Not trying to be a jerk but seasoned short hitters, what is keeping you from hitting it over 250 on your drives?

[Lihu]

Im more concerned with how the shorter hitters still enjoy golf. I play with my brother who is probably one of the guys that averages idk 230 240 but is usually  20 30 yards behind me in the fairway but hitting a hybrid in if im hitting like a 8 iron. I just imagine that would be so frustrating if I was hitting woods and hybrids into greens all day. I have enough frustration with some longer irons. I am impressed with anyone who can go out there even when this is the case. Golf is frustrating enough with driver short iron. If I was going driver wood Id hate it.

All of the golfers you are posting to, other than me, are really comfortable using irons to 160 or more with really good accuracy. In fact, I am planning on asking them for tips on 150 yard plus iron accuracy. Currently searching through other posts for tips. I hit short courses, 5200 yards or so, and do what you are saying. Driver and short iron. Most of these other posters are on a 6400 plus yard courses, even a drive of 250 is going to leave you a pretty long approach shot on a par 4. They play completely different, and harder, game than I am playing right now. Food for thought.

[Golfingdad]

I find this thinly veiled pity for guys who don't hit it a mile a bit disturbing.  This game has always been, and always will be, about getting the ball in the hole in the fewest amount of strokes. So you go ahead & hit driver/wedge, I'll hit driver/7i. We will get to the green then putt. When we hole out, a number will be written on the card. This will be repeated 18 times. Being a 5h, chances are good I'll shoot around a 78 - if a few putts drop, maybe as low as a 75. Based on your handicap, you'll likely shoot a number around what you should shoot.  Who really gives a damn how far you hit it off the tee? "I hit it 290 off the tee." "What did you shoot?" "98" "Your point?"

Right on the money zip.

[David in FL]

Im more concerned with how the shorter hitters still enjoy golf. I play with my brother who is probably one of the guys that averages idk 230 240 but is usually  20 30 yards behind me in the fairway but hitting a hybrid in if im hitting like a 8 iron. I just imagine that would be so frustrating if I was hitting woods and hybrids into greens all day. I have enough frustration with some longer irons. I am impressed with anyone who can go out there even when this is the case. Golf is frustrating enough with driver short iron. If I was going driver wood Id hate it.

[quote name="zipazoid" url="/t/62814/not-trying-to-be-a-jerk-but-seasoned-short-hitters-what-is-keeping-you-from-hitting-it-over-250-on-your-drives/90#post_781895"] FWIW, I enjoy the shit out of it. [/quote] Yep, me too!

[tuffluck]

if OP thinks golf would be boring to him at 6,000 yards, then maybe it would be boring to him and maybe he wouldn't play.  i guess scoring isn't what defines golf as fun to him, rather the challenge of playing long holes.  how is that offensive?

i like to play from the tips a lot because it requests more of your irons, and that's practice, never mind scoring.  if i went out and played driver/8i on every par 4, i wouldn't feel like that's really golf, and i would really challenge myself as to why i spent so much money on so many damn clubs i purposely try not to use.

[Jimdangles]

Originally Posted by phan52

I love hitting hybrids onto greens and taking money away from guys who hit it 30-40 yards past me off the tee. I notice from your index that I would give you about 3-4 shots if we played. Why's that?

I wish I knew. Thin shot here, chunked chip there, sub par putting.

I would just like to state I wasn't trying to be insulting and I know you guys enjoy the game. For most players I would say you would be more accurate with a short iron or wedge than a hybrid or long iron. Golf can be frustrating with shorter (easier) clubs. Im impressed by the guys that are hitting hybrids into greens and beating me. It obviously happens but of the people regular partners I have in golf the best of them is the guy that I know will out drive me everytime. My brother like I said is one of the shorter hitters and beats me most of the time but I know that his friend who is the long hitter is going to crush us both EVERYTIME.

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by tuffluck

if OP thinks golf would be boring to him at 6,000 yards, then maybe it would be boring to him and maybe he wouldn't play.  i guess scoring isn't what defines golf as fun to him, rather the challenge of playing long holes.  how is that offensive?

It's not. But it is patronizing to shorter hitters to say they wished they could hit the ball farther.

I mean, on a certain level, yeah. Probably not a golfer alive who wishes they could hit it farther, but perhaps it was 'how' he said it, that shorter hitters should do something about it. Some (like me) just don't want to. I'm pretty content with my game, and 20 more yards off the tee isn't going to lower my 4.9 handicap - mkaing more putts will, hitting more greens will.

[GixxerTed]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

I find this thinly veiled pity for guys who don't hit it a mile a bit disturbing.

This game has always been, and always will be, about getting the ball in the hole in the fewest amount of strokes. So you go ahead & hit driver/wedge, I'll hit driver/7i. We will get to the green then putt. When we hole out, a number will be written on the card. This will be repeated 18 times.

Being a 5h, chances are good I'll shoot around a 78 - if a few putts drop, maybe as low as a 75. Based on your handicap, you'll likely shoot a number around what you should shoot.

Who really gives a damn how far you hit it off the tee?

"I hit it 290 off the tee."

"What did you shoot?"

"98"

"Your point?"

This man speaks the truth.  Who cares if you can hit it 300 with a driver.  Can you hit a low or high draw with a long iron? Can you break 80? Golf is way more fun when you learn to maximize your score not how far you can hit one club.

[Datsyuk]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

It's not. But it is patronizing to shorter hitters to say they wished they could hit the ball farther.

I mean, on a certain level, yeah. Probably not a golfer alive who wishes they could hit it farther, but perhaps it was 'how' he said it, that shorter hitters should do something about it. Some (like me) just don't want to. I'm pretty content with my game, and 20 more yards off the tee isn't going to lower my 4.9 handicap - mkaing more putts will, hitting more greens will.

