Driver distance with the right technique

[iacas]

When I see PGA Tour players, they got better and more effiicient swing than golfers in the Remax Long Drive Contest (definitely!!).

I suppose that depends on your definition of "efficient," but in general, I agree with the two folks above me who disagree with you.

[saevel25]

she can bomb it to 270 yards

Which course is she playing? Were is the course located?

Her driver is tuned to her swing, she might have ripped into that one, maybe she got the swing speed up to 105. Its not uncommon for someone to swing 5-10 mph less to control the shot instead of laying into one. look at Tiger, he has that extra grip it and rip it mode. So, theres alot of variables, don't worry about distance, just keep improving, distance comes later. But contact helps alot to, guy i play golf with, he's my height, in better shape than me, but he doesn't make solid contact so he hits his drives 230-250, i out drive him by 25-40 yards.

[CalBoomer]

My question is legit. For example, Lorena Ochoa Driver swing speed is only around 95 Mph (i read it somewhere). But because she got the right technique, she can bomb it to 270 yards. That's my question. Do you hit it farther with efficient swing?

Let's break this down a bit and consider only the physics of the situation. In the end, the only meaning of "efficient" for the golf ball is whether or not the ball is hit on the optimal sweet spot of the club (any club) with a square club face and an optimal launch angle. How that happens is irrelevant to how far the ball goes. The only other factor is clubhead speed. Pros of either sex hit the ball longer because they make better and more consistent contact and have a faster swing speed.

[Danattherock]

Efficient golf swing....

"Although not the longest driver on the LPGA Tour, at 5 feet 5 inches tall and 125 pounds , Lorena Ochoa can belt it out with the best of them. Lorena's 270.6 yard average driving distance ranks third on the LPGA Tour."

From...
http://www.worldgolf.com/golf-instru...ochoa-6516.htm


Any of you that still think distance is acquired mainly through power, enjoy your protein shakes


-Dan

[iacas]

Any of you that still think distance is acquired mainly through power, enjoy your protein shakes

That depends on what you mean by "power." Nobody here is suggesting a weightlifter will naturally hit the ball farther.

[sean_miller]

Efficient golf swing....

I'm not too proud to suggest she might have a stronger core and stronger legs than I do. Luckily I'm about 9 inches taller and 75 pounds heavier, which seem to make up for my poor technique.

[Danattherock]

That depends on what you mean by "power." Nobody here is suggesting a weightlifter will naturally hit the ball farther.

What I am thinking is that many folks think being stronger will make them hit the ball further. And while true in most cases, I think the power leaks are in improper swing mechanics. Admittingly, it is easier to work out and drink protein shakes than learn how to properly swing a golf club for some folks. But I think improving the swing mechanics first will reveal the greatest power leaks. Working towards a more efficient swing is my suggestion. Using myself as an example, I am 6'6" 282 lbs and hit the ball a long way. Lack of consistency and control kept me shooting in the mid 90's for a long time. I learned about lag last year through Jeff Evans and the PBS. Can't believe it eluded me for so long. But I had my first golf lesson in 20 years last year, started reading some golf books, poking around on here, etc.. about the same time. I added 15 yards to my 7 iron almost overnight. Same thing happened to every club in my bag to a varying degree. Now I am looking at an excessive amount of bend in my elbows during my swing. Shortens my swing arc, among other bad things I am sure, and it is a power leak in my golf swing. In my case, some additional weight loss will help. I was up to 325 lb last year. I work on that, I expect to hit the ball further, although the goal in doing so is for improved consistency and ball striking. Then there is the flipping, I was a classic flipper and this year have been working that out of my game. A huge power leak there. Point being, I am losing distance in all sorts of areas that have nothing to do with physical strength. Maybe as a bigger guy that hits a few 300 yarders each round I have a different perspective. But I would rather make my swing more efficient and consistent. Lot of folks hit drives 220-230 yards and feel they are weak. I just don't buy it. I think in many cases they are not swinging the club properly. I think their swing mechanics are at fault, not their strength. Yet so many take to the gym or start on some fitness kick. Which is wonderful of course, something we all could benefit from. I just don't feel that is the biggest problem with why they hit the ball the distances they do. -Dan

[The Recreational Golfer]

I get my longest drives when I hit the ball flush. I suppose I could make my swing more "efficient," whatever that means, and hit it flush more often, and make a few other changes to generate more clubhead speed at impact, but there is still a limit to my ability to hit the long ball. Being a long hitter is a knack, you have it or you don't.

As for male long hitters, Charles Howell III and Jamie Sadlowski aren't exactly buff monsters. They just have a knack that they developed to its fullest.

It's just like in baseball. Some guys hit home runs and others don't so much, and you can't tell by looking, who's who.

[saevel25]

absolutely hitting the ball solid is key.. just think those times when you really get one, and the ball goes something like 20 yards farther than you normally would hit it. your average might be with the swing fault, but when the stars align, you do get that true potential. I know what mine is, and i know what my average is, and i have hit the ball 20-30 yards farther from time to time if i really groove one. So yes, it can help, but also you can't base your self off of pro's or ladies tour. They play on golf courses that we only dream of playing were fairways give you more roll than what we play on.

Just know what you do, and keep improving, what ever distance you it is what you hit.  IF you feel like you need more, go see a guy who can fit you with a driver. Maybe do some weight lifting and power training and flexibility. There is a thing of natural ability and hitting it far. Some people just have a knack for it. I know people who are the same size i am, and i can bomb it past them, or i come accross a smaller guy who hits it past me. Theres alot that goes into to, the key is not to get caught up in it. Let things come as they come, control what you can control.

