Stop Lying About Your Distance - It's Pissing Me Off (Rant Thread)

[rkim291968]

On 10/3/2018 at 11:07 AM, Pretzel said:

It all depends on where you golf. At the courses I play at in the last 2-3 years I can count on 1 hand the number of times I played with or saw someone who could legitimately hit 300+ yard drives that wasn't already playing in some form of competitive tournament with me. One guy from a work golf league, one guy who I later saw at the US Amateur qualifying on the range, and one guy recently who I happened to pair up with this past fall.

I've met or overheard plenty of people saying they hit the ball 300 yards though.

I've seen many who hit 300+ yards but they were one off as the golfer was aided by wind, extra lucky rolls, down hill, etc..   Heck, I hit 300 yarders a few times although I can only carry 220 yards.   However, I've only seen one dude who can "average" 300+ yards and he wasn't even a good golfer.   He was young, big, and has a fast swing.   

 

Why people lie?  I always thought that they are quoting their best shot (what they can hit) instead of average in a round.    For example, if I "solidly" hit all my drives, I will average 240+ yards.  I know this b/c this happened once, recently, in my golf career.   On all other rounds, I "average" about 220 yards with some solid drives mixed with off center shots.   Individual distances on the drives will range 180 - 280 yards.   On a round which I hit a few shanks, my average will even be lower - about 200 yards. 

Then, I think there are those few who lies to make them better golfer than they actually are.        

Edited October 17, 2018 by rkim291968

[ChetlovesMer]

I'm really amazed at this thread. In my opinion people put way too much stock in the trackman data. I know what trackman data says guys with a handicap around 10... like me should average 224 yards with their driver. My handicap is around 10 and I average 245 (not my information, that's arccos) with a "smart distance of 264", (Smart distance removes the shanks, duffs and also the ones that hit a cart path and roll out a mile.) my normal range is 240 to 283. My longest is 333. (Granted that was a little fluky, but never-the-less 300 yard drives are not like unicorns for me.) I'm almost 50 years old. I stand 6'2" weigh 200lbs. I'm not superhuman by any stretch. I count all my strokes I don't even take "gimmies". So, my handicap is about right and my driver distance is pretty accurately measured. 

What I'm saying is that the  Trackman data doesn't tell the whole story. I know plenty of golfers who are not as good as me (read that as they have higher handicaps) yet they hit it consistently farther than me. By the same token I know at least 2 guys who are low single digits whom I am longer than. Plus visa-versa. There's a guy plays the tournament I play who's over 70 hits his 4-iron in the 225 neighborhood. I've seen him drive it legitimately 300 before. (Granted he's like a 4 handicap. But he's over 70 years old!) Golfers arrive at their handicaps from all kinds of directions.  

The data I'd like to see is the range. My guess is for higher handicaps it's a bigger range. Here's my example Trackman says a bogie golfer hits it 205 on average. … maybe? But there are plenty of bogie golfers I know who are longer than me by a ton. They spray it everywhere, never hit GIR's and have terrible short games. But they can legitimately hit it 275 or more. So therefore the range of averages for bogie golfers must be like 175 to 275 averages... or something like that. 

I think we are using the trackman data totally wrong. The data isn't to put people into a box. "You are an 20 handicap therefore you will average 205 off the tee! Trackman has spoken! You must obey!" 

Instead the trackman data should be used to help golfers improve. "Hey Mr. 20-handicap. You are hitting the ball like 275 off the tee. Therefore if you really want to improve you need to work on your consistency and your accuracy... maybe your short game. Because you have the length to be a single digit player." 

Or conversely "Hey Mr. Single-digit-handicap-guy, your length off the tee is really short for a person with your handicap. Therefore the rest of your game must be really strong. Let's see if we can work on your flexibility, strength, or even getting you equipment that can help you improve your length and take some stress off the rest of your game to help you improve even more." 

[The Recreational Golfer]

You want to know how far I hit? I read this magazine that had 237 tips for hitting the ball farther. I did all of them at once and from the first tee, I didn't just drive the first hole. I drove the front nine. So there.

