Honestly, I hit it long

[saevel25]

Woot, i crush that,

Driver: 285 carry, 295 total (i hit high drives that land softly, they look like they just hover in the air for a long time, its fun to watch)

3-wood: 260 carry, 275 total (new 3-wood is a beast, a bit longer than my older 3-wood, and a much more borring trajectory, i recommend the Titleist 910fd)

3i: 228

4i: 214

5i: 200

6i: 186

7i: 171

8i: 157

9i: 143

PW: 129

SW: 115

LW: 100

I always been long with my irons, just have, and i hit high towering shots, which is great. Thats why i don't carry a hybrid or a 5-wood, i don't need the help. I can hit my 3-iron as high as some people hit there 7-irons, and it lands softly.

My issue is i have left and right issues, not really big slices or hooks, but slight push fades and pull draws from time to time. But its close to being good.

Don't believe me, oh well, if anyone happens to play a round with me they can contest.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

First off, let's take the controversial number "300" and shred it to bits.

I'm talking about guys who don't believe any amateur can hit over 280 - ever - let alone have a driving average greater than the shortest PGA professional.

Second, people who earn a living playing golf can lose money, and a lot of it, when they hit the ball OB or behind a shrub. Joe Average Hacker doesn't suffer much of a penalty other than slowing down his group or losing his ball. A lot of long hitting amateurs swing for the fence on every drive regardless of the consequence. Basically, a pro tries to hit his tee shot to a specific distance. Often an amateur just tries to hit his driver "as far as humanly possible". The professionals always have more distance in reserve (little guys like Faxon, Crenshaw, Kite, Pavin and Gay probably not - but I'm just saying).

Thirdly, if people think the only advantage the pros have is distance then those people probably don't know very much about golf.

You win.

Brandon

[right handed phil mickelson]

Originally Posted by saevel25

280 in the rough, or 250 in the fairway. What rough are you talking about and how far off the fairway. If its 280 just in the rough, not behind trees, ect.. Then i would take 280, just because 30 yards is nearly 3 clubs in distance. For a hole, that could be a wedge or 9-iron compared to a 7-iron. Which from the rough, still able to get it close.

Goodness gracious I'm off of this website for a few months and get back on, and now everything has to be analyzed to the dot on the i's. Haha it was a universal statement. Take it as you will.

[MiniBlueDragon]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

It's all pretty relative since I can't hit my 3i as far as the pro's can either.  Here are some overall average carry distances I found for PGA players.

Listed below are the PGA Tour average "carry" distances in from over the last 4 seasons:

Driver 260 yards / 238 meters (Total Driving Distance - about 287.3 yards)

3-Wood 238 yards / 218 meters

5-Wood 223 yards / 204 meters

15-18* Rescue 218 yards / 199 meters

3-Iron 203 yards / 186 meters

4-Iron 189 yards / 173 meters

5-Iron 181 yards / 166 meters

6-Iron 169 yards / 155 meters

7-Iron 160 yards / 146 meters

8-Iron 149 yards / 136 meters

9-Iron 136 yards / 124 meters

PW 122 yards / 112 meters

This is an eye opener for me. I've always thought I could get "more" from my swing (feel like I'm hitting at about 70% effort) and that I lack distance with my shots but based on the above I'm capable of hitting it about 10 yards behind tour pros? That can't be right surely? I hit my 7i 150 and everything else is pretty much 10 yards gap between clubs.

Last Thursday I got fitted for my first ever driver and having never hit the driver before (not used to swinging in an ascending fashion) my stats for the Mizuno JPX 800 regular flex 10.5 were:

Carry: Highest = 250 | Lowest = 223 | Avg = 236
Total Distance: Highest = 258 | Lowest = 228 | Avg = 244
Club Speed: Highest = 95.6 MPH | Lowest = 83.5 MPH | Avg = 87.8 MPH
Smash Factor Highest = 1.5 | Lowest = 1.31 | Avg = 1.46

If the stats quoted are true then I'm happy with my current distance and I think I need to stop trying to hit further and try to work on my shot dispersion instead.

[bplewis24]

The term "7-iron" needs further clarification in this context.  Not all 7-iron lofts are created equal, and the data used for PGA tour averages should show the defined loft for those yardages.

Brandon

[MiniBlueDragon]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

The term "7-iron" needs further clarification in this context.  Not all 7-iron lofts are created equal, and the data used for PGA tour averages should show the defined loft for those yardages.

Brandon

Yup true. e.g my 7i has a loft of 31.5° whereas my old Nike irons had a loft of 34°. HUGE difference!

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

It's all pretty relative since I can't hit my 3i as far as the pro's can either.  Here are some overall average carry distances I found for PGA players.

Listed below are the PGA Tour average "carry" distances in from over the last 4 seasons:

Driver 260 yards / 238 meters (Total Driving Distance - about 287.3 yards)

3-Wood 238 yards / 218 meters

5-Wood 223 yards / 204 meters

15-18* Rescue 218 yards / 199 meters

3-Iron 203 yards / 186 meters

4-Iron 189 yards / 173 meters

5-Iron 181 yards / 166 meters

6-Iron 169 yards / 155 meters

7-Iron 160 yards / 146 meters

8-Iron 149 yards / 136 meters

9-Iron 136 yards / 124 meters

PW 122 yards / 112 meters

150 yard 8 iron?