[ronaldkuntoro]

Originally Posted by Danattherock

Efficient golf swing....

"Although not the longest driver on the LPGA Tour, at 5 feet 5 inches tall and 125 pounds, Lorena Ochoa can belt it out with the best of them. Lorena's 270.6 yard average driving distance ranks third on the LPGA Tour."

From...

http://www.worldgolf.com/golf-instru...ochoa-6516.htm

Any of you that still think distance is acquired mainly through power, enjoy your protein shakes

-Dan

Thank you for the facts.  This is exactly my POINT!!   How can a small girl like Lorena can hit a bomb??  Proper technique???

[iacas]

Originally Posted by ronaldkuntoro

Thank you for the facts.  This is exactly my POINT!!   How can a small girl like Lorena can hit a bomb??  Proper technique???

Uhm, and speed. At the end of the day some people, even with poor technique, will be able to hit the ball farther than some people with perfect technique. Sorry... that's simply the way it is.

I've picked up 10-15% with proper technique, and that's from when I was a 2 handicap index amateur... but I still hit the ball past people with better technique than I do, and some people with lousier technique hit it past me.

[Deryck Griffith]

Originally Posted by ronaldkuntoro

My question is legit. For example, Lorena Ochoa Driver swing speed is only around 95 Mph (i read it somewhere). But because she got the right technique, she can bomb it to 270 yards. That's my question. Do you hit it farther with efficient swing?

I don't agree efficient Swing creates more swing speed. When I see PGA Tour players, they got better and more effiicient swing than golfers in the Remax Long Drive Contest (definitely!!). But these PGA Tour players only swing around 115 Mph, while the Remax Long Driver swings around 140 Mph. Why? Because Those Remax Long Driver people work out more often in the gym developing their POWER. I think POWER is also a factor in swinging faster.

I would be inclined to say in addition to tehcnique, having the absolute optimal equipment that "fits" her swing could also play a big factor to why she can hit the ball 270 yards.  With the right equipment, i'm sure her launch angle, spin rate, etc is perfect which equates to maximum distance.

I will agree with the other posts in this thread that mention technique as NOT being the only factor to distance with a driver.  I played with a guy that works for my dad a year ago and he had a cross handed grip (bascially he gripped the club like a left hander but played with right handed clubs).  I didn't see him practice on the range because I got to the course late so I basically found this out on the first tee when he gripped the club.  Obviously, I was like hmmm, how the hell is he going to hit this and then BOOM, he striped his drive 280 down the middle.  I can argue that with a better technique, he could hit it farther but that is a theory.  Maybe a proper grip and swing doens't suit him so technically his "style" is the right technique for him.

[TaylorMadeTaylor]

I for one believe that strength has very little to do with clubhead speed. I weigh 110 pounds, one of the skinniest kids you'll ever see and yet I can swing my weight in mph. It's all about technique. I think anyone male over 14 years old with a good swing, good lag and a good impact position can hit the ball 250 regardless of strength and build size. Sure, other people are just wired to swing faster than others but I think the whole "get stronger" thing is bogus. Just my humble opinion based on experience and observation.

[saevel25]

Well size does have alot to do with it, but its also flexibility. If you can get good depth and extension you can out do a tall guy, but you get someone like dustin johnson who is tall and flexible, and like bubba watson, they got that nasty combo that just blows past everyone. So yea, its alot of things, but solid contact helps a lot with distance as well as shooting good.

[pbailey]

Originally Posted by Danattherock

If "he" is a 14 handicapper his technique is not that of a PGA tour player. Your analogy has a big hole in it man. Don't let how far you hit your driver dictate your worthiness as a golfer. It is one of the biggest mistakes we make in my opinion. When I stopped trying to kill the ball and learned more about my golf swing, I began hitting the ball further. When I started focusing on my wedge and putting abilities, my scores dropped significantly. You want to hit the ball further? Of course you do, but it is not the secret to better golf. Took me 20 years to figure this out. Perhaps you will fare better. Get your swing on video, get regular lessons, practice, and improve your technique. In doing so, you will increase club head speed and hit the ball further. But don't let distance alone be the measurement you use to determine success. It is a flawed, yet common, methodology.

-Dan

A few years back I played 15 rounds or so over several weeks with a friend who was tuning up for the VA state public course open.  Playing from the tips I had no expectation of hitting greens in regulation, except the par 5's.  As all my second shots into par 4's were to be lay ups.......I was surprised how many greens I started hitting after a few rounds of no expectations......no pressure.  When I embrace that lesson, I play much longer.

[M2R]

Looking at the data in the post below does it imply the answer would be 210-220 yards, going off the closest driver swing speed (94 mph)?  My gut feeling is that is about right.

That said, I don't have any feel for the result of moving the smash factor up from 1.47 to say 1.48 might have on distance (I blindly assumed a wash with losing 4 mph swing speed).  I'm also assuming that the numbers are (practically) independent from the geometry of the person producing them.  However, I'm not confident that has been positively established either.

Originally Posted by iacas

ClSd - Clubhead Speed

BlSd - Ball Speed

AoA - Angle of Attack

VLa - Vertical Launch Angle

Spin - Spin Rate (total)

MH - Maximum Height of Ball (yards)

Carry - Carry (yards)