Why do people lie so much about their distance?

[Paiste]

It doesn't affect me at all but I'm just curious as to why so many guys tend to lie about the distance that they can hit their clubs with. Sooner or later, they're going to be out golfing with someone that they recently lied to and they will be exposed. I just don't get it. It doesn't make you a better golfer because you can hit it farther than everyone else.

The ones I love the best are guys that claim that they can hit their PW 160 to 180 yards. Seriously? I hit my PW about 115 to 120 yards and it's dialed in to that yardage every time and I'm not the least bit embarrassed that I can't bomb my PW. That's not what it's for; it's a scoring iron, more of a finesse club (IMO).

Anyways, just something that I wanted to bitch about. Cheers.

[Golfingdad]

They don't lie. They overestimate. Big difference.

[Shindig]

My GPS lets me mark and measure drives, and I write them on my scorecard. There's generally a bad drive of 180 or so on there, and yet when I remember the round, I remember the drives at 220 (or the one downhill hole where it comes out at 225). So, part of it is selective memory -- we all remember that one time we hit an 8-iron 150 yards (I once caught a flyer while hitting with the wind in the summer and hit my 8-iron over a green when I had picked a club based on going for a [i]forward[/i] pin) and somehow that turns into what one is capable of, and then somehow that's the distance one hits the club -- and everything else becomes a fluke. (In case anyone is wondering, I don't think of my 8-iron as a 150 yard club at all... more like 125) No matter the cause, driving distance is quite possibly the most exaggerated measurement since men started bringing rulers into the locker room.

[imsys0042]

Certainly people do remember their better shots, however people generally don't fully put together a lot of those shots. I hit a hybrid on a lot of dogleg holes on my home course. Without GPS I wouldn't know how far that actually is. But how many people are going to look at the scorecard and base their thinking on that, instead of the angle. Plus, I can't tell you how many courses I've played that seem to be longer on the card that in real life. Plenty of times I've gone for a pitching wedge from the 150 marker by eyeballing that it's not really that

[GaijinGolfer]

Id agree that its a matter of people overestimating.  Also, people tend to take the longest distance theyve ever hit a club and that becomes the norm.

I do kind of laugh though when someone who says they only play golf a few times tells me that they hit their 9-iron 150 yards and their driver 320.

[MS256]

That's why you will never, ever , see me mention on a golf forum (or anywhere else) how far I can hit a pitching wedge.

(And if somebody asks me I am going to lie, or "no comment").

[newtogolf]

Most people who overestimate don't know how to measure distance properly and don't understand the difference between carry and total distance.

[Golfingdad]

Most people who overestimate don't know how to measure distance properly and don't understand the difference between carry and total distance.

This is half of it, and the other half is what gaijin said. We remember the glorious shots. I hit a 320 yard drive once downhill and downswing with the help of a sprinkler head, and 305 a handful if other times in similar situations so I think I'm able to routinely hit it 300.

[mcanadiens]

It's a funny thing. I can go quite awhile deluding myself about my drives. When I actually think about where my ball landed in relation to the green, its a bit of a blow.

[DoubleEagle]

I have reached a point where 240 in the fairway with the driver is good.  On a 360 yd. par 4, 120 from the fairway is a lot better for me than 100 out of the trees.

[RFKFREAK]

I have reached a point where 240 in the fairway with the driver is good.  On a 360 yd. par 4, 120 from the fairway is a lot better for me than 100 out of the trees.

Same here. I hit a drive last year downhill that went 260 but I'd never delude myself into thinking that's the norm. A really good friend of mine asked me if my drives average 280 or so because I'm a bigger guy. I told him I wish and informed him I probably average about 200 and he thought I was being modest. Haha

[Dave2512]

I am hesitant to say I hit any club to a certain distance because like most the only consistent thing for me is inconsistency. Don't track anything but drives for stats anymore but a typical day would something like shortest drive 200ish and longest may be 300. I can't predict when a good drive is coming but I assume most will be just okay.

[Motley01]

You know where Bubba's drive ended up on number 13 today, well I can hit my 7 iron to that spot. Yes really I'm not internet lying either!

[Hammer 4]

Heck, I can hit my PW 175 yds. Problem is my driver does good to break 225....

Ummm, I was lying about my PW distance..

[rcwkent]

I have found that if I relax with the driver and hit it 185-195, Im in the fairway 90%.

With irons, I just want to KNOW exactly how far I do hit them.

[mailman]

Why is everyone so caught up in what others say? I couldn't give a rats arse if someone reckons they can reach out to 200 with a 64 degree wedge...it just has no bearing on my game what so ever especially as I average about 360 yards with my driver! :) Regards Mailman

[newtogolf]

Why is everyone so caught up in what others say? I couldn't give a rats arse if someone reckons they can reach out to 200 with a 64 degree wedge...it just has no bearing on my game what so ever especially as I average about 360 yards with my driver! :)

Regards

Mailman

In reality, I don't think anyone really cares.  It's really no different than the fantasy bench press and curl weights people used to tout when I was younger.  350 lbs was the magic number everyone would claim they could bench until you offered to spot them and let them prove it.

In terms of distance, I haven't met any 25+ handicaps that drive the ball 320 yards and hit a PW 160.   I am sure a few exist, but on the internet it seems everyone falls into that category so it sets unrealistic expectations for others that might just be learning the game.

[Crim]

Because I don't want to tell anyone that I drive the ball 200 yards....into the trees....

I'd say it's a combo of overestimating and remember your best swing like the posters said above....but then there's the male strongman complex. We just don't want to admit that there's 12 year olds and women that can drive the ball further.