The next textbook response is that, assuming your FIR stayed constant, would having approaches 20 yards shorter improve your GIR or PTTH numbers (I took a stab at that last acronym). I found that being longer and in the rough is a risk reward decision. On some tracks it's worth it and on others being farther back in the middle of the fairway with full shot is the smarter play.

[Datsyuk]

Originally Posted by GixxerTed

This man speaks the truth.  Who cares if you can hit it 300 with a driver.  Can you hit a low or high draw with a long iron? Can you break 80? Golf is way more fun when you learn to maximize your score not how far you can hit one club.

Your comment has some irony in it. Or maybe it's just me.

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by Datsyuk

The next textbook response is that, assuming your FIR stayed constant, would having approaches 20 yards shorter improve your GIR or PTTH numbers (I took a stab at that last acronym). I found that being longer and in the rough is a risk reward decision. On some tracks it's worth it and on others being farther back in the middle of the fairway with full shot is the smarter play.

Ah, but there's the rub! The OP didn't say hit it farther AND keep it in the fairway. So assuming FIR staying constant wasn't part of the deal.

[Datsyuk]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

Ah, but there's the rub! The OP didn't say hit it farther AND keep it in the fairway. So assuming FIR staying constant wasn't part of the deal.

Like many others, I assumed it was.

[phan52]

Originally Posted by Jimdangles

I wish I knew. Thin shot here, chunked chip there, sub par putting.

I would just like to state I wasn't trying to be insulting and I know you guys enjoy the game. For most players I would say you would be more accurate with a short iron or wedge than a hybrid or long iron. Golf can be frustrating with shorter (easier) clubs. Im impressed by the guys that are hitting hybrids into greens and beating me. It obviously happens but of the people regular partners I have in golf the best of them is the guy that I know will out drive me everytime. My brother like I said is one of the shorter hitters and beats me most of the time but I know that his friend who is the long hitter is going to crush us both EVERYTIME.

He is not beating you because of his length. He is beating you because he is an overall better golfer. The best all-around golfer at our club is a 60 year old guy who probably hits it, on the average, about 240 off the tee on a 6800 yard golf course. He hits all his clubs, from a hybrid to a wedge, like a laser at the pins. Awesome to watch. Some guys just have it.

Of course, he's at the range almost every day.

[phan52]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

Ah, but there's the rub! The OP didn't say hit it farther AND keep it in the fairway. So assuming FIR staying constant wasn't part of the deal.

It usually isn't.

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by phan52

It usually isn't.

So let's word it like this -

Would you rather be 250 yards & in the fairway 80% of the time or 300 yards & in the fairway 20% of the time?

Thing is, there's no right or wrong answer; just a matter of personal preference.

Though I always say, if you can let me drop a ball in the middle of the fairway 250 from the tee, lying one, I would be a scratch golfer. But that's me.

[mdl]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

Ah, but there's the rub! The OP didn't say hit it farther AND keep it in the fairway. So assuming FIR staying constant wasn't part of the deal.

I think this is the answer to the OP.  For a variety of reasons, including natural hand-eye, general athleticism, strength, and flexibility, and athletic history and exact personal learning path of the golf swing, some guys learn to hit in the 70s learning to control an less powerful swing and some guys by learning to control a more powerful swing.

For example, maybe some guys made the leap from 90s to 80s by learning to tone it down a bit and use that extra "space" gain control over the plane and club face.  Then they continue to be serious and improve from there instead of investing the massive amount of time to go back and relearn plane and face control with different mechanics that allow a faster swing.

I use that example cause I agree that the vast majority of golfers serious enough and physically capable enough to be playing in the 70s but who only currently hit drives to, say, 240, carry+roll, are physically capable of learning a swing with which they could hit drives 270+, carry+roll, with good enough consistency to maintain their current HC (or improve it) if they had the time and motivation to relearn.

The key is that time and motivation.  I could easily envision playing off a 5 and hitting distances where I could have tons of fun and feel in control of my game playing a 6300 yard course but not having the distance for a 6800-7000 yard course to be as fun or varied for me and not feeling like it was worth it to invest what could turn into a long time of playing worse in hopes of adding 30 yard to my drives with the same FW%.

[Jimdangles]

Originally Posted by phan52

He is not beating you because of his length. He is beating you because he is an overall better golfer. The best all-around golfer at our club is a 60 year old guy who probably hits it, on the average, about 240 off the tee on a 6800 yard golf course. He hits all his clubs, from a hybrid to a wedge, like a laser at the pins. Awesome to watch. Some guys just have it.

Of course, he's at the range almost every day.

absolutely hes a much better golfer in every aspect. Hes been playing much longer but Length is a big advantage. My brother is probably as good as him in other aspects of the game but is a shorter hitter and doesnt stand a chance on a normal course. When its me playing against my brother whos the shorter hitter even though he is better than me I stand a chance because of my length. Length helps

[Lihu]

Ah, but there's the rub! The OP didn't say hit it farther AND keep it in the fairway. So assuming FIR staying constant wasn't part of the deal.

"AND". :-D

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by Jimdangles

absolutely hes a much better golfer in every aspect. Hes been playing much longer but Length is a big advantage. My brother is probably as good as him in other aspects of the game but is a shorter hitter and doesnt stand a chance on a normal course. When its me playing against my brother whos the shorter hitter even though he is better than me I stand a chance because of my length. Length helps

Having a great short game is a far bigger advantage than length and doesn't depend nearly as much on physical prowess.  So, not trying to be a jerk, why don't you have one?