My First Gps Measured Drive

[three]

  TN94z said:

We have a yearly scramble and there is always a long drive contest. The same guys are always in the running and their drives are always over 300.

Are they tall guys or have long monkey arms? With a big arc its easier to get swing speed up. Like in those long drive competitions guys use +10" shafts but I think they put a limit on that now.

Balls make a difference as well. Go try hitting a ball with no dimples it will go maybe 70% as far, or one of those non-conforming demo day trial balls that trick you into buying some new clubs. Notice how titleist doesn't advertise how much farther their pro v goes than other balls? Because many choose accuracy/feel over distance. Here are some interesting results from a robot hitting various balls at 90mph: http://www.golf.com/golf/features/flash/ballguide3.html I like the quote "The One Platinum is designed for Tiger or someone similar to him," hah!

[jamo]

  three said:

Like in those long drive competitions guys use +10" shafts but I think they put a limit on that now.

The USGA limit is 48 inches. I'm next to positive that's the long drive limit too.

  three said:

Go try hitting a ball with no dimples it will go maybe 70% as far...

Shorter than that, about a 150 yard max.

[bplewis24]

  sean_miller said:

Perhaps I was responding to your post based on a few others I'd read. The more I read your post, the less sure I am where you stand on the non-issue.

For the record, in general terms the issue of driving/club distances is one I'm at peace with: I believe some, don't believe most and realize it doesn't matter what I believe anyway...it doesn't change whether they do or not.

In the specific issue of this thread, I told the OP he hit a nice drive and left it at that. I'm just responding to the tangental issue of whether or not tour averages for driving distance are representative of how far the pros can really hit the ball in a round of golf. Brandon

[sean_miller]

  bplewis24 said:

For the record, in general terms the issue of driving/club distances is one I'm at peace with: I believe some, don't believe most and realize it doesn't matter what I believe anyway...it doesn't change whether they do or not.

Is "potential" versus "average" the same for any stat in any sport?

[alomar123]

  three said:

Here are some interesting results from a robot hitting various balls at 90mph:

Good article, Tmade is always trying for distance.

[sean_miller]

  alomar123 said:

Good article, Tmade is always trying for distance.

That is a good article. It's easy to see why guys with lower swing speeds playing certain premium balls would doubt the driving distances of guys with higher swing speeds playing medium priced balls (e.g. Prov1 versus NXT Tour).

[VinoGolfer]

  zeg said:

I love how we got this discussion again, after a guy posted that he hit a single drive a bit over 313 yards, measured with a GPS. I'm one of the most skeptical of the claims of 300 yard average carries, but come on guys. It's one thing to doubt claims of averages that beat the tour pros. It's another to refuse to believe that anyone ever hits 300 yards.

The thing is, the OP did say he averages 300+. In fact, he said this wasn't even his best drive of the day:

  oneoverwrx said:

[zeg]

  VinoGolfer said:

The thing is, the OP did say he averages 300+. In fact, he said this wasn't even his best drive of the day:

Well, he didn't say the word "average," so I interpreted "good" to mean among the best, just not the best. Nonetheless, even if people choose to either believe he's got a GPS that's giving results wrong at the 20 yard level (unlikely) or he's outright lying, there's nothing that's been said in this thread that's not been said in the one before. And the one before that. And the one before that. In fact, the only new thing is that someone has posted a (claim of a) GPS-measured drive.

Anyway, I am not really adding anything to the discussion either, except that maybe we should have a filter that bans any thread with the words "driving distance" in it. (I think I'm kidding, but I'm not sure)

[VinoGolfer]

  zeg said:

Well, he didn't say the word "average," so I interpreted "good" to mean among the best, just not the best. Nonetheless, even if people choose to either believe he's got a GPS that's giving results wrong at the 20 yard level (unlikely) or he's outright lying, there's nothing that's been said in this thread that's not been said in the one before. And the one before that. And the one before that. In fact, the only new thing is that someone has posted a (claim of a) GPS-measured drive.

I took the "usually always" to be a statement equivalent for "average."

No doubt, you are correct in the rest of your post. It seems dedicated forums always have two or three topics that are done endlessly.

[TN94z]

  three said:

Are they tall guys or have long monkey arms? With a big arc its easier to get swing speed up. Like in those long drive competitions guys use +10" shafts but I think they put a limit on that now.

