Distance Ratio: Are your iron distances proportionate to your Driver

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave2512

I consider it potential vs reality. In controlled situations, the range, you will perform better. When you see pros on the range hitting near perfect shot after shot they don't always go out and do it on the course. For hacks the margin or error is more. Your on course averages are your reality if you carry 20 yards less in playing conditions you should expect that to be the norm. There has never been a standard for range averages because it's too controlled. Look at the GG profiles of the better players here. You have to get to a very high level before you have consistent performance gaps between clubs.

I don't want this to become a GG thread, but it doesn't factor in conditions, so it's not exactly the best thing to measure carry distance. For example, if you played a certain course all the time and had and uphill par 3 that you hit the same club to each time, the average distance on that club is going to come out slightly shorter than it really is. Same thing if you have a downhill approach, wind, slope at your landing spot, etc.

I still believe the best way to get your carry distance is on the range, preferrably with a launch monitor.

The only way to really "measure" your driver carry distances is with a launch monitor like Trakman or GC2. You can estimate the irons by using a rangefinder and estimating the difference in the distance from the pin and your reading to the pin from where you take your approach shot.

The range might or might not be that accurate, as conditions change there and the balls are not that consistent.

[billchao]

The only way to really "measure" your driver carry distances is with a launch monitor like Trakman or GC2.

Nope. Believe it or not, people measured carry distance before the invention of launch monitors and laser rangefinders.

[Abu3baid]

Nope. Believe it or not, people measured carry distance before the invention of launch monitors and laser rangefinders.

OMG!!!! How did they live... :)

[Pretzel]

Here's my ratios: Driver: 100% 3-wood: 92.8% 3h: 82.1% 3i: 82.1% 4i: 76.8% 5i: 73.2% 6i: 69.6% 7i: 66.1% 8i: 60.7% 9i: 56.4% PW: 51.8% 52°: 48.2% 56°: 41.1% 60°: 35.7% I appear to match the chart fairly well, but I hit my driver slightly shorter than would be expected for my other distances. One interesting thing I'd the gap between my 7 and 8 irons. I know the 8-iron geeks like the first short iron to me, so maybe I subconsciously try to control it more got accuracy and end up hitting it shorter as a result? I just never really thought about muy gaps previously, since I mostly find the distance and pick the appropriate club/swing combo to hit it that far in the conditions.

[Golfingdad]

I have two sets of numbers.  The first set is my "What distance I pull said club for" and the other set is my exact GG averages, which includes some mishits.

Driver:   100%    100%

3W          90         90

Hybrid      83         90

4I            79         80

5I            75         67

6I            70         68

7I            66         66

8I            60         62

9I            57         57

PW         51          54

My 5 iron gets mis-hit the most often, methinks. And both sets of numbers are fairly close to the estimates in the OP.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

The only way to really "measure" your driver carry distances is with a launch monitor like Trakman or GC2.

Nope. Believe it or not, people measured carry distance before the invention of launch monitors and laser rangefinders.

Quote:

Originally Posted by billchao

Nope. Believe it or not, people measured carry distance before the invention of launch monitors and laser rangefinders.

OMG!!!! How did they live... :)

Just figured they lived with the inaccuracy in the past?

I have two sets of numbers.  The first set is my "What distance I pull said club for" and the other set is my exact GG averages, which includes some mishits.

Driver:   100%    100%

3W          90         90

Hybrid      83         90

4I            79         80

5I            75         67

6I            70         68

7I            66         66

8I            60         62

9I            57         57

PW         51          54

Wow, you are pretty consistent. . .

BTW, I noticed that you pull your hybrid for 83% driver distance and it actually goes 90%, am I interpreting this correctly?

[Golfingdad]

Wow, you are pretty consistent. . .

BTW, I noticed that you pull your hybrid for 83% driver distance and it actually goes 90%, am I interpreting this correctly?

As far as for approaching a green, I consider my hybrid to be my 220 (maybe 225) club.  My GG averages have the hybrid at 237, but that is probably skewed because there are so few times where I actually use it for a specific distance.  Usually it's "well this hole is downwind today and I want to hit the fairway," so I pull a hybrid.

