30 yard drive distance increase overnight? Did this ever happened to you?

[SavvySwede]

8 minutes ago, pumaAttack said:

Atmospheric changes?  Harder fairways?

I figure that covers about 95% of the cases that don't involve correcting major swing flaws.

[rkim291968]

1 hour ago, GolfLug said:

I would be curious about your before and after ball trajectory also to understand better. Ball flight laws can help understand the differences.   

My swing path was more upright and a lot of my drives would go high and carry only 190 yards on average.   A year later and after two series of swing lessons, my swing path produces pretty good ball flight trajectory.   

 

A bit of wind (10 MPH more than usual), and harder ground could have contributed to 10 - 15 yard gain.  Will see today.   There is 5 MPH less than yesterday's wind forecast & it rained heavily overnight.  

[Dave2512]

2 hours ago, Lihu said:

True, but by that much?

And then some. I've admitted this many times my best to worst drives on any given day might have a 100 yard difference. Some outlier days I don't hit any real bad drives so it tightens up but in general I think amateur golfers tend to overestimate how well they hit the ball. Our only consistency is how inconsistent we are so a really good or bad day not indicative of anything until our good days are frequent enough to change our stats.

[GolfLug]

1 hour ago, Lihu said:

Sounds a lot like your shorter drives might be caused by an arm type swing, while with your longer ones you are coming inside out?

Those are not necessarily opposites. Arm type is a swing where you don't have much torso-shoulder turn. Inside out relates to club path. Specifically head. Anyway, I don't want to turn this thread in to my specific issues. I have a documented My Swing thread if anybody interested. I was simply offering few possible changes to explain the OP's new found distance.

[Lihu]

Just now, Dave2512 said:

And then some. I've admitted this many times my best to worst drives on any given day might have a 100 yard difference. Some outlier days I don't hit any real bad drives so it tightens up but in general I think amateur golfers tend to overestimate how well they hit the ball. Our only consistency is how inconsistent we are so a really good or bad day not indicative of anything until our good days are frequent enough to change our stats.

Sure, my best and worst drives can differ by more than 200 yards. The shortest ones are usually when the ball doesn't see the tree before it hits it.

Not sure if you mean on a normal drive that goes onto the fairway or first cut that you didn't totally mishit (i.e., crown, toe, hosel)? If so, then 100 yards is huge?

3 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

Those are not necessarily opposites. Arm type is a swing where you don't have much torso-shoulder turn. Inside out relates to club path. Specifically head. Anyway, I don't want to turn this thread in to my specific issues. I have a documented My Swing thread if anybody interested. I was simply offering few possible changes to explain the OP's new found distance.

True, but it seems like if you come inside out with the arms lagging until impact then gaining 30 yards seems possible?

[Dave2512]

1 hour ago, Lihu said:

 

Not sure if you mean on a normal drive that goes onto the fairway or first cut that you didn't totally mishit (i.e., crown, toe, hosel)? If so, then 100 yards is huge?

 

I am not the best example because I really, and I mean REALLY struggled with driving last year. My GG SG stats show me to be better than my handicap in every category but driving. So no it's more than hitting an occasional tree or something. I sky drives miss both directions hit weird weak drives that just seem to die.

I could never hit driver and probably score better because my average driving distance is disproportionate to every other club. But I continue to hit it because the days that aren't horrendous driving days are really good. My best driving days last year were good enough I stood a chance to post under par rounds and those weren't magical or anything I just didn't hit any OB or excessively short.

I typically only hit driver 11 times a round. If I could improve 9 of those to just be playable in the 240-260 range with a shot and nGIR I'd drop 3-5 strokes a round. I don't need more distance I just need a more consistent range. When I sky two drives a round that leave me 250 out on a par 4 it's tough to score well.

[SteveH]

14 hours ago, rkim291968 said:

In your golf career, did you "get" something in your swing right (something clicked) and started to hit 30 yards longer the next round?   If so, how did that happen?  What held you back until then?   Did you keep the new distance?

