Where Are Those 300 Yard Videos?

[David K]

I love this thread

Range balls are quite a bit different than the balls you would buy yourself. They are made mostly to be durable and some of them are one solid piece of plastic (compared to a normal ball with a core and a cover). We use Top Flite super range balls at the driving range I work at. After sitting all day in the sun and being hit thousands of times the covers start to loosen from the core and the dimples get worn so they simply don't fly very far. So we always replace our range balls with new ones every spring. Even when the range balls are brand new they usually carry about 20 yards shorter with my driver than the ball I normally play with. When hitting the older range balls it could be 30 or 40 yards shorter.

Top Flite also makes a limited flight range ball so that could be what your driving range uses. Our flags are fairly accurate. We walk them off using a measuring wheel to get the distance but after rolling through grass and other bumps causes the yardages to be off by a little bit. Also some the distance is just estimated from some mats based on what the distance was from where we walked it off.

[colin007]

The idea that modern drivers are that much longer is crazy. I just hit an early 80s or so TaylorMade Tour Spoon, and that sucker flew like a rocket. I was amazed how much hotter it was than a modern fairway wood. I occasionally get out my old drivers, take them for a spin. Not a huge difference in distance. The ball is what has changed the most. A persimmon driver may be 10-20 yards shorter at the most.

this. ive said it before, i can say it again, i have NEVER hit or witnessed a 300 yard drive on flat ground, no tailwind, no rock hard fairways. i am almost always the longest player in the group when i play, and i have hit for my longest drive - 299yards, on the GPS. yes, it was disappointing. one extra yard. but it was also on a pretty firm fairway and that accounted for the extra 10-15 yards that ball went versus the other balls that i have creamed. 300 yards is stupid long.

[golfro]

this.

i hit plenty of balls 300 yards....not AVERAGE but a few 300 yard drives isn't abnormal for me or any of my friends on any given day on the course... and yes, verified with laser range finder.

i understand some people find it hard to believe that people sometimes hit a long ways... but this kind of post is just as annoying as the 20 handicapper who says they drive 350 yards average.

[TN94z]

i hit plenty of balls 300 yards....not AVERAGE but a few 300 yard drives isn't abnormal for me or any of my friends on any given day on the course... and yes, verified with laser range finder.

I agree. I have seen plenty of 300 yard drives. I have hit a few as well. I don't do it with regularity but I have before. Somw people just hit a long ball. I have a friend that has freaky power!! It's ridiculous how far he hits it.

[colin007]

i hit plenty of balls 300 yards....not AVERAGE but a few 300 yard drives isn't abnormal for me or any of my friends on any given day on the course... and yes, verified with laser range finder.

what did i say that is annoying? that 300 yards is incredibly long? that i have never personally seen a 300 yard drive that wasnt aided by some factor? i made no personal attack on you, so whats annoying?

[golfro]

what did i say that is annoying? that 300 yards is incredibly long? that i have never personally seen a 300 yard drive that wasnt aided by some factor? i made no personal attack on you, so whats annoying?

the whole "i haven't seen it so its impossible" mentality that you portray in your post is whats annoying.

[KaiL]

I worked as course marshal in a local public golf course for quite a long time (6 years).

May be its the people who play this course. I seldom see people hit over 280 yards (only seen a few times from young College/high school golf team members and the teaching PGA pro). 250 yards are rare also.

The reason I say that is at our course, the first hole is 510 yards from the blue T (480 from the white) with a dog leg to the left at around 250 yards on a slight hill but kind of level with the T box. There is a direction post at 280. The direction post is there to tell people to T off if they see the group infront of them reaches the post. However, most people will hold off until they see the group infront of them cleared the post. But their T shots are usually short of the 250 yard hill by quite a bit!! Quite a few people will also wait for the Green when their drive wasn't even reach the 250 yards hill!! Talk about over estimating what one can do!

Also, our driving range has a 200 yard post and the back fence is about 300 yards. I don't see too many golf balls beyond 250 yards.

I would say the average longest drive I see on this couse would be about 240 yards!

[TN94z]

250 yards are rare also.

Wow! Really? Wow! Are you talking about an average or a 250 yard drive is rare period?

I would say the average longest drive I see on this couse would be about 240 yards!

I could see a course "average" being this low just because you have every type of golfer out there hitting tee shots and that can kill an average.

[SpringBokVol]

I average 260.4 yards with driver - this is off of my last 8 rounds.

And if you would like to see my swing click here: http://thesandtrap.com/forum/threads...pringBokVol%29

Driver swing located at the bottom of that thread.

[KaiL]

I guess I see the american average golfers who shoot 90+ a round.

I drove reverse direction around the course all day and learned where to stop to wait for T shots on each hole. Its definitely not the 250 yards mark! We have a 305 yard par 4, and I have not seen too many (may be 1?) reach the green from the T. A couple of 400 yards par 4 I usually wait at the 200 yard marker and didn't see too many T shots flew pass me. Our 18 hole is 451 yards par4 and I seldom see people reach the 200 yard marker!

Its very interesting to watch people play day in day out. I usualy park under a tree just beyond the green from a par5. I would say, less than 15 % of the people reach the green from 100 to 150 yards.

[TN94z]

I guess I see the american average golfers who shoot 90+ a round.

I could imagine. That would be interesting just to see what percentage of golfers make it or hit X amount of yards....etc.

[KaiL]

I could imagine. That would be interesting just to see what percentage of golfers make it or hit X amount of yards....etc.

This could be off the main discussion of the thread.

I am not a long hitter (due to old age and arithis). But I put in a lot of effort on my 75-130 yards range to make sure I am dead accurate and consistent to the green. Most courses have more severe lies and bunkers closer then 75 yards to the green. I usually do better with two 100 yards shots to a 200 par3, than try to hit a long iron and a short chip/pitch within 50 yards from either up hill, down hill, side hill, bunkers etc.

[Harmonious]

Well, it's been a week since I started this thread and, 22 pages later, there still has not been a mid-high handicapper (15+) who has posted their 300 yard swing. Maybe all of those guys have reconsidered their position about their driving distance, or maybe they are making those claims on other websites. Or maybe they were just kids, and Mommy took away their computer privileges. Still waiting.......

[Gerardv]

And you will be waiting until the third Sunday after St. Smithen's Day.

I played with a guy in a charity best ball outing that hit three drives over 300 yards - confirmed with a GPS. He had a HORRIBLE swing, but was big and when he made contact the ball went forever. It helped that it was dry and hard, but he simply hammered the ball. The rest of his drives were dribblers, tops and huge slices. Never, ever had I played with a guy that could, every so often, just powder the ball.

Myself, I am about a 13-15 handicap and hit it 220-230 on average. Until I got the GPS, I thought my average was about 10-15 yards farther.

Sometimes the truth hurts!

[colin007]

the whole "i haven't seen it so its impossible" mentality that you portray in your post is whats annoying.

where did i say that its impossible? just because i havent seen it doesnt mean its not possible. i guess my point is, 300 yards is a LONG freaking way to the ball. its certainly not as possible as is made to seem on the innerwebz like here.

you have a nice swing. im sure there arent very many people on public courses, percentage-wise, that are better than you. i know there arent many where i play. these are the people im talking about. even the near scratch guys i have played with dont hit it 300 yards. close, but not quite 300. peace.