122 yard PW?

That seems very short

[x129]

One thing to make sure is are you comparing carry to total distance. And are you comparing average to best.

That being said distance is one of the least impressive parts of a pros game. Consistency and accuracy are not as in your face but are probably more important.

Originally Posted by MiniBlueDragon

This is an eye opener for me. I've always thought I could get "more" from my swing (feel like I'm hitting at about 70% effort) and that I lack distance with my shots but based on the above I'm capable of hitting it about 10 yards behind tour pros? That can't be right surely? I hit my 7i 150 and everything else is pretty much 10 yards gap between clubs.

Last Thursday I got fitted for my first ever driver and having never hit the driver before (not used to swinging in an ascending fashion) my stats for the Mizuno JPX 800 regular flex 10.5 were:

Carry: Highest = 250 | Lowest = 223 | Avg = 236

Total Distance: Highest = 258 | Lowest = 228 | Avg = 244

Club Speed: Highest = 95.6 MPH | Lowest = 83.5 MPH | Avg = 87.8 MPH

Smash Factor Highest = 1.5 | Lowest = 1.31 | Avg = 1.46

If the stats quoted are true then I'm happy with my current distance and I think I need to stop trying to hit further and try to work on my shot dispersion instead.

[sean_miller]

Maybe they're not using amped up SGI irons?!?

Originally Posted by Kieran123

150 yard 8 iron?

122 yard PW?

That seems very short

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Maybe they're not using amped up SGI irons?!?

That's true.

My Ci9 PW is 44*

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Kieran123

That's true.

My Ci9 PW is 44*

It's more than just the lofts I suspect. My Cleveland TA1s (ca. 2002) are only two degrees weaker than my TA3s, but they're more than a full club shorter. I like them that way.

[newtogolf]

It's "average carry" during tournament play, so you need to factor in the various types of shots pro's are required to hit.  For example, situation where a guy is hitting his 8i into a heavy wind, and the pin is only 150 yards away.  Or he's choking down on the club to hit a specific type of shot.

I'm sure the distances would be greater if they lined up the pro's and told them to hit each club as far as they could.

Originally Posted by Kieran123

150 yard 8 iron?

122 yard PW?

That seems very short

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

It's "average carry" during tournament play, so you need to factor in the various types of shots pro's are required to hit.  For example, situation where a guy is hitting his 8i into a heavy wind, and the pin is only 150 yards away.  Or he's choking down on the club to hit a specific type of shot.

I'm sure the distances would be greater if they lined up the pro's and told them to hit each club as far as they could.

True. Punches from under trees etc

What about when they use a 4 hybrid to chip? Would that go into the stats?

[newtogolf]

Here's another chart I found that gives even more detail about the averages and includes the LPGA as well;

[MiniBlueDragon]

One thing to make sure is are you comparing carry to total distance. And are you comparing average to best.

That being said distance is one of the least impressive parts of a pros game. Consistency and accuracy are not as in your face but are probably more important.

Yeah I know it's their average versus my best. What I was getting at is that I've never hit a driver before the fitting, yet over relatively few shots I still hit one that came within 10 yards of the average pro distance, therefore as you said a pro's distance is not as awe-inspiring as their ability to play consistently well. :) My handicap is a clear indicator that I'm not comparing myself to a professional athlete ;)

[Dr. Strangeclub]

Originally Posted by MiniBlueDragon

Yeah I know it's their average versus my best. What I was getting at is that I've never hit a driver before the fitting, yet over relatively few shots I still hit one that came within 10 yards of the average pro distance, therefore as you said a pro's distance is not as awe-inspiring as their ability to play consistently well. :)

My handicap is a clear indicator that I'm not comparing myself to a professional athlete ;)

The real difference in a tour pro and normal good players is putting, chipping, wedge shots and sand play, not the long game.  Flying the ball is relatively easy and statistically speaking rather a lot of people can hit fairways and greens, whether they hit it long or not.  When I played well, I probably made less than 3/4 of my putts between 5 and 10 feet. It isn't uncommon for a tour pro on a good week to make 19 out of 20 or something equally silly.  The worst putter out there would have done better than me, even when I was a scratch player.  Add up all your missed 5-10 footers and practically anybody on tour would have made all the ones you did make and 3/4 of the ones you missed.

[saevel25]

The real difference is Iron Play, ball striking, and putting. But when Pro's are hitting middle irons to 10-15 feet, when we are just praying for a GIR, thats the difference.

[Dr. Strangeclub]

Originally Posted by saevel25

The real difference is Iron Play, ball striking, and putting. But when Pro's are hitting middle irons to 10-15 feet, when we are just praying for a GIR, thats the difference.

I've seen the stats on putting, but I don't remember exactly, but it doesn't seem to matter much whether the ball is 15 or 30 feet away.  Ten feet and closer does matter a lot, and it's the wedges that do that, not 7 irons.  Saw Dave Pelz on the tube talking about wedge play awhile back.  One year, Tom Kite got it up and down 82% of the time inside 100 yards.   I doubt if I get it up and down 82% of the time from 20 yards!