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

[BallMarker]

This akin to someone say they can shoot 72 when all you've seen is him shooting 89s and 90s all the time.

[Double Mocha Man]

1 minute ago, BallMarker said:

This akin to someone say they can shoot 72 when all you've seen is him shooting 89s and 90s all the time.

Or akin to someone in high political office claiming a 2.8 GHIN handicap...

[Buckeyebowman]

On 10/27/2018 at 10:26 AM, DaveP043 said:

  Handicaps DO fall at the same time as swing speed increases.  I'm not claiming a cause and effect relationship between swing speed increases and lowered handicaps for any individual, although it might exist.  But increasing distance is a valuable tool in lowering scores.  Its not the only tool, but its an important one.

I've kind of forgotten what the original topic was. Oh yes! Lying about the distance you hit the ball! That was it! 

I think as a corollary to the first sentence above it could also be said that handicaps DO rise as swing speed decreases! At least that's been my experience. I know, another sample size of 1, but I'd bet it's transferable. In a post on the preceding page you referred to someone with a swing speed of about 95. The last time my Driver speed was checked was at a Bridgestone ball demo day at a local course about 6-7 years ago. I was right around 95-97 and about a 10 handicap. I'm quite a bit slower these days and currently at 13.8.

Iacas, you mentioned that most LPGA golfers would be about a 6 HI from the men's tees. I assume you're talking the blues, or whatever the tips are at any particular course and not the regular men's white tees? Even the YSU Ladies Golf Team tees off from the whites at Mill Creek North except for two holes, #9 and #18. Both are brutally long and difficult par 4's so they put the white tees where the blues usually are and play them as par 5's. 

What I find interesting about this topic is that guys aren't just lying to others about their distance, they're lying to themselves! My buddy had quite the gift for this. We'd both slug our brains out from the whites until, two years ago, I'd had enough! Golf wan't fun anymore! I told my friend that I was going to tee off from the golds and he could do whatever he wanted. When I started winding up a mile past him off the tee, he finally wised up and joined me. We both enjoy golf much more now.

[boogielicious]

9 hours ago, BallMarker said:

This akin to someone say they can shoot 72 when all you've seen is him shooting 89s and 90s all the time.

Someone who shoots 90 can absolutely shoot a 72....after the first 14 holes.

[Buckeyebowman]

On 11/20/2018 at 6:19 AM, boogielicious said:

Someone who shoots 90 can absolutely shoot a 72....after the first 14 holes.

Haw! We know a kid who does exactly this. He's my my buddy's Son's friend, and he's an absolute chop! One time, after another drive into the tall and uncut, this guy exclaims, "I can't remember the last time I played so bad!" I leaned over to my buddy and whispered, "I can! It was the last time we played with him!"

Edited November 25, 2018 by Buckeyebowman

[Don Golfo]

On 8/26/2018 at 9:48 AM, AltGolfer said:

Most amateur golfers averages 220 yards(yes with roll) if they are lucky.

The problem is that driving distance is deeply routed in the ego of male golfers. Nobody wants to believe that they’re a short hitter as this creates an unacceptable picture of weakness.  I’ve seen a lot of younger golfers that hit the ball a long way. Far longer than 220 yards, but probably nothing like the 300+ yards that they often claim.  Probably on their best hits they’re in the 250-280 range. In addition, the truth is that a lot of people don’t know how far they hit the ball.  They drive across the corner of a hole diagonally, shaving past trees, measure the distance to the pin and deduct that from the hole length. That can lead to a significant over estimate of driving distance? Also like Anglers, Golfers exaggerate - “I drove the green on the 12th - 320 yards” - really they were 30-40 yards short of the pin, the tee was set 10-20 yards forward of the official marker and the hole was running down hill. If you looked at an equivalent hit on the flat, allowing for measurement errors they were probably in the 260-270 yards range - decent but no where near the PGA top drivers. 

[DrMJG]

I have come to firmly believe, that by accepting the realities of your golf game, you will end up playing better golf.  Too much is, indeed placed on the drive by many, men in particular.  While I do practice my drives and hope to gain a few more yards by increasing my speeds, I have come to accept 205-220 as my usual drives.

So by planning well where I aim and trying to take care to avoid hazards on the second shot, I am playing smarter golf.

I go forward and place this line of thinking with all my weapons. As, in fact playing a hole well is more what happens off the tee; one needs to think "what's next for me to do".

I do not need to play the show off sport of "see I am great off the tee" to enjoy a wonderful round of golf and/or even beat my fellow players in a round.

