Distance - will this come with time?

[Joe85]

It's now 8 months since I started playing golf.  I'm fairly happy with the progress I've made so far...

...I've (mostly) got past the impulse to try and whack the ball really hard

...I've (mostly) learned not to overswing and start standing up in the backswing

...I get the concept of the hips starting the downswing rather than the arms, and can see how this causes the club head to rocket through at the bottom of the swing AND I seem to end in a good finish position

...that said, I have also learnt to move my hips at a moderate pace rather than too fast, as that was making me slice it - confused me for a bit but I get it now

...fat shots are now a rarity rather than a constant plague - tend to now only occur on uneven lies but not too often

...I'm not yet as consistent as I would like to be, but I hit the ball cleanish and straight most of the time

...chipping and putting is reasonable compared with my playing partners

...I would expect to get 4 or 5 pars in a round, and mentally before each hole I tell myself a bogey is ok so better to be short of the green with a controlled swing than in trouble with a wild one.  A double bogey or worse is now a disappointment however.

I am also starting to get a reasonably good idea of my distances for each club.  What I have noticed, however, is that my distances are much shorter than my friends.  I can hit straight drives about 210 yards, a straight 4 iron about 150 yards, a 7 iron about 120 yards.  Now, I'm ok with this, I'm not bothered about outdriving them or being a big hitter - I know that trying to match them club for club will not end well for me.

My question is, will my distances increase as my swing develops and gets more consistent?  Looking at some of the swing speed charts online - for what they're worth - maybe my driver swing speed is around 80mph for those distances?  My irons are Callaway X-16 with new Dynamic Gold R300 shafts.  Are these a heavier shaft, and would I see an improvement with different shafts?  I've no intention of changing them just now, but have my 40th birthday next year so a new set might be on the cards then.

I'm really enjoying my golf at the moment, and am quite content with my progress, but the desire to improve is very strong - I guess this happens to a lot of new golfers.  How might I expect things to go from here on?  I've been working it out by myself and with the help of YouTube videos and books, and lessons are not an option - the nearest pro is two hours away.

Cheers,

Joe

Edited May 27, 2017 by Joe85

[Buckeyebowman]

I'm glad you're enjoying golf Joe, but how could a Scot not?

Oh! I thought that was so clever!

Distance comes with clubhead speed and solid contact. Both must work together to produce the desired result. If I had my "druthers" (an American idiom as far as I know), I would prefer solid contact over pure clubhead speed.

I see plenty of guys who can swing the club amazingly hard, and hit the ball a long way, but have no idea where it will end up. Centered contact will allow you to maximize the distance of your swing speed and have some idea where the ball is going.

As your swing become more "grooved" you may be able to increase your speed and hit the ball farther.

I'd suggest you learn the game with the equipment you have. Absolutely nothing wrong with Dynamic Gold R300 shafts. On the PGA Tour, J.B. Holmes plays Dynamic Gold S400 shafts in his irons. And he's a Tour Pro!

If you don't have a clubfitter or coach to work with, I'd tell you to resist falling into the trap of "buying a better swing"! Meaning buying more and (maybe) better equipment hoping to shave a few strokes!

[Valleygolfer]

My experience says no but I suppose some change in mechanics could bring about more distance. The major component is your athletic ability. For example, I started playing and hitting my PW 100 yards. I purchased new irons and was up to 130. Again I purchased new irons and and the PW is 140. My swing and lag has progressed considerably since I started but I am very athletic and aware of my biomechanics and body position. Unless you are making swing changes, or don't understand where your power is generated, you will not gain much distance.

[JonMA1]

17 hours ago, Joe85 said:

I am also starting to get a reasonably good idea of my distances for each club.  What I have noticed, however, is that my distances are much shorter than my friends.  I can hit straight drives about 210 yards, a straight 4 iron about 150 yards, a 7 iron about 120 yards.  Now, I'm ok with this, I'm not bothered about outdriving them or being a big hitter - I know that trying to match them club for club will not end well for m

It's tough to answer without knowing your physical abilities, but my guess is that you will gain some distance since you've only been at it 8 months. In reading your post, you seem to be a student of the game.

What I like is that you are not bothered by this right now - except as a gauge for improvement. In my opinion (I'm not very experienced) and as you stated, trying to keep up with others can be very detrimental.

Be patient, and keep learning and developing your mechanics. Distance will come.

[phillyk]

You are not yet 40, so yes you can definitely get more distance. But, it will come down to a couple physical factors: flexibility, muscle control, muscle speed, and coordination.  It sounds like you have some coordination and control, you just have to learn how to properly let the club head go and know how to create ideal launch conditions.  A pro can certainly help.  

You don't have to be fred couples or john daly to hit the ball long.  At 8 months, you most likely don't fully trust the swing yet.  Once, you start trusting yourself more, you'll be able to let it go more and get some distance.

[sjduffers]

I would like to add that you made sure to convert the meters into yards (add an extra 10% or so to the numbers), right?  Otherwise, those are respectable numbers for someone only started their golf journey.

FWIW, as a 58 year old who started playing golf in their mid-40s, I don't have a lot of distance (driver 210-240y, 7i 130-140y and PW 95-105y), but I do enjoy the game very much, did take lessons and improved my swing considerably after I did.

[Joe85]

Thanks for all the advice.

Its definitely more a case of wondering if my distance is likely to increase rather than worrying about it.  At the moment I just want to keep working on a reliable and repeatable swing that gives me a straight shot.  Once I've got that I can think about other things.

The point about not fully trusting the swing yet is not something I had thought about before, but I think there may be something in that - repetition and practice is the answer to that I guess.

Those distances are already in yards I'm afraid :)

[Buckeyebowman]

I think you're on the right track, Joe. Straight is great! Crooked is, uh, well, I can't think of anything clever that rhymes with crooked other than crooked! So, crooked is crooked! And you don't want to be that way!

[Killa]

I was just wondering how you got to a double being a bad score in 8 months. Especially with those distances. I mean on a long par 5 you are still 50 out with 3 great shots? On long par 3s you need to hit driver if you go for the green?

Edited June 2, 2017 by Killa

[arturo28mx]

I'm sixty years old and hitting the ball farther than ever because I've been improving my technique in the last year. Focus on technique. It will take time though. 

[Joe85]

On 02/06/2017 at 9:57 PM, Killa said:

I was just wondering how you got to a double being a bad score in 8 months. Especially with those distances. I mean on a long par 5 you are still 50 out with 3 great shots? On long par 3s you need to hit driver if you go for the green?

Not so much that it's bad, more that it's disappointing. The course closest to home only has one par 5 hole. The other one I play at has a few but I don't know off the top of my head how long they are.  I have had par on every hole at my usual course at some time or other, so I guess that's why a double bogey is disappointing - I know I can do better.

[Buckeyebowman]

Let's face it. Double bogey is a bad score, I don't care who you are! Triples are even worse and if you're going to score worse than that just pick up the ball and stick it in your pocket!

Now, if distance will improve over time, there's no way to tell. This would involve a number of things, like producing a centered strike, club on plane and on line, increasing clubhead speed, etc.

And a lot of this is psychological. Like just "letting the swing go!" You'll notice that when the pros are on, they are really on. But when they hit an off shot, it goes way off! Part of that is a function of how far they hit the ball. So, when they make a little error at the tee, it turns into a big error out where the ball lands.

You have to be willing to let the shot go and live with the consequences.

[Alx]

I would say clubhead speed probably stays pretty much the same. As you start making better contact and learn to hit the ball with proper impact conditions youll get a bit more average distance.