[Pretzel]

10 hours ago, rkim291968 said:

I've seen many who hit 300+ yards but they were one off as the golfer was aided by wind, extra lucky rolls, down hill, etc..   Heck, I hit 300 yarders a few times although I can only carry 220 yards.   However, I've only seen one dude who can "average" 300+ yards and he wasn't even a good golfer.   He was young, big, and has a fast swing.   

Sorry, when I was referring to people as hitting it 300+ yards, I was talking about people who do it somewhat consistently. Not necessarily as their average, but they hit at least 2-3 per round.

Edited October 17, 2018 by Pretzel

[paulballs]

My assumption  the OP was talking about are ppl that claim to average way above what they actually average. Not one offs, not 2x a round, but 8-10x they hit the ball X-yards.

I will say that being fairly new here and at another forum, I see tons of ppl claim to hit it 300+ off the tee. Never in my life have I played with anyone that hit its anywhere near that. Now, I haven't played the amount of golf alot of you have but over 20yrs off and on, hundred of rounds, I've never seen anyone hit it I'll say over 270 for average. Yes, I also have driven the green once, over in fact, on a 340ish yard par 4. There was probably a 20-25mph tail wind and the fairways were dry and short. But I've never bragged that I can hit hit 300+. My average is 225.

Edited October 17, 2018 by paulballs

[UnderhillGolf]

I have a buddy who was fitted for clubs recently.  He took me along to see what it was all about (btw I went back and did it myself, because it helped his game so much).  Anyway, they measured his club speed several times (mine too) and he averaged 113 mph (mine was 110).  There's no merit to this argument.  He's about an 18 handicap and consistently drives the ball 300.  I think its more common than you think.  We also golf with several people who hit around the same distance.

[mcanadiens]

You just know how to hide, how to lie. Me, I don't have that problem. Me, I always tell the truth. Even when I lie.

[GolfLug]

I think folks who embellish a little on the internet are actually positive thinkers who happen to know that a little self affirmation (cough...embellishment..cough) to bunch of virtual folks they will never meet does wonders to your confidence and which in turn unlocks the door to the 'distance treasure' buried deep in their bowels. 

Seriously, being honest about a 200 yard drive downhill randomly is just as, well, random. Who cares..

[downbylaw11]

I'm 5'7 140 and carry 255. Though I'd say my average carry is probably more like 245. I've never been on a launch monitor so I don't know exact numbers,  I can really only go by results on the course, usually on driveable par 4's where I land on the green and can see my ball mark, so I get a good idea of carry and roll out, which for me isn't that great because I usually have too much spin.  I once bought one of those little accelerometers that you attach to your club and it I think I topped out around 100, but that was probably 8 years ago and I may have gained a few clicks.  But keep in mind, swing speed alone does not = X distance, but rather a combination of launch angle, dynamic loft, spin rate, smash factor etc, which is why it's important to actually get fit for a driver and other clubs if you really want to get the most out of your swing speed.  I feel like, physically speaking, most men of average height and build possess the ability to carry the ball at least 270 off the tee, and some superhuman men and women who can do it as well at shorter heights and less body mass.

But yes, I agree that many people exaggerate and say they hit it so far, even though 9 times out 10, they can't even hit it at all.  Not to mention I'm not sure how theyre getting their numbers, because these people are talking about the range, where if you were apparently hitting it 300, you would never know because every driving range I've been to near or in my city has a fence at 250-260.  unless youre hitting the back net half way up, I doubt youre carrying the ball far enough to come anywhere close to 300. 

On 10/17/2018 at 7:29 AM, ChetlovesMer said:

I'm really amazed at this thread. In my opinion people put way too much stock in the trackman data. I know what trackman data says guys with a handicap around 10... like me should average 224 yards with their driver. My handicap is around 10 and I average 245 (not my information, that's arccos) with a "smart distance of 264", (Smart distance removes the shanks, duffs and also the ones that hit a cart path and roll out a mile.) my normal range is 240 to 283. My longest is 333. (Granted that was a little fluky, but never-the-less 300 yard drives are not like unicorns for me.) I'm almost 50 years old. I stand 6'2" weigh 200lbs. I'm not superhuman by any stretch. I count all my strokes I don't even take "gimmies". So, my handicap is about right and my driver distance is pretty accurately measured. 

