Why all the testosterone?

[Dave2512]

Unless your ball traveled on the exact angles and lines they used to determine hole length no. The marker would be correct as it relates to your ball and center of the green. I had this happen last week in league. Hole 15 is 344 yards dogleg right. I hit a good drive that cut the corner in the wrong direction and actually bounced through the fairway. It left me a 35 yard approach shot, I use a laser. I got the oohs and aahs from my playing partners being so close to the hole. I use Game Golf and looking at my round the next day that drive was 267.

[Lihu]

Ok so I was at a course the other day where the 18th hole reads 360. I hit a draw with a wicked top spin that actually ended up getting stopped by the cart path curb within a chip shot from the green. I judged it's about 40 yards to the green and the markers basically told me the same thing. It was very dry on the fairways and the ball rolled a mile.

Are you guys telling me that this shot was actually not over 300 yards?

Since I just responded in another thread regarding your distance, I need to state that drives of over 320 yards (even ones with tons of roll) are usually done by golfers who carry their 8i more than 160 yards.

[turtleback]

Again, anyone who hits it 200, 250 or 300 yards is okay in my book. My point is, I play with a couple of guys I work with and, every time the subject of golf is brought up "which by the way is about 3 or 4 times a day" I have to hear about the 300 plus yard drives they hit. So I proved that they were stretching the truth and yet they are still in denial because they think my range finder is inaccurate. What ever, I still enjoy playing with them because try as they may. They have not even come close YET to beating me. So the only one who seems to scoffing is you for some reason over not understanding my post and trying to put words in my mouth.  Hope this helps.

Don't those guys ever wonder why, after hitting one of their "300 yard" drives down the middle (yeah, I know it doesn't happen often but it must happen SOMETIMES) of a dead straight 420 yard hole they still have an 8-iron to the green?  Or do they somehow think that they hit their irons really really short?

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Natural Patrick

Again, anyone who hits it 200, 250 or 300 yards is okay in my book. My point is, I play with a couple of guys I work with and, every time the subject of golf is brought up "which by the way is about 3 or 4 times a day" I have to hear about the 300 plus yard drives they hit. So I proved that they were stretching the truth and yet they are still in denial because they think my range finder is inaccurate. What ever, I still enjoy playing with them because try as they may. They have not even come close YET to beating me. So the only one who seems to scoffing is you for some reason over not understanding my post and trying to put words in my mouth.  Hope this helps.

Don't those guys ever wonder why, after hitting one of their "300 yard" drives down the middle (yeah, I know it doesn't happen often but it must happen SOMETIMES) of a dead straight 420 yard hole they still have an 8-iron to the green?  Or do they somehow think that they hit their irons really really short?

Along this line of reasoning, I was kind of thinking that all the drives in his post could have been over stated by 30 yards?

[Dave2512]

Probably not. My guess is they hit whatever club they assumed would get it there and the short dropped short and was written off as a bad shot. These don't sound like people using rangefinders.

[Braivo]

Most of us have a phone and access to a gps app. There are free apps that will accurately measure the actual distance the ball has traveled. You click "measure" from the tee box and look down when you reach your ball, exact distance.

It was a real eye opener when I started measuring my drives with my garmin watch. Drives I thought were 270 were actually 255. The longest drive I have hit since measuring was 291, that is likely the longest drive I have ever hit on a flat course. It looked like a bomb from the tee, still not 300.

[Duff McGee]

Ok that makes some sense, but this had no dogleg. Lihu: really? I didn't say I can't hit my 8 iron 160. I said i usually don't unless I am actually trying to hit it 160. My swing speed averages between 102 to 107ish on the launch monitor. I'm pretty sure that swing speed can produce a drive over 300 with roll out. I watched a pro member on this site hit a 315 yard drive that didn't rollout much yesterday and it was a monster. Definitely longer than I can hit. But he didn't get much roll out.

[Lihu]

Ok that makes some sense, but this had no dogleg.

Lihu: really? I didn't say I can't hit my 8 iron 160. I said i usually don't unless I am actually trying to hit it 160.

My swing speed averages between 102 to 107ish on the launch monitor. I'm pretty sure that swing speed can produce a drive over 300 with roll out.

I watched a pro member on this site hit a 315 yard drive that didn't rollout much yesterday and it was a monster. Definitely longer than I can hit. But he didn't get much roll out.

Not according to this chart, but a 106-ish SS is still pretty good.

In your own words. . .

Are you sure you are carrying your 8 iron 160? I don't hit my 8 iron 160 unless I went out there and swung my butt off and I'm pretty sure my swing speed is higher than yours judging by your videos, but then again maybe you do. I'm just asking because that seems pretty long for what I'm seeing in the videos and you don't want to overestimate.