Nope. 1 one of them is taller. 2 of them are my height (5'8", about 170), and I would say the other two may be an inch taller than me but scrawny. And I am not talking about a "long drive contest" alone. I am referring to, for example, the number 13 par 5 has a marker and the guy that has the longest drive on that hole wins the contest. I have played with all of them and they use their normal equipment in this. ProV1s and Srixons are the balls of choice for these guys.

I see where you are going with the questions, and that is not the case. Just because you aren't 6'2" doesn't mean you can't hit it 300 either.

[three]

  TN94z said:

I see where you are going with the questions, and that is not the case. Just because you aren't 6'2" doesn't mean you can't hit it 300 either.

Actually I was thinking the opposite. I have no idea if it is true or not but I was thinking that if someone was tall or had long arms its easier for them to hit farther than average. Bubba Watson, John Daily, etc... and some other tall guys I know personally drive really far but I realize 'guys I know' is not very scientific :) I'll have to find some tall guys who don't have long drives!

I didn't mean to suggest that average or shorter people don't hit far. A lot of the pros at the top of the drive stats aren't that tall. Jamie Sadlowski is 5'11 165lbs and can *carry* it 400yds.

[TN94z]

  three said:

Actually I was thinking the opposite. I have no idea if it is true or not but I was thinking that if someone was tall or had long arms its easier for them to hit farther than average. Bubba Watson, John Daily, etc... and some other tall guys I know personally drive really far but I realize 'guys I know' is not very scientific :) I'll have to find some tall guys who don't have long drives!

Gotcha....sorry about that. Yeah, there are a ton of shorter guys that bomb it.

[oneoverwrx]

Back from the dead....

No gps yet but i did a bridgestone ball fitting and got some swing data.

With a ProV1x...avg clubhead speed over 5 swing(completely cold) 115.9, ballspeed average 156.x, launch angle 10.6*, backspin rate 1150rpms. with what he said was a 10yd draw.

With tour b330(black box) avg club head speed 119.3mph(a little looser), ball speed average 163.x, launch angle 10.6*, backspin rate 2200rpms, with a 5yd draw.

All that info can be used how ever you guys see fit. Main thing is that my club head is moving well enough to CARRY the ball probably 300yds but my ball speed is down approx 15mph from optimal and that is where my improvement will come from. I am guessing i am either hitting the ball slightly off center of the driver or something similar.

This was also my 3rd time ever hitting indoors and i cant say i care for it.

The machine said that my avg drive with the b330 was 295yds with a 269yd carry. The optimal carry for the spinrate, club head speed and launch angle was 298yds, but thats with the ball speed mentioned above.

Also, I am still planning on getting a gps and doing an average over 3-4 rounds.

[Plox]

The computer says a 269 yard carry, but you're still clinging on to the 300 yard carry. Haha.

[sean_miller]

  Plox said:

The computer says a 269 yard carry, but you're still clinging on to the 300 yard carry. Haha.

Is that what he said?

[oneoverwrx]

"The machine said that my avg drive with the b330 was 295yds with a 269yd carry. The optimal carry for the spinrate, club head speed and launch angle was 298yds, but thats with the ball speed mentioned above."


This is what i said. Meaning if i have optimal contact and my ball speed is what it should be I would have a 298yd carry. Not saying it will happen soon but it is something to strive for and something i will achieve in the future.

[design]

No offense, but your smash factor is horrible for your handicap (for any handicap actually). You should try slowing your swing down a bit and work on hitting closer to the center of the clubface.

[oneoverwrx]

  design said:

No offense, but your smash factor is horrible for your handicap (for any handicap actually). You should try slowing your swing down a bit and work on hitting closer to the center of the clubface.

I realize this and do plan on working on it. It is definately an ego thing, mixed with me wanting to keep my current swing. I can take what i feel like it 25% out of my swing and still be in the 250yd range and im sure it is because of better contact. However those days when the driver is really on(days like what started this thread) make me really want to continue my currently comfortable 95-100% driver swing. I can feel my mishits and i know they happen fairly often but my ball is still always in play and still much longer than my playing partners. Most of my misses are more toward the toe but my ball still finds the fairway the majority of the time.

Its all a work in progress. As far as my handicap, when i signed up on this board i took the avg of my last 20 rounds and simply subtracted 72 to get the 9.2 i was previously using. A few days ago i got on a free handicap calculator and put in my last 20 rounds and it said my index was a 4.8. Didnt realize it was the best 10 out of your last 20....Newb error.