What I'm saying is that the  Trackman data doesn't tell the whole story. I know plenty of golfers who are not as good as me (read that as they have higher handicaps) yet they hit it consistently farther than me. By the same token I know at least 2 guys who are low single digits whom I am longer than. Plus visa-versa. There's a guy plays the tournament I play who's over 70 hits his 4-iron in the 225 neighborhood. I've seen him drive it legitimately 300 before. (Granted he's like a 4 handicap. But he's over 70 years old!) Golfers arrive at their handicaps from all kinds of directions.  

The data I'd like to see is the range. My guess is for higher handicaps it's a bigger range. Here's my example Trackman says a bogie golfer hits it 205 on average. … maybe? But there are plenty of bogie golfers I know who are longer than me by a ton. They spray it everywhere, never hit GIR's and have terrible short games. But they can legitimately hit it 275 or more. So therefore the range of averages for bogie golfers must be like 175 to 275 averages... or something like that. 

I think we are using the trackman data totally wrong. The data isn't to put people into a box. "You are an 20 handicap therefore you will average 205 off the tee! Trackman has spoken! You must obey!" 

Instead the trackman data should be used to help golfers improve. "Hey Mr. 20-handicap. You are hitting the ball like 275 off the tee. Therefore if you really want to improve you need to work on your consistency and your accuracy... maybe your short game. Because you have the length to be a single digit player." 

Or conversely "Hey Mr. Single-digit-handicap-guy, your length off the tee is really short for a person with your handicap. Therefore the rest of your game must be really strong. Let's see if we can work on your flexibility, strength, or even getting you equipment that can help you improve your length and take some stress off the rest of your game to help you improve even more." 

yeah, the handicap vs distance thing is.. well, weird, and whatever.

I played with an older gentleman during the summer who was a member at the course and played mens league there.  He probably drove the ball about 230 tops, I was routinely 20-40 yards past him, and he just bunted clubs onto the green every 2nd shot and by my count, probably shot 74-75 that day.  You could tell he knew his game very well and actually often seemed disappointed by his scores on many holes.  Meanwhile I was driving the ball 260-290 that day, hit most fairways, and shot 87, although I shot 40 on the back, which was pretty exciting for me. Anyways, the point is, so much in golf isn't determined by how far you drive, but what happens after that, which makes that handicap stat rather vague.

[inthehole]

I'm in my mid-50's & ham and egg it out there 230ish ON AVERAGE.   I know my game and my limitations.    I play with a bunch of younger guys in my office.    I love beating the cocky young guns that hit it 30 - 40 yds past me off the tee (one guy in particular does hit it a legit 280 yds avg, but can't control it).   It seems to be an ego thing - everybody in that age group wants to hit it long ... but I do get a twisted sense of accomplishment cutting them off at the knees when I put my 6 or 7 iron on (or at least close to) the green, while they're in the bunker or deep rough coming in with their 9 iron's .... 

Edited October 22, 2018 by inthehole

[Foot Wedge]

12 minutes ago, inthehole said:

but I do get a twisted sense of accomplishment cutting them off at the knees when I put my 6 or 7 iron on the green, while they're in the bunker or deep rough coming in with their 9 iron's .... 

Nothing twisted about it, and FWIW I'm 26 and think they deserve it.  Enjoy it, make them consider playing from the whites next time.

[Carl3]

4 hours ago, inthehole said:

It seems to be an ego thing - everybody in that age group wants to hit it long ... but I do get a twisted sense of accomplishment cutting them off at the knees when I put my 6 or 7 iron on (or at least close to) the green, while they're in the bunker or deep rough coming in with their 9 iron's .... 