 

 

Not 30 but I picked up 20 yds a round. To me it was a combination of improved ball striking as well as improved physical condition from playing and practicing daily. Increased height on shots was also noticeable and i was definitely hitting down on the ball more.  Nearly all my iron shots felt really good.  I had been away golfing on the west coast, where the altitude was lower and high humidity.  I came home at the start of our season and couldn't figure it out at first, as I started hitting too long into greens etc, it was just like everything fell into place at once. I previously had my home yardages down and I kept hitting the clubs i was used to, then I would ponder what had happened for such a great shot, took a little while for it to come together. I was pretty happy that I could now step on a 9 iron to about 145 and a 7 to 175, especially for relatively new golfer in his late 50's.. I had a couple of lessons after that and lost some of it due to swing path issues, seems that even though I was coming over the top I had still picked up yardage. I commented about losing the distance to the instructor and he said that once I got the path corrected, the distance would come back. I got it back again, then had to buy new equipment, which lost some of it again as the TM irons were definitely longer.  I still had pretty decent gains as of the end of last season but will have to see what happens this year after another series of lessons in the spring. 

[rehmwa]

3 hours ago, pumaAttack said:

Atmospheric changes?  Harder fairways?

that's a great observation - I go from 270 to 300 (total, not carry) yards just playing in Colorado at altitude (from 900 ft MSL to 6000 ft MSL) - 10% gain on all the clubs

But I doubt that's the OP's discovery.  But playing at altitude makes you feel like a brute.  So fun.

[DrvFrShow]

It's about finding the groove and being confident with it, and making contact in the sweet spot on the club. I can swing my driver about 95 mph. When I get really loosened up find the groove in my swing, I can get that SS up around 99 mph. I can still hit a short drive if I don't hit the sweet spot. But if I hit the sweet spot I can get nearly 240 carry. (note I'm at 500 ft elevation)

There's a spot on your driver that with the proper angle of attack that will drop your spin about 200 - 300 rpm and send the ball way out there. If you miss that spot by 1/2 inch you can take off 20 yds carry. 

Hitting a driver well requires practice and a lot of it.

The driver swing comes and goes until you have procedural memory for it. Last week I was hitting it well, then two days later I hit it like crap because I stopped doing what I was doing when I was hitting it well. Then two days ago I was hitting it all over the place. I had the distance but not the accuracy.... again because I wasn't doing what I was doing when I was hitting it well. 

Make sure your takeaway is correct and you're not getting stuck on your downswing. 

[rkim291968]

Ok, I played again today and my "solid" drives averaged 232 yards, a far cry from 250+ yards I averaged yesterday.   Wind was not a factor but the ground was "rain soaked" soft.   I believe the 250+ yard drive average was attributed to favorable wind (10+ yards), and roll (10+ yards).   No sudden awakening, nothing to see here.   But thanks to those who posted their experience.   I appreciate it.  

[Lihu]

7 hours ago, rkim291968 said:

Ok, I played again today and my "solid" drives averaged 232 yards, a far cry from 250+ yards I averaged yesterday.   Wind was not a factor but the ground was "rain soaked" soft.   I believe the 250+ yard drive average was attributed to favorable wind (10+ yards), and roll (10+ yards).   No sudden awakening, nothing to see here.   But thanks to those who posted their experience.   I appreciate it.  

The 295 yard maximum drive under any conditions indicates a glimmer of hope.

[GolfLug]

8 hours ago, rkim291968 said:

Ok, I played again today and my "solid" drives averaged 232 yards, a far cry from 250+ yards I averaged yesterday.   Wind was not a factor but the ground was "rain soaked" soft.   I believe the 250+ yard drive average was attributed to favorable wind (10+ yards), and roll (10+ yards).   No sudden awakening, nothing to see here.   But thanks to those who posted their experience.   I appreciate it.  

LOL! That's cool man. Still Improvement worth writing home about. I think after few rounds you might be able to arrive at what has changed/improved on your own.

