The Curse of the long ball

[JaxBomber17]

My apologies. "...smoothing a 4-iron to a predetermined distance so that I can hit the full club with which I'm most comfortable into the green."

That was way easier...

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Shorty

I can't count the number of times I deliberately three putt, leave bunker shots in the trap, hit OB on pupose just to get people off my back .

They seem more interested in seeing me crunch drives and hit amazing shots to the green than their own games.

I just give them what they want and after a few holes just give up and deliberatley don't even try to shoot in the 60s, but I generally do anyway. It's a curse.

In other words, what a load of BS. People really don't care that much about your game, I promise you.

I could say that nobody cares if a new golfer thinks he hits the ball 300 yards, but you've proven that theory wrong. I could say nobody cares if a guy wants to quit his job and try to become a tour pro, but, well . .

[BuckeyeNut]

c'mon......................stop making excuses for bad course strategy.  LOL

my 2 cents...

[phillyk]

Originally Posted by Shorty

I can't count the number of times I deliberately three putt, leave bunker shots in the trap, hit OB on pupose just to get people off my back .

They seem more interested in seeing me crunch drives and hit amazing shots to the green than their own games.

I just give them what they want and after a few holes just give up and deliberatley don't even try to shoot in the 60s, but I generally do anyway. It's a curse.

In other words, what a load of BS. People really don't care that much about your game, I promise you.

I guess you may have your experiences and I have mine.  I can promise you that the effect on me was real.  Once they see one, they stand closer when I hit the ball, they talk more about driving distance.  And it all just gets me out of focus.

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by phillyk

I guess you may have your experiences and I have mine.  I can promise you that the effect on me was real.  Once they see one, they stand closer when I hit the ball, they talk more about driving distance.  And it all just gets me out of focus.

You poor thing.

This really does make tragic reading.

[14ledo81]

I could say that nobody cares if a new golfer thinks he hits the ball 300 yards, but you've proven that theory wrong. I could say nobody cares if a guy wants to quit his job and try to become a tour pro, but, well . .

Good shot.

[Parker0065]

Originally Posted by phillyk

I guess you may have your experiences and I have mine.  I can promise you that the effect on me was real.  Once they see one, they stand closer when I hit the ball, they talk more about driving distance.  And it all just gets me out of focus.

So what your really saying is you have a focus problem? I get what your saying about playing with higher handicaps that are in awe of seeing decently struck golf shots. I avoid playing in "Scrambles" like the plague, but yesterday I played in one for a good cause. A friend at my work lost a child to cancer and started a tournament in her memory. So my boss grabbed me to be on his team and golf wise I knew it would be a long day. He's a 15hcp and the two other guy's he put on the team were 25hcp's. So yes, I heard a whole lot of "wow's", and "great drive", but on the golf course I still have that level of focus and desire to go as low as possible. We finished a respectable 5th out of 49 teams so I was pretty happy with that considering what I had to work with, lol.

But the real point I wanted to make was even though I was 25-30 yards ahead of them all day and I won the longest drive hole with a 298 yard drive, I never once actually swung hard at the ball trying to squeez out more distance. To me, "consistant" and "accurate" distance is built only through solid swing fundamentals. Are there hacks out there that can occasionally outdrive me by swinging for the fences, sure, but those guy's are hitting 2 of 14 fairways and knocking 4-5 balls out of bounds per round. I'll take my 275 yd average and 12 of 14 fairways hit all day long over swinging for the fences. I just mention that because so many of these "Bang it 300" threads get started and I get that "Hitting the Long Ball" has become such a fascination with average golfers, but the average golfer doesn't have the knowledge or understanding of how to produce accurate distance. If they did they wouldn't be swinging at the ball like their trying to wrestle a bear,lol!

I guess you could ask yourself do you play golf to hit the ball as far as you can or do you play golf to post the lowest score you can? If the answer is lowest score then playing in more county/state medal play tournaments will help you gain some focus in your game. I promise you those players could care less if you drive it 300 or 200 yards off the tee. They are only concerned about beating your brains out!

