How many years of practice to hit a Driver 270+ yards?

[ponyboy]

Hi,

How many months/years of practice is required to hit a Driver 270+ yards?

[plum]

one swing might do it but you might not know where its going

[Everthing Golf]

Well now! I've been trying for over 40 years and I'm still not there. I Just haven't found the right tail wind or a fairway that has been baked hard enough.

I'll tell you something though...

It ain't technique, equipment or the want of trying with me. You've either got it in you or you haven't.

I am a natural marathon runner but put me in a sprint and its laughable.

[billchao]

Hi,

How many months/years of practice is required to hit a Driver 270+ yards?

Once in a while, or consistently? Do you want it in play?

Some people just have natural power. In my first year of playing, I hit a few drives in the 270+ range. Even hit a bunker 286 on the fly, once. I also hit a lot of trees, O.B., 100 yard drives, popups, worm burners... you get the picture. I couldn't tell you what my average driving distance was, I'd probably list it as N/A.

I know scratch golfers who hit it 200-220, 240 on a good day. The game is about putting the ball in the cup in the fewest number of strokes. Unless your distance is holding you back, don't worry about hitting big drives.

[MULVn8tor]

I don't think it's a matter of years. It's power

[David in FL]

I've been working on it for 45 years now......hoping to get there soon.

[sopel10]

I don't think it's a matter of years. It's power

Depends what you mean power, I can't bench press more than 120 lbs but can drive the ball pretty far. I am not really flexible, only thing I got going for me is I'm 6'3. I would argue that most golfers, with a proper technique and practice, can get to 270. Not average 270 carry, but hit it to about 270 total distance on a good hit. It personally took me about 5 years to start hitting it around 260-270 with roll on a great hit. Now I know most players on this forum hit it 300 plus, although I've yet to meet someone like that (80 rounds so far this year, different courses, different states). This took many lessons, and lots of practice.

[JP1111]

Well I've been playing just over 2 years now and my average is probably about 270. If I really nail one or if the conditions are favourable I will top 300. The biggest I've ever recorded was 365 and that was out the screws with a 25mph back wind. I consider myself reasonably strong but I'm no super athlete by a long way. I'm 5'11 and about 205 lbs. It is pure technique. Set your feet wide, turn your back to the target and make sure you complete a full swing. When I started out I considered 200 yards long but as my ball striking improved it got longer and longer. Stick at it, it will come.

[dsc123]

The world may never know.

[GaijinGolfer]

The only correct answer is, "it will take as long as it takes".  For some people, they spend a lifetime and never get there and for others, it takes less than a season of golf.  It all boils down to your own ability and how much you are willing to work on your game.

[LuciusWooding]

Exactly 173.2 years.

Actually, could be one swing or you might never do it. Most likely you'll do it within months to a couple years if you keep practicing a lot, but being a good athlete won't help that much if you barely ever play. It takes time getting comfortable though, even with a good instructor and good talent many players don't get there right away.

I never had lessons, so I started out pretty short and I thought I'd stay more or less on the short end of the spectrum. It took me about 4-5 months to get the clubhead speed high enough and get a lucky shot on the course, nearly drove the green which was shocking, it was an ugly shot though and I swung 120%. Took me about another year of not playing much until I hit a 270 carry, on a happy gilmore shot no less, then I drove 300+ this year twice the first time I went out, practiced a ton in the spring and summer, got my first 270 3 wood that month, and I hit a 270 17 degree hybrid the first time this month. The 3 iron should take a pretty favorable wind and a lot of roll, but I might be able to do it eventually. I'd say I could hit a driver 270 easily now, and I average about that with my 3 wood off the tee with a normal swing. I'm just getting my driver dialed in now with a new shaft, so I think I can start getting the really inflated numbers because I might finally be able to start using it a lot on the course.

My brother who isn't as physically strong or tall but has been a good baseball player his whole life did it probably a month faster because I helped him learn the swing, he's quite long now but I have 1-2 clubs on him because he's a bit less efficient of a striker.

My dad was also a good baseball player but never really practiced consistently. He's strong enough to do it but he sucks at golf so I don't think he ever bested 240 or so.

Personally, I'm young and athletic, I have a good knowledge of the swing and great launch conditions, and I practice a lot overall compared to the weekend players. I started at 180 yards with the driver and haven't stopped getting length since I took up the game. If you're putting in the work and actually getting better, you'll hit it.

If you expect 270 to come up and bite you in the ass because you're a young player or a good athlete in other sports, you'll be frustrated.

[TheScientist]

Length is down to club head speed, strike, launch angle and spin rates. A high club head speed is the operative component in hitting the ball a long way. Club head speed comes from flexibility, kinematic efficiency, and balance. Make sure power is generated from the ground up/out, maintain 'lag' as long as possible, and swing through the ball not at it. Increasing general flexibility in wrists, ankles, spine and hips helps too. Strength really has nothing to do with length off the tee, except maybe core strength. Have a look at some of the longest hitters out there, they're not all big guys.

[saevel25]

To carry the ball 270 yards, you need a ball speed around 160 mph. That means if you miss hit the ball, lets say dropping your smash factor from 1.47 down to 1.37,

You need a club head speed of 117 mph

If your smash factor is 1.47, you need a club head speed of 109 mph.

So, poor contact requires you to increase your club head speed by nearly 8 mph.

There is something to say that body build is important. Taller people generally hit the ball farther, because they have long swing arcs, and get more leverage. If your smaller, you probably want to work on getting faster hip speed.

If you want to gain distance, improve contact, and work out. If you get to 270 or not, only time will tell. But your golf game will probably improve ;)

[nick1998bunker]

Work on your flexibility, take a lesson, a few weeks later you are there

[David in FL]

Work on your flexibility, take a lesson, a few weeks later you are there

Learning the difference between red and yellow staked water hazards takes a lot longer though.......

[nick1998bunker]

Learning the difference between red and yellow staked water hazards takes a lot longer though.......  ;-)

Yeah that's right around the 3 year mark

[inthehole]

Work on your flexibility, take a lesson, a few weeks later you are there

perhaps, but keep in mind golf is not a d-ck measuring contest.      Hitting a golf ball a certain distance shouldn't be a focus, unless your intent is playing from the back tee's, then I guess it's pretty important.    It all comes down to what tees you want to play from.    For me, when I started actually paying attention to the scorecard, the need for accuracy far exceeds the need for extreme distance.      I'm fine with my 240-250 yard drive on the fairway - thats the one constant in my game & the least of my problems...

PS - I play with a buddy that was better than me up until this year - he bought a R1, and now has totally / dramatically changed his swing (added wrist hinge, hip turn, etc)  so that his drive went from 250 to close to an average of 285-290 (300 occasionally if the stars line up).     Last few rounds, he hasn't hit many fairways & all that length doesn't do him any good at all ... his scores are way down as a result ... BUT HE's LOOOOONG !!     Thats all I hear from him ... you don't want to be that guy - scoring should be the focus - don't worry so much about length.

[Web Junky]

" I'm fine with my 240-250 yard drive on the fairway - thats the one constant in my game & the least of my problems..."

If I could do that, I think I could be very close to scratch!