Driver distance vs. Handicap

[mcgriff]

Scratch lady golfers would beat the pants off 99% of us in this thread. No way they are going 275 off the tee, either. If my 6I snugs it closer than (insert random player)'s 8I who cares how far you can hit it? Game is scored after the tees, not at the tees.

[golfro]

Scratch lady golfers would beat the pants off 99% of us in this thread. No way they are going 275 off the tee, either. If my 6I snugs it closer than (insert random player)'s 8I who cares how far you can hit it? Game is scored after the tees, not at the tees.

yeah but the problem is...you have to have a pretty damn good swing to be slamming it 280 yards on fairway on average. Thus, those who slam it out regularly 280, can probably to stick his 8 iron much closer than your 6 iron.

which is why its just harder to believe that mid-high handicappers claim they AVERAGE long long drives. also, anytime someone makes a post about how distance isn't important is fooling themselves. the right distance off the tee is the difference between a 6 iron vs PW to pin. I'll take the PW any day of the damn week.

[motteler621]

distance is huge in golf. Most golf teachers will tell you that distance is one of the most important factors in golf. One person I know Ive heard say that is Hank Haney.

[golfro]

personally i dont know why anyone would be opposed to wanting more distance lol. what negative could there really be if you can practice towards distance + accuracy?

but i digress...most mid-high handicappers rarely practice at the range. :/

[James_Black]

personally i dont know why anyone would be opposed to wanting more distance lol. what negative could there really be if you can practice towards distance + accuracy?

I'd prefer to be 10 yards shorter off the tee and be on the fairway than in rough.

[ghalfaire]

In my opinion, experience and observation, you can't hit really long drives without a good swing. Just can't.

Depends upon what you define as a good swing. How about John Daly? Is that a good swing? Sure has good results as far as distance goes.

[Open-Faced Club Sandwedge]

which is why its just harder to believe that mid-high handicappers claim they AVERAGE long long drives.

The problem is that "average" is an entirely silly way to think of someone's golf shots, ESPECIALLY when that person has a high handicap (i.e. isn't consistent).

I hit three types of drives: mishits of all sorts (60%), relatively straight and well-struck drives (30%), and drives I smash the hell out of (10%). That middle category is the useful one to measure. I'm not going to plan my course management assuming I'm going to hit a duck-hook or worm-burner. Those are shots you practice to eliminate from your game, not shots you plan for. I'm going to plan to hit my driver either in or near the fairway, about 260-270 yards. It's only going to happen about 30% of the time, but it's my "standard" drive, because it's what happens when I correctly execute my "standard" swing. I'm not going to plan for the 10% of the time I hit it 290 or 300 either. They do happen, because I'm a big strong guy and I can generate some clubhead speed, but I can't make them happen consistently, and I can't plan for them. What's my "average"? I have no idea. Maybe 200. Does it matter? No. What matters is that my swing gets me about 260-270, and in addition I still have a ways to go in learning to execute my swing more consistently. -Andrew

[jamo]

Anyone else think we should keep this thread mostly about data? There are plenty of high handicapper distance threads you can resurrect if you want to talk distance.

[sean_miller]

Anyone else think we should keep this thread mostly about data? There are plenty of high handicapper distance threads you can resurrect if you want to talk distance.

My best scoring rounds this season were when my second shots were ending up near the flag (on the green, just on the apron, etc.) and I limited my 3-putts. I was teeing off mostly with a 3-wood, Fybrid, or 3-iron, so my average "driving distance" was probably about 245-255.

How was my driver performing during those rounds? Let's just say I was getting it out there okay and it didn't cost me too many strokes.

[Fourputt]

Index at the moment is 11.5 - median drive is 240 yards at one mile above sea level, where I play 95% of my golf. Age 63 and I play the standard men's tees at most courses.