I was in a small league with some youngsters in their late 20's/early 30's. I recall this one hole where I took some crap for playing a 3h off the tee every time. It was a 310 yard hole where I had my 100 yard UW into the green. I was almost always on the GIR and taking my par. Most of these guys were in the trees or OB with their 280 to 300 yard drives. Rarely would any of them get a par on that hole. In their opinion I wasn't really playing golf. Ha, ha.

[trombettista_vecchio]

It's probably best to come to terms with our own GPS estimated yardages and not be concerned with the inflated assessment others may have of their games.

People don't speak under penalty of perjury in causal conversation, and what they're likely to say often illustrates that in a very obvious way.  It's not worth getting upset about if they're just talking golf prowess. Our eyes will re-evaluate what our ears heard anyway.

 

 

 

[TN94z]

1 hour ago, Carl3 said:

I was in a small league with some youngsters in their late 20's/early 30's. I recall this one hole where I took some crap for playing a 3h off the tee every time. It was a 310 yard hole where I had my 100 yard UW into the green. I was almost always on the GIR and taking my par. Most of these guys were in the trees or OB with their 280 to 300 yard drives. Rarely would any of them get a par on that hole. In their opinion I wasn't really playing golf. Ha, ha.

I've had that a lot. With the two courses we play locally, I rarely use my driver. It's almost always a 3w or hybrid. I used to hear "why do you keep pulling out that chicken stick" every time I played. A large part of the time, I was waiting in the fairway for them to look for their ball in the woods as well. It's funny beating people like that...haha

[CaseyD]

I think the more a person(new player/ young buck) plays they will realize it’s not go time on every hole. Everyone is impressed by distance but until THEY realize that score matters it will be long days in the rough and trees.  4 of the 18 holes “require” driver and another 3 are questionable at my course where most people will use driver on 14 of the hikes 😮  I’m sure most of us have a number that we like to hit from, mine is 100-110 yds, that’s what dictates my tee off club. 

[DrvFrShow]

Then there are outliers. According to your "chart" I should be a 6 or 7 HC. Also being female, I should be probably about a 2 HC. I'll be 66 on Friday. I can hit my driver with carry distance of 215 to 230 yds, not counting the occasional toe or heel strike which ends up about 200 yds total distance. Roll out depends upon fairway conditions. Then there's the block fade which will end up with a rule 27. I can reach some par 5's in two. My par 5s are between 420 yds and 500 yds. I don't play from the forward tees. I play from the golds. I have a 20 HC. I get a lot of nGIRs. Unfortunately once I get around the green you might as well give me a softball bat to hit with. My short game and putting are both complete rubbish. In other words, I when I get a nGIR it rarely ends up better than a bogey. 

So what I'm saying is that distance and handicap can be mutually exclusive to a point. If I'm getting a lot of nGIRs I could save about 9 strokes/rd with short game and putting practice and maybe shoot in the mid 80s regularly so long as I don't neglect full swing practice. To seriously get better I'd have to devote more time to full swing practice. My joints won't handle that well. Not at my age.

[Reef Donkey]

I have a mid-upper 90's swing.  If I absolutely pure one I'll get around 240-250 of carry with some decent roll.  Maybe I just optimized everything on that one particular shot incl. the launch angle, spin rate.  My average though is around 240 carry and roll.  If I was a great striker of the ball naturally my average would be higher.  I was very guilty of over-inflating my distance when I was younger.   Mostly because we always seem to measure out the bombs we hit, yet try to mentally delete the snap hook into the deep rough.

Strangely enough, for some odd reason I hit absolute bombs with my 3w.  Probably just better fit to me?  Either way, unless its a stiff wind in my face, I am pulling out 3w more often than driver, and it only seems like I average about 15 yards less.  Granted, 8-10 shots with my 3w are pure, whereas with my driver it's more like 3 out of 10 pure, and the rest a bit on the toe.  I don't snap hook any more, or hit the worm burners.

Maybe I need to get back on the launch monitor.  I've gotten in considerably better shape since I was tested.

[trombettista_vecchio]

Doesn't GPS pretty much take the subjective opinion out of it anyway?