 

[Double Mocha Man]

48 minutes ago, Don Golfo said:

The problem is that driving distance is deeply routed in the ego of male golfers. Nobody wants to believe that they’re a short hitter as this creates an unacceptable picture of weakness.  I’ve seen a lot of younger golfers that hit the ball a long way. Far longer than 220 yards, but probably nothing like the 300+ yards that they often claim.  Probably on their best hits they’re in the 250-280 range. In addition, the truth is that a lot of people don’t know how far they hit the ball.  They drive across the corner of a hole diagonally, shaving past trees, measure the distance to the pin and deduct that from the hole length. That can lead to a significant over estimate of driving distance? Also like Anglers, Golfers exaggerate - “I drove the green on the 12th - 320 yards” - really they were 30-40 yards short of the pin, the tee was set 10-20 yards forward of the official marker and the hole was running down hill. If you looked at an equivalent hit on the flat, allowing for measurement errors they were probably in the 260-270 yards range - decent but no where near the PGA top drivers. 

Very insightful... and true.  So many guys, if they hit the ball square in the center of the face, with a good sound, it launches at a good angle and has a baby draw... well, that's a 300 yard drive.  In reality it's 240.

 

51 minutes ago, Don Golfo said:

The problem is that driving distance is deeply routed in the ego of male golfers. Nobody wants to believe that they’re a short hitter as this creates an unacceptable picture of weakness.  I’ve seen a lot of younger golfers that hit the ball a long way. Far longer than 220 yards, but probably nothing like the 300+ yards that they often claim.  Probably on their best hits they’re in the 250-280 range. In addition, the truth is that a lot of people don’t know how far they hit the ball.  They drive across the corner of a hole diagonally, shaving past trees, measure the distance to the pin and deduct that from the hole length. That can lead to a significant over estimate of driving distance? Also like Anglers, Golfers exaggerate - “I drove the green on the 12th - 320 yards” - really they were 30-40 yards short of the pin, the tee was set 10-20 yards forward of the official marker and the hole was running down hill. If you looked at an equivalent hit on the flat, allowing for measurement errors they were probably in the 260-270 yards range - decent but no where near the PGA top drivers. 

Very insightful... and true.  So many guys, if they hit the ball square in the center of the face, with a good sound, it launches at a good angle and has a baby draw... well, that's a 300 yard drive.  In reality it's 240.

[mcanadiens]

8 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

 

Very insightful... and true.  So many guys, if they hit the ball square in the center of the face, with a good sound, it launches at a good angle and has a baby draw... well, that's a 300 yard drive.  In reality it's 240.

For the occasional golfer I buy that. It's easy for them to delude themselves. The others just lie.

Regular golfers know their courses well enough to know the truth based on whatever it is they are hitting on their second shot. Hauling out the 5W on a 400-yard par four precludes any grand notions on distance.

[chipeacher]

Swing analyzers don't lie. 95mph ss with 1.40 smash factor carries a driver 215ish and rolls to 225-230. EVERY time it's not wet out.

[Don Golfo]

3 hours ago, chipeacher said:

Swing analyzers don't lie. 95mph ss with 1.40 smash factor carries a driver 215ish and rolls to 225-230. EVERY time it's not wet out.

With optimised launch conditions you could probably squeeze the carry out to 225-230 yards with the total distance somewhere between 235 and 250 yards. 250 yards is the realistic maximum and would require a perfect square strike, an optimal launch angle and very favourable course conditions.  For comparison, LPGA players have an average SS of 93 mph with a total average distance of about 246 yards. Obviously they are elite level players who are excellent ball strikers, playing optimal equipment.

[chilepepper]

On 11/19/2018 at 6:13 PM, Double Mocha Man said:

Or akin to someone in high political office claiming a 2.8 GHIN handicap...

Oh yawn

[Double Mocha Man]

10 minutes ago, chilepepper said:

Oh yawn

So it is okay with you that someone can have a 2.8 fake handicap when their real handicap is closer to 12.8?

[iacas]

This feels like a good time to remind everyone here that we do not allow political conversations.

If any golfer - any golfer - wants to have a vanity handicap, whatever. If I’m playing against them… good for me.

[Lihu]

On 11/19/2018 at 5:40 PM, BallMarker said:

Golfers, and fisherman, are two biggest liars.

lol

You forgot hunters and other liars 🤪😂🤪

 

49 minutes ago, iacas said:

This feels like a good time to remind everyone here that we do not allow political conversations.

Strange how these kind of threads get so heated THEN political 🤪

[GolfLug]

I am not sure I buy the male ego thing - may be a a few juveniles who thrive on that kind of braggadocio but mostly its just that a lot of beginners misjudge distance in general. Add to that a lot of golf holes play much shorter than stated on the sticker price skews their distance judgement further. Also, other than few serious golfers who actually measure how far they hit drives? Not me. I just estimate. Folks are much more accurate with their approach shots.

Edited November 29, 2018 by GolfLug

[Double Mocha Man]

200 yards is the new 300 yards.

[Lihu]

1 hour ago, Double Mocha Man said:

200 yards is the new 300 yards.

It will be if the USGA decides to shorten the ballIt will be if the USGA decides to shorten the ball.🤪