007]

While I agree with what you say, my point is that it was the correct club to choose. If he has 200 yards, and his 4 iron is his 200 yard club, then that's what he hits, regardless of handicap. What would you have suggested, that he hit 2 wedges, or a 5 wood? Either way, not going to be as good of a play.

this is the point i was trying to make. a 4 iron is my 200 yard club. will i make the green? most times, no, i wont land on the putting surface, but i will probably be around it somewhere.

[shortstop20]

All of these distance debates are getting kind of old.

You mean you don't like all these guys coming on the forum and pumping up their ego's? LOL

[Shindig]

Come on. You're comparing pro

No, the guys who hit the long ball - and many who don't - know that a smooth swing goes a lot farther than such things.

Oh, I thought you meant the LPGA Tour - still, I bet Kerr, Pak, Matthews, and Webb can pump one out there pretty far on that hole. I wonder how far Petterson can stroke it on an easy hole . . . what was the question?

Oh, I'm sure these guys outdistance the LPGA Major champions, too. But as you and I know, it isn't how far, it's how many (in which case, everyone you and I named by name will beat the long drivers at my club, every time).

I will tell guys who dont know my home course to not hit driver off certain holes because of water hazards........is that ok to do?

Friends of yours, casual round? Sure. Strangers? Maybe.

Rules, strictly speaking? You can't say "don't hit driver" unless you're a partner (fourball/foursomes) or a caddie for such a team. But you can say "The water hazard begins crossing the fairway 210 yards out," and let them figure for themselves whether or not a driver is the right club.

[Shanks A Million]

Oh, I'm sure these guys outdistance the LPGA Major champions, too. But as you and I know, it isn't how far, it's how many (in which case, everyone you and I named by name will beat the long drivers at my club, every time).

Again, you're way off. Read what I posted. Average distances are much shorter than max. Justin Leonard hits 1 in 12 of his drives 300+ yards. His average measured clubhead speed is 107.23, which is not bad. His average measured ballspeed is 159.05. His smash factor averages at 1.483. Your friends hitting their 275 yard drives (if that's even the right distance, we don't know how you measure them) are, with their hardest swings, surpassing Leonard's

average by only 5 yards. Any moron can swing out of their shoes at one, but it takes a phenomenal ballstriker to get a constant smash factor over 1.45.

[Shindig]

His smash factor averages at 1.483. Your friends hitting their 275 yard drives (if that's even the right distance, we don't know how you measure them) are,

(emphasis added)

No, I believe you're reading what you are assuming I said, in sharp contrast to what I did say. These aren't their hardest swings - those don't go the distance these do. People who hit the ball a long way, even the subset that find the fairway frequently, are a dime a dozen. People who grab a 4-iron from 200 yards, and play their next shot greenside, are quite common.

[Rexx]

No, the guys who hit the long ball - and many who don't - know that a smooth swing goes a lot farther than such things.

I'd point to any long drive competition as proof of the opposite. Although I would agree that for most golfers, a controlled swing will likely yield the highest average, although not necessarily the longest drives.

[M2R]

Not exactly that but about eight years ago when playing a course for the first time I got paired with a member. Every time I would ask "how far is this or that feature" and he would always answer with what club he would hit to get over or be short of it. After about five holes I was getting annoyed so I pressed and pressed for an actual yardage and he finally said something like "well I really don't know exactly but I know you can't get there with an iron". But by the end of the round I was asking him for all kinds of information because the answers he came up with were really entertaining and he actually seemed like a decent sort of guy.

On the other hand I have played in the same league (four man teams) for the past five years and for some reason a few of these guys will always be asking "what did you hit?". Since I pretty much know their games by now, about two years ago I started replying with the club I think they should hit not the one I just hit .

[Shanks A Million]

(emphasis added)

No, no, no, no, sorry, there's no way in hell your friends outdrive the tour pros, end of story.

Everyone thinks they can, no one can. Reality is tough to swallow. Even the shortest hitting tour pros average around 260. The average low handicap male golfer averages about 220 yards. Again, average and max are two different things. To average 270, you need to be an incredibly long hitter.