[bwdial]

Originally Posted by phillyk

I guess you may have your experiences and I have mine.  I can promise you that the effect on me was real.  Once they see one, they stand closer when I hit the ball, they talk more about driving distance.  And it all just gets me out of focus.

Here's a solution.  When they say something about driving distance, say this:  "You think that's impressive?  Watch how far past your drivers I hit my four iron!"

And then grab your crotch.

[phillyk]

Speaking of being accurate and consistent.  I have had two rounds recently besides the one after which I posted this thread, that I hit 11/14 fairways and 14/18 GIR.  In both, I didn't swing for the fences, I played my game and swung the way my game has built me to swing.  Astounding to me, though, is that I hit it almost further than I normally do with my 3wood.  Swinging easy with it, I had multiple 300+ drives.  I didn't get out of focus or swing for the fences on those shots.  They were my solid game.  I posted this thread, because of the times that I end up with people who like it when I hit the ball far. But, yes for those of you who said it, the problem is my focus and staying mentally sound.  But, lucky for me the focus has only cost me 3/4 strokes a round.

[Parker0065]

Originally Posted by phillyk

Speaking of being accurate and consistent.  I have had two rounds recently besides the one after which I posted this thread, that I hit 11/14 fairways and 14/18 GIR.  In both, I didn't swing for the fences, I played my game and swung the way my game has built me to swing.  Astounding to me, though, is that I hit it almost further than I normally do with my 3wood.  Swinging easy with it, I had multiple 300+ drives.  I didn't get out of focus or swing for the fences on those shots.  They were my solid game.  I posted this thread, because of the times that I end up with people who like it when I hit the ball far. But, yes for those of you who said it, the problem is my focus and staying mentally sound.  But, lucky for me the focus has only cost me 3/4 strokes a round.

Good Playing Phil! Just keep playing your own game!

[backspasm]

Originally Posted by Parker0065

I never once actually swung hard at the ball trying to squeez out more distance. To me, "consistant" and "accurate" distance is built only through solid swing fundamentals. Are there hacks out there that can occasionally outdrive me by swinging for the fences, sure, but those guy's are hitting 2 of 14 fairways and knocking 4-5 balls out of bounds per round. I'll take my 275 yd average and 12 of 14 fairways hit all day long over swinging for the fences.

I guess you could ask yourself do you play golf to hit the ball as far as you can or do you play golf to post the lowest score you can? If the answer is lowest score then playing in more county/state medal play tournaments will help you gain some focus in your game. I promise you those players could care less if you drive it 300 or 200 yards off the tee. They are only concerned about beating your brains out!

That used to be me. All i cared was hitting far because i thought thats what a good golfer was. The number one thing a player needs is accuracy. I've finally figured it out and i can now hit fairways and still outhit most players. Of course i still try and kill the ball on some swings, but i have really cut down the those in a round.

[njcl13]

I sympathise with the OP dilemma,why not try not starting your round with a driver,then nobody knows you hit it far with the driver,use a 1 iron or something,lie and say your useless with the woods,by the way i'm a dinky hitter so never had that problem

[geebee]

Originally Posted by Shorty

I can't count the number of times I deliberately three putt, leave bunker shots in the trap, hit OB on pupose just to get people off my back .

They seem more interested in seeing me crunch drives and hit amazing shots to the green than their own games.

I just give them what they want and after a few holes just give up and deliberatley don't even try to shoot in the 60s, but I generally do anyway. It's a curse.

In other words, what a load of BS. People really don't care that much about your game, I promise you.

Thanks for that , I thought I had wandered into the Masters locker room for a second..  I'm not meaning to be doubtful, just amazed as a newbie to this forum , at the distances people get from clubs . I travel to the States a lot and club golf is high standard in my opinion although I seemed to have missed the very big hitters. Other than very hot and dry conditions where the roll is significant , my experience, not just here, is that Satnav distance measurement has disappointed a lot of us who have found that our drives weren't quite the casual figures we may have quoted after a beer or three.