[SavvySwede]

@Duff McGee just go on Google maps and use the distance measurement tool. If the hole is straight it is probably within 15 yards of what is on the card. I have no doubt you can hit 300+ with firm fairways, I had one go 346 earlier this year on a pretty baked course.

[Duff McGee]

@Duff McGee just go on Google maps and use the distance measurement tool. If the hole is straight it is probably within 15 yards of what is on the card. I have no doubt you can hit 300+ with firm fairways, I had one go 346 earlier this year on a pretty baked course.

That's why I don't understand Lihu right now. A 300 yard drive is far from normal for me and I need a good roll, but it's not like it's impossible.

[Dave2512]

Other factors, ground conditions, wind, lucky bounce, happenstance we find the ball with the perfect spot of the club etc.

Best drive last year was 344. Nothing extraordinary other than I was lucky some of the stuff above reared up and I reaped the benefit. It's not even a magic number for me and a 300 yard drive would get me in trouble on most holes. When I am standing on the tee my thought isn't hit it far rather don't eff up.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SavvySwede

@Duff McGeejust go on Google maps and use the distance measurement tool. If the hole is straight it is probably within 15 yards of what is on the card. I have no doubt you can hit 300+ with firm fairways, I had one go 346 earlier this year on a pretty baked course.

That's why I don't understand Lihu right now. A 300 yard drive is far from normal for me and I need a good roll, but it's not like it's impossible.

I believe what you stated above, but not this:

I don't really understand the hatred for distance markers on the course. They have always proven to be very accurate for me on most courses. I know this because my shot is very different for my 90, 100, 110, etc. obviously and I can't really remember a time where I've cursed a yardage marker for hitting over a green or 20 yards short of the green.

So if you are saying that many of my 300+ yard drives I've hit in my life where I've been able to hit iron on my second shot to the green were not real, then I don't know what to tell you.

. . .because that would take a higher swing speed.

[Duff McGee]

I believe what you stated above, but not this: . . .because that would take a higher swing speed.

That makes no sense Lihu. Yes, I have hit many 300+ yard drives in my life. Note that I never said 300 carry or anything like that. I have played a lot of rounds of golf. I never said I always hit 300 yards or even that it is at all common. "Many" does not equal "always." It doesn't even mean common. I have hit thousands of drives in my life. Even if less than 1% of those drives went 300 yards it would still be "many" over time.

[Dave2512]

Or you cut a corner blah blah blah. Unless you've measured the drive some way relying on courses markers is a guessing game.

[Jeremie Boop]

Don't those guys ever wonder why, after hitting one of their "300 yard" drives down the middle (yeah, I know it doesn't happen often but it must happen SOMETIMES) of a dead straight 420 yard hole they still have an 8-iron to the green?  Or do they somehow think that they hit their irons really really short?

Actually, 120 is between my 50 and 56 for distance.

[Dave2512]

My distance is wherever the ball ends up because it could be super ugly or perfect, usually more ugly than perfect.

[Duff McGee]

My uncle hits his driver 190-210 on average if it's in play. The other day with roll and a perfect sweet spot strike he hit one 250. It was an anomaly. Sometimes people drive it longer than they normally due because of a perfect storm of factors. If, according to the chart you posted Lihu, I should roll out to around 280, why would you doubt an extra 20+ yards of rollout on a very dry fairway with a draw top spin?

[Jeremie Boop]

That makes no sense Lihu. Yes, I have hit many 300+ yard drives in my life. Note that I never said 300 carry or anything like that.

I have played a lot of rounds of golf. I never said I always hit 300 yards or even that it is at all common.

"Many" does not equal "always."

It doesn't even mean common. I have hit thousands of drives in my life. Even if less than 1% of those drives went 300 yards it would still be "many" over time.

Here's a good example of why using scorecard yardage and yardage left doesn't always = a good way to determine your drive distance.

This is an actual drive I had last week in league.

So, the card measures this hole from the tee I hit from at 312. I was on the front part of the green off the tee. From where my ball was to the center of the green was about 13 yards. So even with the 13 yards left to center plus my drive that is a total of 287 yards tee to center of green in a straight line. If I went strictly by the card yardage - the yardage left I would have thought I hit it 299ish. I'm not saying you haven't hit 300 yard drives, because I'm sure you have. I'm also sure you've hit more than a few given the right circumstances, just like me. I'm just saying don't use the course markers and card yardages when determining if you have or not.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave2512

Or you cut a corner blah blah blah. Unless you've measured the drive some way relying on courses markers is a guessing game.

Yep.