Question about the 300 yard drive

[Williamevanl]

So I was watching golf the other day and they mentioned that John Daley was finally able to break the 300 yard average driving mark back in 2000 for the first time. Now there are about 20 professional golfers that currently do.

Have people always claimed to hit the ball 300 pretty routinely, did this happen even before the arguably longest golfer in the PGA started doing it?

Do the people that say that routinely hit it 300+ yards also think that they are doing something now that nobody was able to do before the year 2000?

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Williamevanl

So I was watching golf the other day and they mentioned that John Daley was finally able to break the 300 yard average driving mark back in 2000 for the first time. Now there are about 20 professional golfers that currently do.

Have people always claimed to hit the ball 300 pretty routinely, did this happen even before the arguably longest golfer in the PGA started doing it?

Do the people that say that routinely hit it 300+ yards also think that they are doing something now that nobody was able to do before the year 2000?

I don't remember anyone talking about 300 yards in the 1980s or 1990s. 250 was the standard with 275-280 being a smash. There was always the chance of a lucky pure strike on a dried out fairway / runway, but if anyone still playing says they were "routinely" hitting 300 yard drives in the 1980s then they might be suffering from dementia . . . or they might be in the World Golf Hall of Fame and are too shy to use their real name.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

I don't remember anyone talking about 300 yards in the 1980s or 1990s. 250 was the standard with 275-280 being a smash. There was always the chance of a lucky pure strike on a dried out fairway / runway, but if anyone still playing says they were "routinely" hitting 300 yard drives in the 1980s then they might be suffering from dementia . . . or they might be in the World Golf Hall of Fame and are too shy to use their real name.

Yeah, this. I remember 270 being the "wow got a hold of that one!" mark. For people who weren't lying, that is. So that means the liars probably claimed to average 275 or 280. :)

If you wanted to hit the ball far back then (with the first metal clubs) your best bet was a Pinnacle or some other kind of ball. Balatas just didn't go anywhere.

I wish I could find a dozen. They'd be fun to play with somewhere.

[slodsm]

I have managed to break 300 two times playing off and on for close to ten years (much more off than on for the first 9, just got serious this year and play probably 8-10 rounds a month). I could routinely hit 250 with a slice which could have gone further had I had a clue how to hit the ball BUT, I broke my right index finger last month, hit the ball straight as an arrow now 90% of the time but lost my distance somehow in the process and I hit it about 220 now with the occasional lucky shot breaking 250.

It's easier to hit follow up shots from the fairway though so I guess I'll take it.