[colin007]

Thanks for that , I thought I had wandered into the Masters locker room for a second..  I'm not meaning to be doubtful, just amazed as a newbie to this forum , at the distances people get from clubs . I travel to the States a lot and club golf is high standard in my opinion although I seemed to have missed the very big hitters. Other than very hot and dry conditions where the roll is significant , my experience, not just here, is that Satnav distance measurement has disappointed a lot of us who have found that our drives weren't quite the casual figures we may have quoted after a beer or three.

QFT. I've always been considered a big hitter by my friends and even strangers i get put with. They are shocked when i hit what they think is 300 yards and then i show then the GPS and it says 275...

[TourSpoon]

Originally Posted by colin007

QFT.

I've always been considered a big hitter by my friends and even strangers i get put with. They are shocked when i hit what they think is 300 yards and then i show then the GPS and it says 275...

Yep...that happens and is funny.

The other day we played a shortish par 4 with a left bunkers about 235 off the tee and a right bunker at 245. Everyone hit driver and one friend was just short of the right bunker. I pulled 3 iron and stung it just just short and right of the left bunker (ie fairway). I looked over to my friend who was 10 yards in front of me and said, "I hit that 3 iron really well, I almost caught your drive." We both laughed as I know he hit a bunt fade, but I was able not to have to hit driver and put myself in a good position with a 9 iron in hand for my next shot. I have no qualms about hitting something off the tee to get me in position and would say that I do it more often than the other guys in my group. Some people I have played with have said that they don't play to lay up, but I like to play for score. Sometimes a calculated risk is the play, but there is something to be said about hitting it in the fairway especially if you can get inside the 150 marker and take trouble out of play.

[dak4n6]

Originally Posted by Shorty

I can't count the number of times I deliberately three putt, leave bunker shots in the trap, hit OB on pupose just to get people off my back .

They seem more interested in seeing me crunch drives and hit amazing shots to the green than their own games.

I just give them what they want and after a few holes just give up and deliberatley don't even try to shoot in the 60s, but I generally do anyway. It's a curse.

In other words, what a load of BS. People really don't care that much about your game, I promise you.

Shorty you are a gem. I concur...in 25 yrs I have never been goaded or coaxed by any of my playing partners, strangers or otherwise, into playing my driver just so they could be shocked and awed, and I am a fairly long and straight driver (I won long drive contest at a recent scramble with a nice 290 poke).

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by dak4n6

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shorty

I can't count the number of times I deliberately three putt, leave bunker shots in the trap, hit OB on pupose just to get people off my back .

They seem more interested in seeing me crunch drives and hit amazing shots to the green than their own games.

I just give them what they want and after a few holes just give up and deliberatley don't even try to shoot in the 60s, but I generally do anyway. It's a curse.

In other words, what a load of BS. People really don't care that much about your game, I promise you.

Shorty you are a gem. I concur...in 25 yrs I have never been goaded or coaxed by any of my playing partners, strangers or otherwise, into playing my driver just so they could be shocked and awed, and I am a fairly long and straight driver (I won long drive contest at a recent scramble with a nice 290 poke).

You guys are probably right. I'll chalk it up to vivid imagination next time I mistake someones repeated questions about why I don't use my driver more often as interest in how often I use my driver. And during match play goading someone into doing anything is advice so that's easy enough to nip in the bud . . . except I need to remind myself it's not really happening and I need to up the dosage.

[dak4n6]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

You guys are probably right. I'll chalk it up to vivid imagination next time I mistake someones repeated questions about why I don't use my driver more often as interest in how often I use my driver. And during match play goading someone into doing anything is advice so that's easy enough to nip in the bud . . . except I need to remind myself it's not really happening and I need to up the dosage.

Repeated? I've only had that asked once in a while, and it's always in the context of wondering what my strategy was, not for the wonderment of seeing a long drive. Whatever, we all have differing experiences.

Actually, I will more often ask the opposite - why someone is pulling out his driver on a 290 hole with bunkers in front, marsh down the right, and deep weeds down the left, while I'm hitting my 4 iron.