Is Distance Really That Important for Amateurs?

[Aflighter]

I think im going to test this theory about more distance being more important next time I go play.Im going to play as I normally do except after I hit my 2nd shot im going to move up 30 yards and drop a ball and play that one too and see how different my scores will be between the two.Im pretty confident in my situation it wont be no more improvement than 2 strokes possibly.To better golfers absolutely hitting it farther off tee will help them but when you get to higher handicappers I don't think it will prove much difference without better ball striking.

[Lihu]

I think im going to test this theory about more distance being more important next time I go play.Im going to play as I normally do except after I hit my 2nd shot im going to move up 30 yards and drop a ball and play that one too and see how different my scores will be between the two.Im pretty confident in my situation it wont be no more improvement than 2 strokes possibly.To better golfers absolutely hitting it farther off tee will help them but when you get to higher handicappers I don't think it will prove much difference without better ball striking.

Good experiment. Let us know how it works out.

[rkim291968]

Here's a proven data point for me based on my home course score history.  Currently, I have 19 HI.

6270 yards blue tee (71.2/128) average score = 96

5640 yards white tee (68.4/124) average score = 92

About a 4 total stroke difference for 35 yards longer distance per hole.

[newtogolf]

I think im going to test this theory about more distance being more important next time I go play.Im going to play as I normally do except after I hit my 2nd shot im going to move up 30 yards and drop a ball and play that one too and see how different my scores will be between the two.Im pretty confident in my situation it wont be no more improvement than 2 strokes possibly.To better golfers absolutely hitting it farther off tee will help them but when you get to higher handicappers I don't think it will prove much difference without better ball striking.

To be accurate you'd have to adjust for the additional distance on every shot not just the first one.

Par 5 - 500 yards - Tee box:

Golfer 1:  Driver 300 yards

Golfer 2: Driver 250 yards

2nd shot:

Golfer 1: 5i-6i 190 yards

Golfer 2: 3W 220 yards

3rd shot:

Golfer 1: chipping or putting for eagle

Golfer 2: 30 yard pitch / chip

4th shot:

Golfer 1: holed out or tap in for birdie

Golfer 2: putting for birdie

[Dave2512]

Here's a proven data point for me based on my home course score history.  Currently, I have 19 HI.

6270 yards blue tee (71.2/128) average score = 96

5640 yards white tee (68.4/124) average score = 92

About a 4 total stroke difference for 35 yards longer distance per hole.

I suppose index could cloud perception but if I could drop an average of 4 strokes per round it would be huge.

[Golfingdad]

To be accurate you'd have to adjust for the additional distance on every shot not just the first one.

Yes.  ALL of the clubs go further, not just the driver.**  So, if somebody normally plays a 400 yard hole with a 240 drive and a 160 yard 7 iron and they want to try and experiment what it would be like for a person who hits 270 yard drives, I don't think just dropping it 30 yards further is enough to get the whole story.  He'd still be hitting his 130 yard club (which might be a 9 iron), not the 270 yard drivers 130 yard club (which is quite possibly a gap wedge).

If you want to consider what it would be like to improve your mechanics** to the point that you gain 30 yards of distance then you should probably do the experiment by jumping forward 50 or so yards.

**Unless you are just gaining distance off the tee due to better launch conditions or a fitted driver.

[Lihu]

[QUOTE name="rkim291968" url="/t/78188/is-distance-really-that-important-for-amateurs/198#post_1079039"]   Here's a proven data point for me based on my home course score history.  Currently, I have 19 HI. 6270 yards blue tee (71.2/128) average score = 96 5640 yards white tee (68.4/124) average score = 92 About a 4 total stroke difference for 35 yards longer distance per hole. [/QUOTE] I suppose index could cloud perception but if I could drop an average of 4 strokes per round it would be huge.

I was just going to say that 4 strokes would put me the single digits! Btw, that experiment dropping balls 30-ish yards up could turn some heads. People on adjacent fairways would think WTF? :-D

[Golfingdad]

I suppose index could cloud perception but if I could drop an average of 4 strokes per round it would be huge.

Yeah, me too!

Here's a proven data point for me based on my home course score history.  Currently, I have 19 HI.

6270 yards blue tee (71.2/128) average score = 96

5640 yards white tee (68.4/124) average score = 92

About a 4 total stroke difference for 35 yards longer distance per hole.

Good info.  But we really shouldn't even need to look that far into it  All we really need is the bold to show us how important distance is.  Every rated course in the country is rated the same way ... furthest tees back are the hardest and shortest tees are the easiest.  Yet everything else on the course is exactly the same.

If distance wasn't relevant then there should be some courses out there where different sets of tees didn't fall in line like this, or perhaps all had almost the same ratings.

[rkim291968]

I have clubs that are on the average about 8 or more years old.   If I get a custom fit new clubs with all the improved technology & marketing (yesterday's 3 iron is today's 5 iron), I can get 20 yards out of it and a two stroke improvement?

