is it better to be straight than longer?

[Kieran123]

There are a few courses around here where I could hit a 300 yard drive into the opposing fairway.

I would take that over 230 yards in 'my' fairway, providing of course I have a shot at the green which for some courses around here is very likely...*cough* fox hollow *cough*

[bunkerputt]

For 99% of amateurs, fixing swing mechanics hits it both straighter and longer.  They are related and there is a correlation.  You improve your mechanics and you immediately improve both accuracy and distance.  That's just the way it works out.  You don't have to decide to trade one for the other.  When you are talking about gaining 5 yards by rolling your forearms drastically through impact or something that in my mind has little return and sacrifices consistency, maybe this thread has relevance.  But for nearly everyone on this forum, just be content gaining both distance and accuracy by fixing your major swing faults in order of severity.

[dominick42]

When we are talking about straight versus long, how straight are we talking about. We need length but there has to be a stopping point where we say back off. That point comes when you are so far offline that you bring a high number or a "blow up" hole into play. That is when a golfer needs to back off.

[JetFan1983]

Originally Posted by JetFan1983

The better your swing gets, the longer and straighter you become.

Originally Posted by LankyLefty

Real bannana slice but still hit your fairways, thats just as good and being dead strait and hitting all your fairways.

Originally Posted by dominick42

When we are talking about straight versus long, how straight are we talking about.

I just wanted to clarify what I mean by "straight." When I say "straight," I don't mean a ball flight that is dead straight, or even a ball flight that has a baby draw or fade to it (though those are obviously awesome and highly desirable ball flights to have and aspire to). To me, "straight" means "hitting it where you are aiming." Bubba Watson for example hits the craziest, curviest shots you've ever seen in your life, but they almost always find their intended target.

Just wanted to clarify. Sorry if this was already understood by everyone here. No doubt your shot cone will widen as your ability to accumulate power increases.

[mdl]

Quote:

I can cite many examples of hole layouts where a long carry can be virtually sprayed 50 yards right or left and be much better off than a sub 230 yard drive perfectly straight down the middle. I can point to holes where being long and off the fairway even a little bit is a mistake. Most long drivers can think of both types of holes and courses. That's why they tend to scoff at absolutes.

Right on.  I'm a long driver for an amateur.  Some courses I play it barely matters whether I'm driving it well that day (by well I mean where I want it, with errors mostly within the width of the fairway), as the course is wide open without many bushy trees and you have to get pretty unlucky to not have a decent 2nd shot, even if you're spraying the drives that day.  On those courses I'd rather hit it 280 than 220, even if the 280 is less accurate and the 220's right down the middle every time, as I'm way better with my wedges than with the long irons.

I also play some courses where even drives that land on the fairway but are moving a bit in the wrong direction (left/right) have a chance of running OB.  I can remember one course like that where I put what I thought was one of my best drives of the day out there.  But it had a little draw and landed on the very narrow fairway towards the left side, took a not so great hop, and disappeared.

It always depends!

[FLOG4]

Originally Posted by Grumpter

Quote:

There could be a big difference between someones interpretation of "learn to swing as hard as you can" and "learn to swing hard". My guess is Jack was talking about learn to swing hard while still maintaining a fundamentally sound swing. A new golfer hearing “learn to swing as hard as you can” is rarely going to result in a fundamentally sound swing, YMMV.

P.S. It’s not like your current index is all that great.

.

My 8 is the highest my cap has been in 43 years of having a cap.  If I was a 15 I'd keep my uninformed mouth shut...PS You could use some of Jack's advise...Go get the book and then offer an informed opinion rather than "your guess"............Read the post, learn to hit it hard, take instruction, exercise, take care of your body....But let's just focus on the one statement, swing as hard as you can......My guess is thought processes like "your guess"  will help you achieve a 15 handicap your entire playing career...Good Luck .

[Grumpter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FLOG4

My 8 is the highest my cap has been in 43 years of having a cap.  If I was a 15 I'd keep my uninformed mouth shut...PS You could use some of Jack's advise...Go get the book and then offer an informed opinion rather than "your guess"............Read the post, learn to hit it hard, take instruction, exercise, take care of your body....But let's just focus on the one statement, swing as hard as you can......My guess is thought processes like "your guess"  will help you achieve a 15 handicap your entire playing career...Good Luck .

What an ego you got there spunky. Sorry you got your thong in a wad but your 8 aint don't make you great. Your not doing yourself any favors by cheating on your scorecard. My 15 is due to a car accident a while back but even when I was below your 8 I wasn't (and wouldn't be) bragging like a school girl that just made it to second base for her first time. I certainly wouldn't be putting others down for having a higher handicap. Your in a class all your own cupcake.

You make me laugh though. You're so full of yourself I would guess raw sewage leaks from your mouth when you try to speak? Good times.