[billchao]

My 5 iron gets mis-hit the most often, methinks. :-P

Time to switch to a 5 hybrid ;-) [quote name="Lihu" url="/t/79608/distance-ratio-are-your-iron-distances-proportionate-to-your-driver#post_1099666"] Just figured they lived with the inaccuracy in the past? [/quote]Plenty of amateurs did, I'm sure, but the pros wouldn't have.

[WUTiger]

Since I reshafted my irons with lighter steel shafts, 7i carry distance is now 150 yds., fairly consistently.

If 150 yds. is 64% of my drives, my driver carry should be 234 yards.

My normal driver carry is anywhere from 215 to 240 yards. So, I guess I underhit my driver a little compared to the pros. But, that's not news. Much superior performance with longer clubs is one of the things that really separates the pros from us everyday people.

[Golfingdad]

Much superior performance with longer clubs is one of the things that really separates the pros from us everyday people.

FTFY. ;)

(Note:  the putter is not a club for the sake of this post)

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Just figured they lived with the inaccuracy in the past?

Plenty of amateurs did, I'm sure, but the pros wouldn't have.

I think they had/have caddies to track their distances.

Since I reshafted my irons with lighter steel shafts, 7i carry distance is now 150 yds., fairly consistently.

If 150 yds. is 64% of my drives, my driver carry should be 234 yards.

My normal driver carry is anywhere from 215 to 240 yards. So, I guess I underhit my driver a little compared to the pros. But, that's not news. Much superior performance with longer clubs is one of the things that really separates the pros from us everyday people.

Seems consistent to me. All you need to do is eliminate your mishits.

[billchao]

I think they had/have caddies to track their distances.

Right, that's my point. You can measure your carry distance by hitting balls at somebody in a field. They mark your landing spot and you map it out/pace it off. No launch monitor necessary :-P

[inthehole]

Amazingly, those percentages were absolutely spot on for my clubs compared to my baseline ~ 240 yd (carry) drive.

[Lihu]

[quote name="Lihu" url="/t/79608/distance-ratio-are-your-iron-distances-proportionate-to-your-driver#post_1099692"] I think they had/have caddies to track their distances.

Right, that's my point. You can measure your carry distance by hitting balls at somebody in a field. They mark your landing spot and you map it out/pace it off. No launch monitor necessary :-P[/quote] That's kind of where I was going with my statement. Caddies are way more expensive than an hour session with a launch monitor. Plus, with Combine you can compare yourself to other people under similar conditions.

[PJCdude]

I use Swing by Swing to track distances so I'm somewhat within reality. Again, not considering carry but I think I have an idea. These percentages are pretty close and if anything, on a day where I'm hitting them in the fairway (not many of those) my irons are a tad weak. Probably because I'm trying to rip driver and hit irons nice and easy. Maybe if I ease off on the driver and am satisfied with 230-240 instead of going for 260, then I'll fall in line with the pcts and have more success.

[WUTiger]

FTFY. ;)

(Note:  the putter is not a club for the sake of this post)

Did you fix my sentence, or my swing? Hopefully my swing...

[Lihu]

I use Swing by Swing to track distances so I'm somewhat within reality. Again, not considering carry but I think I have an idea. These percentages are pretty close and if anything, on a day where I'm hitting them in the fairway (not many of those) my irons are a tad weak. Probably because I'm trying to rip driver and hit irons nice and easy. Maybe if I ease off on the driver and am satisfied with 230-240 instead of going for 260, then I'll fall in line with the pcts and have more success.

I use GolfLogix, but need to use the club tracking. It's not really that accurate (+/-5 to 10 yards?), but good enough for me at least.

[RFKFREAK]

im not close.  because i tend to flip, my short irons are woefully short.  the long irons are decent, and about where the percentages say they should be, but my 7-PW, lol its ugly.

[Chris Berman] They call him Flipper! [/Chris Berman]

Dude, you should fix that.

I use Swing by Swing to track distances so I'm somewhat within reality. Again, not considering carry but I think I have an idea.

Yeah, that's where I got my percentages from except for my 7, 8, and 9 iron which I did in a field one day.  I might go away from SwingbySwing, though, since they radically changed the way they handle the website and have gone pretty much app only.