[rb72]

I think im going to test this theory about more distance being more important next time I go play.Im going to play as I normally do except after I hit my 2nd shot im going to move up 30 yards and drop a ball and play that one too and see how different my scores will be between the two.Im pretty confident in my situation it wont be no more improvement than 2 strokes possibly.To better golfers absolutely hitting it farther off tee will help them but when you get to higher handicappers I don't think it will prove much difference without better ball striking.

I don't think that's a fair test at all. You haven't given up any accuracy. Of course more distance with the same accuracy equates to lower scores.

[Golfingdad]

I don't think that's a fair test at all. You haven't given up any accuracy. Of course more distance with the same accuracy equates to lower scores.

When he walks the ball forward, all he has to do is walk not in the direction of the hole, but rather the direction that the ball was traveling when it came to rest.

[rb72]

Yeah, me too!

Good info.  But we really shouldn't even need to look that far into it  All we really need is the bold to show us how important distance is.  Every rated course in the country is rated the same way ... furthest tees back are the hardest and shortest tees are the easiest.  Yet everything else on the course is exactly the same.

If distance wasn't relevant then there should be some courses out there where different sets of tees didn't fall in line like this, or perhaps all had almost the same ratings.

Even course ratings consider the same level golfer. The rating number is the score that a scratch golfer should shoot. If we're talking about what's more important to scoring, distance or accuracy then we have to equate more distance with less accuracy.

[iacas]

I think im going to test this theory about more distance being more important next time I go play.Im going to play as I normally do except after I hit my 2nd shot im going to move up 30 yards and drop a ball and play that one too and see how different my scores will be between the two.Im pretty confident in my situation it wont be no more improvement than 2 strokes possibly.To better golfers absolutely hitting it farther off tee will help them but when you get to higher handicappers I don't think it will prove much difference without better ball striking.

And you'll create yet another single data point that I would say - even if it backs the science and studies and stats and such that I've shared, read, seen, researched, etc. - is nearly completely irrelevant. It's a single data point.

I will point out that when I played from the Forward Tees experiment, I shot the easiest 64 in the world. :P Still a single data point, and thus, pretty much irrelevant.

[rkim291968]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rb72

I don't think that's a fair test at all. You haven't given up any accuracy. Of course more distance with the same accuracy equates to lower scores.

When he walks the ball forward, all he has to do is walk not in the direction of the hole, but rather the direction that the ball was traveling when it came to rest.

Great idea!

My wife and I were playing with son and father pair the other day.   The father must have been in his 70s and can barely drive 150 yards.   Between my wife and him, they rarely missed fairway.   BUT ... if they continued to walk the way you described above for another 70 yards, many of their fairway hits would have landed in trouble.   Hopefully, the added distance on accurate shots will more than make up the lost scores due to OBs.

[rb72]

When he walks the ball forward, all he has to do is walk not in the direction of the hole, but rather the direction that the ball was traveling when it came to rest.

I don't see that as less accurate. If you your dispersion is 5 degrees off the center line then yes eventually you'll get to the rough by hitting farther but 5 degrees dispersion is 5 degrees dispersion. Same accuracy.

[Aflighter]

To be accurate you'd have to adjust for the additional distance on every shot not just the first one.

Par 5 - 500 yards - Tee box:

Golfer 1:  Driver 300 yards

Golfer 2: Driver 250 yards

2nd shot:

Golfer 1: 5i-6i 190 yards

Golfer 2: 3W 220 yards

3rd shot:

Golfer 1: chipping or putting for eagle

Golfer 2: 30 yard pitch / chip

4th shot:

Golfer 1: holed out or tap in for birdie

Golfer 2: putting for birdie

I don't understand what your saying?If I just imagine my ball went 30 yards more on the line it was going then that's what im looking at.Im a short hitter and my drives only go 220 tops.Im going to find out whether them 30 yards added ends up giving me a better score.Example:380 yard par 4.215 drive leaves me 165 give or take.Drive forward 30 yards on line of drive and drop ball.On holes that dogleg some that extra 30 may not exactly translate into 30 yds shorter on line with hole.It might only give me 20-25 yards shorter and possibly in rough.Im talking about my driving distance and not my other clubs distances helping score.

[9424tm]

I can only speak for myself, but as I have gained distance I have not lost any accuracy. If anything I have improved my accuracy. If I am striking the ball well and making great contact, the ball is going where I want it to go. It is also going further because of the better contact. There seems to be this misconception that if you gain distance you lose accuracy. Not true at all.

[Aflighter]

I don't think that's a fair test at all. You haven't given up any accuracy. Of course more distance with the same accuracy equates to lower scores.

If that isn't a fair test then im open to ideas on how to make it a fair test.I can drop the 2nd ball in the rough everytime if that makes you feel better.I honestly think no matter what I do some people are going to discount the experiment.The only way your going to find out how much it will help is to do the experiment.A study doesn't hit the ball for you.Im sure the added distance will help my score but I want to find out how much it will help.Just because you play shorter tees doesn't mean your going to score better granted im not talking playing 6000 yards compared to 6800 but 6400 and 6000 wont make much difference.