Why can't we learn or train ourselves to hit the long(est) ball?

[Valleygolfer]

We have all seen guys that bomb it on the tour. Tall guys like Bubba and Dustin and vertically challenged guys like Rory that hit the long ball. You say strength? Bubba doesn't have a lick of muscle on him...maybe it is his body hair that gives him the power. Lever or mechanics? Reps?  Some of us have decent mechanics and hit long enough but not Bubba or Rory long. Are we just chasing freaks. I have always believed that if one had good athletic ability, they could achieve (or learn to) the distance (maybe not the perfection or accuracy). Maybe age is going to keep me from hitting it 300 once every round or maybe I just don't have the swing no matter what...I know distance isn't everything but...it does help you score better...and it seems like a lot of us are working on this component whether we admit it or not.

 

[SavvySwede]

I think people undervalue the amount of athleticism some of the pros have. Bubba is bigger/stronger dude than you probably realize and Rory and DJ are downright beastly.

[Valleygolfer]

1 minute ago, SavvySwede said:

I think people undervalue the amount of athleticism some of the pros have. Bubba is bigger/stronger dude than you probably realize and Rory and DJ are downright beastly.

Have you seen Bubba? I know he is tall but hardly strong maybe "golf" strong. I agree that DJ and Rory are fit but there are a lot of fit guys out there that do not hit it as far. This includes other pros.

[SavvySwede]

Just now, Valleygolfer said:

Have you seen Bubba? I know he is tall but hardly strong maybe "golf" strong. I agree that DJ and Rory are fit but there are a lot of fit guys out there that do not hit it as far. This includes other pros.

I'm 6'0" and 195lbs. Here is me standing next to Bubba. He's also about twice as flexible as me.

[nevets88]

16 minutes ago, SavvySwede said:

I'm 6'0" and 195lbs. Here is me standing next to Bubba. He's also about twice as flexible as me.

Man, if that's not a picture says a thousand words, I dunno what is.

I'd use Justin Thomas or Charles Howell III as an example. They're what, 5'10" and 150 ish pounds? My rationalization is this. Pianists for example. Some have crazy velocity, they can play the most difficult passages with seeming ease. I could never do this with 1,000,000 hours of practice. Never. It is God. Given. Talent. A combination of physicality, mental, intuitive, call it what you will, only the few have it.

Or in university, some upper level math and cs courses I took were just plain hard and even if I took those courses over, I wouldn't do that much better. I had roommates who studied, did their problem sets at the last minute (because they were playing f*#king computer games) while I poured my guts into them and they did much better than I did.  Some people have "it", some don't. That's just the way of the world. You work with what you have.

[Valleygolfer]

13 minutes ago, SavvySwede said:

I'm 6'0" and 195lbs. Here is me standing next to Bubba. He's also about twice as flexible as me.

Maybe the flexibility is the key. John Daly had it too. Maybe it is the coil you cannot teach.

[nevets88]

2 minutes ago, Valleygolfer said:

Maybe the flexibility is the key. John Daly had it too. Maybe it is the coil you cannot teach.

One day, science will definitively tell us, and it'll be like midichlorians and Star Wars.  Then the mystery is gone and so is the wondering.

[Valleygolfer]

10 minutes ago, nevets88 said:

One day, science will definitively tell us, and it'll be like midichlorians and Star Wars.  Then the mystery is gone and so is the wondering.

Hopefully they will throw in the meaning of life while they are at it...

[Lastpick]

I'm going to tell everyone on here how I gained ten yards on my average drive.  Actually it is probably more than ten yard  and I am also much more consistent.  I quit grabbing the driver down at the end of the shaft.  I choke up a few inches and try to swing within my natural rhythm, watch the club head make contact with the ball and then have a nice long finish.  The only reason that I can attribute to the added distance is smash factor.  Smash factor is club head speed versus ball speed.  By choking the driver, my contact is usually great which increases my smash factor.  I am not an athlete like the golf pros, so I am not ever going to hit it 300+ yards.  Also age is a factor as I'm almost 66.  So if you want to increase distance, swing in your natural rhythm and choke the driver or any club an inch or two.  Sweet spot contact is important.  