I don't know how anyone knows what their carry is unless they always find the ball mark where it landed. And how do they know that it's their ball mark and not one from someone else. Otherwise carry has to be a pure guesstimate. I know that with a decent swing I can carry my driver 230 yards, because that is a distance I've measured on one hole to clear a fairway bunker. I can carry that bunker about 4 out of 5 drives on that hole. But I just know that I can carry that bunker, not how much I clear it by. Total drive on that hole can be anywhere from 230 to as high as 320 once last year (wind and winter fairway assisted).

My only question to those bogey golfers who claim a 280 yard average.... how often do you actually hit the fairway? I miss a fair share of fairways with my 240 yard drives... not usually by a lot, but enough to cost me 2 or three strokes a round on average. I'm a good scrambler which is what keeps my handicap where it is. If I was hitting 40 yards longer on the same line, my handicap would rise dramatically, because those scrambles would be much more difficult from that much farther off the fairway.

[golfro]

I'd prefer to be 10 yards shorter off the tee and be on the fairway than in rough.

thus the part "practice towards distance + accuracy"

Depends upon what you define as a good swing. How about John Daly? Is that a good swing? Sure has good results as far as distance goes.

His impact position is still as good as it gets. Same with Furyk, Dustin Johnson and just about everyone who doesn't have the prettiest swing. On the downswing, their club is right on plane and with perfect impact position. Who really gives a crap abotu what their backswing looks like if they can consistently get their downswing on plane and positioned at impact?

The problem is that "average" is an entirely silly way to think of someone's golf shots, ESPECIALLY when that person has a high handicap (i.e. isn't consistent).

thats my point... high handicappers are inconsistent so to claim they average 280 yards off the tee is downright silly. Average includes all the 100 yard drives that are sliced or hooked. A lot of high handicappers will ONLY count that 10% where they somehow smashed the hell out of it and claim it as their average.

I average 280-300 off the tee and this past weekend was roughly 70% on fairway. My swing speed is generally anywhere from 115-120 and I get comments about how my drives are absolutely tremendous while at the range even from the PGA Professionals who are teaching there. Not tooting my own horn (ok i am) but to average 270-280 is quite a feat...one that I highly doubt high handicappers can achieve. Do i think they can smash one out once in awhile? Sure...but to average? its more than just "athleticism" and "muscles." Its having a good swing with great impact position and lag....something most high handicappers don't have.

[Shooter McGreenkeeper]

i don't have an official handicap as i am the greenkeeper.
you guys talking yards?, i guess i am 300-310 on avg.

once you are yound 275 yard mark, the par 5's become easier to hit in 2, and very birdy-able.
so there is at least 2 shots you will have that a 230 yard driver will not..

Roll depends on grass, Kikkyu will give less roll like 5 yards
couch or (bermuda) in summer will give heaps of roll, like 50 yards

the fescues and buffalos are inbetween

[neophyte]

I played with a player who could hit his drives 300 yards. A typical hole: was first drive 300 yards pull into the lake, Second drive a push slice out of bounds to the right, Third drive was topped fifty yards infront of the senior T. Tell me what his driving average is?

[motteler621]

i don't have an official handicap as i am the greenkeeper.

[jamo]

You haven't heard? The secret to long drives is gym, tanning, and laundry. Every day.

[sean_miller]

You haven't heard? The secret to long drives is gym, tanning, and laundry. Every day.

Don't forget to pack a duffel bag of hair product. It's simple arithmetic:

shi+loads of fistpumping + copious amounts of drinking = 310 yard driving average

[Shooter McGreenkeeper]

Don't forget to pack a duffel bag of hair product. It's simple arithmetic:

no, 2 x 20 minutes of putting practice during morning and lunch time breaks + 18 holes every day after work @ 2.00 pm apart from sunday because + athletic + swing simular to Ben Hogan = 310 meter avg + great golf.

[sean_miller]

no, 2 x 20 minutes of putting practice during morning and lunch time breaks + 18 holes every day after work @ 2.00 pm apart from sunday because + athletic + swing simular to Ben Hogan = 310 meter avg + great golf.

Well you got all the buzzwords in there, the ben hogan swing (a little man who probably wouldn't have had a 300m driving average), athleticism, putting - oh wait, that's irrelevant - and there you go. A long driving shortish golf troll.