My guess is you will hit the ignore list quickly enough (assuming this forum has one).

[FLOG4]

Originally Posted by Grumpter

Quote:

What an ego you got there spunky. Sorry you got your thong in a wad but your 8 aint don't make you great. Your not doing yourself any favors by cheating on your scorecard. My 15 is due to a car accident a while back but even when I was below your 8 I wasn't (and wouldn't be) bragging like a school girl that just made it to second base for her first time. I certainly wouldn't be putting others down for having a higher handicap. Your in a class all your own cupcake.

You make me laugh though. You're so full of yourself I would guess raw sewage leaks from your mouth when you try to speak? Good times.

My guess is you will hit the ignore list quickly enough (assuming this forum has one).

Hey numbnut, I had a busted wrist that took 12mph off my swing.  And only a complete moron responds to a post ignoring the content. And no you don't make me laugh you make me puke.  So again take your 15 shove it and move on. And how'd you know I wear a thong, you been peeking in the boys room again.  Please don't confuse bragging with offering bull advise like you.  And PS you're the one who brought up caps but given your limited intelligence, what should anyone expect.

[LankyLefty]

Id rather be 30 cap not a douchebag then be +2 and act like you....

[golfdu]

I have to disagree with the working out = distance. It's all about technique and timing. Everybody could hit it farther than Lou Ferrigno if he had horrible sequence and timing and they had very good sequence and timing. Kind of a bad analogy but you get my point.

[Gioguy21]

so how bout them yankees...?

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Gioguy21

so how bout them yankees...?

How 'bout them steroids?!?

[newtogolf]

What's the question????

[x129]

No it isn't all about timing and sequencing. That is a huge part (70-80%). But once you get that down it can be easier to add distance by increasing power rather than trying tweak out the last 5% gain from refining technique. No one is saying the worlds strongest men are going to be long hitters. What most people believe (and the studies have backed up) is that adding strength work on top of your normal golf training will make you longer. It is no problem if you choose not to do this. Most people find playing golf more fun than doing the work to maximize their golf score. You will notice in most leagues that peoples handicaps stay the same from year to year. They are not interested in getting better. They want to enjoy the game.

Originally Posted by golfdu

I have to disagree with the working out = distance. It's all about technique and timing. Everybody could hit it farther than Lou Ferrigno if he had horrible sequence and timing and they had very good sequence and timing. Kind of a bad analogy but you get my point.

[trackster]

I feel like the people who say that lifting does not equal distance had poor results with lifting.  Maybe tried to lift and didn't notice huge results so they stopped.  If you actually hang with it and actually get stronger (not to the point where you muscles become a hinderance or are too big and you loose flexibility) then I don't see how you can't hit it farther.  It may only be 5 to 10 yards.  But that could mean that you are hitting one less club to the green which could be a big difference.

Also the golf swing is very repetitive.  If you lift (correctly) your muscles  will gain more endurance and your shots on hole 18 have a better chance of being just as crisp and strong as on hole 2 or 3.

And yeah that analogy is bad.  That is like saying Anyone could hit it farther then Tiger if he lost all his muscles and they had muscles lol.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by x129

No it isn't all about timing and sequencing. That is a huge part (70-80%). But once you get that down it can be easier to add distance by increasing power rather than trying tweak out the last 5% gain from refining technique. No one is saying the worlds strongest men are going to be long hitters. What most people believe (and the studies have backed up) is that adding strength work on top of your normal golf training will make you longer. It is no problem if you choose not to do this. Most people find playing golf more fun than doing the work to maximize their golf score. You will notice in most leagues that peoples handicaps stay the same from year to year. They are not interested in getting better. They want to enjoy the game.

At my club, some people have the same handicap every year because they're sandbaggers.

There are people who are just naturally longer hitters. With the proper equipment and any amount of fitness, they're just plain long. It's all about clubhead speed and contact. If more strength doesn't increase clubhead speed or improve general impact conditions, then the ball isn't going any farther. BUT, what increased fitness does allow for is more practice time due to less nagging injury related down time.

[iacas]

Some people are naturally faster, yep. The proper kind of training can help, but some people will never hit the ball as far as Bubba Watson even if Bubba at McDonald's for a month straight and didn't work out one bit.

[x129]

Heck Bubba used to eat at McDonalds for a month. My understanding he has changed. Yes some people are going to be naturally faster (faster muscles, better biomechanics). This is pretty obvious to most of us after those 3rd grade gym classes. You were either born lucky or not.  Nothing you can do about that.  Working out isn't going to take your club head speed from 80 to 120mph but it might get you to 90mph.

Quote:

Some people are naturally faster, yep. The proper kind of training can help, but some people will never hit the ball as far as Bubba Watson even if Bubba at McDonald's for a month straight and didn't work out one bit.