[JonMA1]

As impressive as the distances are, what gets me is how accurate they are with long irons to greens that are 220+ yards away. Or the fact that they can get into trouble off the tee and still find a way to make birdie.

I'd be willing to accept my wimpy distances for a (bigger) fraction of their consistent ball striking and short game ability.

[Valleygolfer]

We taught to not go past parallel yet the longest drivers or hitters like Bubba, Daly and Mickelson go there regularly.

Which says to me if you have flexibility and able to control the club head. You should be able to hit it long.

[Papa Steve 55]

There is a singular fascination with distance now a days.  I'm 25 yards shorter off the tee vs 20 years ago. but my handicap is 5 shots lower now.

[Rainmaker]

I was watching some video of Lydia Ko at maybe 14 . . her swing looked pretty wonky.  In places, it looked almost a bit hacker-ish.  But there were probably a dozen people standing there watching her hit balls because . .she was/is Lydia Ko. 

Now her swing looks way better and she's number 1 in the world.  Before that, though, she still had *something* . .probably amazing hand/eye coordination from what I could see.  Yes, she was flexible, but she was also a 14 year old girl . .I'm not sure her flexibility alone was so above average . .I could be wrong, though.

The closer I get to making a correct golf swing, the more I realize it's a pretty athletic move.  It takes strength in the right places, flexibility in the right places and, of course, the knowledge of technique.  I think it's like a pyramid . .at the bottom level, there are a lot of us who could learn to hit the shots.  Next level up, are the ones who can hit the shots consistently, next level up are the ones who can do so under pressure, next level up are the ones who can do so consistently under a lot of pressure.  At the very top are the guys we watch on TV every week and compare ourselves to. 

[Patch]

My guess is that genetics is the only limiting factor in anything a human does. 

[Lastpick]

27 minutes ago, Patch said:

My guess is that genetics is the only limiting factor in anything a human does. 

Genetics is a huge factor in the ability to perform at a professional level in athletics.  From what I have read regarding smash factor, increasing smash factor is something that us double digit handicappers should study.  How can we hit the sweet spot on a consistent basis.  For me, it meant choking up on my clubs.  We have a pro from around here named Ryan Palmer.  He doesn't have a long backswing, but is among the tour leaders in driving distance.    The perfect smash factor is 1.5 which equates to a club head speed of 100 mph moves the golf ball at 150 mph.   

[Patch]

2 minutes ago, Lastpick said:

Genetics is a huge factor in the ability to perform at a professional level in athletics.  From what I have read regarding smash factor, increasing smash factor is something that us double digit handicappers should study.  How can we hit the sweet spot on a consistent basis.  For me, it meant choking up on my clubs.  We have a pro from around here named Ryan Palmer.  He doesn't have a long backswing, but is among the tour leaders in driving distance.    The perfect smash factor is 1.5 which equates to a club head speed of 100 mph moves the golf ball at 150 mph.   

Only at a professional level? Why not all competitive levels? 

[Lastpick]

16 minutes ago, Patch said:

Only at a professional level? Why not all competitive levels? 

Well to compete as an amateur on a national or state level also takes good genetics.  It also takes financial backing.  To compete in our local tournaments in the championship bracket requires good genetics, but the level and depth of the competition is not great in numbers.  However as I live in the Tx Panhandle(Amarillo area) there isn't a large population to draw from.  For some reason, our junior golf programs aren't generating the interest that it did 15 years ago.

[natureboy]

21 minutes ago, Lastpick said:

For some reason, our junior golf programs aren't generating the interest that it did 15 years ago.

I think this is partly the attention span shift that's occurred in our present internet culture. The slow grind of getting better is more of a challenge than ever for new players to warm to. Possibly also a reason that golf has taken off in Korea, embracing the Han inherent in the game.

4 hours ago, Valleygolfer said:

Maybe the flexibility is the key. John Daly had it too. Maybe it is the coil you cannot teach.

He's said that's definitely one of his strengths. I've also been struck by how wide his shoulders are...seemingly made for throwing stuff. Some guys have wiry strength too: http://montescheinblum.com/blog/2011/10/28/a-story-about-lag/