[Braivo]

16 hours ago, DrvFrShow said:

Hitting a driver well requires practice and a lot of it.

The driver swing comes and goes until you have procedural memory for it. Last week I was hitting it well, then two days later I hit it like crap because I stopped doing what I was doing when I was hitting it well. Then two days ago I was hitting it all over the place. I had the distance but not the accuracy.... again because I wasn't doing what I was doing when I was hitting it well. 

I find it difficult to have a different swing for driver and irons. My iron shots have improved greatly the last few months. I am shooting the best scores of my life. I shot my best nine of the season using irons off the tee. 

Mentally, I just can't seem to "switch" to a different swing for driver. Something I need to practice as well. 

[Dave2512]

11 hours ago, rkim291968 said:

Ok, I played again today and my "solid" drives averaged 232 yards, a far cry from 250+ yards I averaged yesterday.   Wind was not a factor but the ground was "rain soaked" soft.   I believe the 250+ yard drive average was attributed to favorable wind (10+ yards), and roll (10+ yards).   No sudden awakening, nothing to see here.   But thanks to those who posted their experience.   I appreciate it.  

What was the difference in scores?

[Lihu]

7 hours ago, Dave2512 said:

What was the difference in scores?

I'll put money on about 2-3 strokes? Any other takers?

[rkim291968]

9 hours ago, Dave2512 said:

What was the difference in scores?

92 with 250+ drive average, and 99 the day after.    I have been averaging 90 - 94 of late, with occasional low (80s) and high (near 100) scores.  

 

One thing to add ...  I think my drive distance is increasing bit by bit.  Although I don't average 250+ yards, I've been hitting drives that goes 250+ yards time to time.   In today's round, I hit one 260 yards, and averaged 235 on solid drives.    In retrospect, for someone who averages 235 yard drives, it is possible to average 250+ yards on a windy, dry fairway condition.  Perhaps, it wasn't such a fluke.

[Lihu]

11 hours ago, rkim291968 said:

92 with 250+ drive average, and 99 the day after.    I have been averaging 90 - 94 of late, with occasional low (80s) and high (near 100) scores.  

 

One thing to add ...  I think my drive distance is increasing bit by bit.  Although I don't average 250+ yards, I've been hitting drives that goes 250+ yards time to time.   In today's round, I hit one 260 yards, and averaged 235 on solid drives.    In retrospect, for someone who averages 235 yard drives, it is possible to average 250+ yards on a windy, dry fairway condition.  Perhaps, it wasn't such a fluke.

It was the 295 and 275 yard drives that made me think that you had everything together versus your best 260 yard drive. 295 is huge compared to 260. 35 yards is really significant, and is not really attributable to ground and weather conditions.

If it was a single 275 yard drive, then it would be easy to believe that it is wind and ground conditions.

Wind blows both ways so going from 232 to 255+ average is not likely to be wind. Ground conditions usually only account for 5 yards or so especially over only one or two days.

I don't understand?

[SavvySwede]

4 minutes ago, Lihu said:

It was the 295 and 275 yard drives that made me think that you had everything together versus your best 260 yard drive. 295 is huge compared to 260. 35 yards is really significant, and is not really attributable to ground and weather conditions.

If it was a single 275 yard drive, then it would be easy to believe that it is wind and ground conditions.

Wind blows both ways so going from 232 to 255+ average is not likely to be wind. Ground conditions usually only account for 5 yards or so especially over only one or two days.

I don't understand?

It rained.

On 2/19/2016 at 0:35 AM, rkim291968 said:

Ok, I played again today and my "solid" drives averaged 232 yards, a far cry from 250+ yards I averaged yesterday.   Wind was not a factor but the ground was "rain soaked" soft.   I believe the 250+ yard drive average was attributed to favorable wind (10+ yards), and roll (10+ yards).   No sudden awakening, nothing to see here.   But thanks to those who posted their experience.   I appreciate it.