More On Distances

[Gussie]

In a previous thread a lot of the people here were asked to submit the distances they hit certain clubs (driver, 3-wood, 5-wood, 2 iron, etc., etc.). There were some really long distances submitted, some of which were hard to believe as being the "average" or "normal" distances a person hit various clubs, nor did the folks who responded mention anything about how straight and/or accurate the hits were for the clubs described. Personally, I think any discussion regarding how far you hit a driver, or any other club, should include how the distances were measured. Were they lasered? Did you use distances from sprinkler heads in the fairway to help in measuring? Were the distances from driving ranges? Just exactly how did you arrive at some of these hard to believe distances? Also, it might be helpful in determing if one should believe these distances if you also included what your average score is for 18 holes on a moderately difficult course, say one with a slope rating in the 120-125 range. Otherwise, all this talk about how far you hit a golf ball is meaningless drivel, meant to do nothing but exercise egos. By the way, the name of the game isn't how far you hit a golf ball, but how accurate you are and what you score you shoot.....everything else is adolescent crap.

[TheLastDon]

I'll go ahead and get the ball rolling on this topic I guess.

Depending on the firmness of the fairways (live in Maryland) my driver usually goes around 290-310. Carry is about 275 yds. Natural ball flight is a draw, measured by cart gps over several rounds and sprinkler heads on most others. I average 9.3 fairways per round (not all tee shots are driver). 3wood is 240-250 carry measured by sprinkler heads into par 5's.

I play to a near scratch handicap, 1.2 or so couple weeks ago, will come down next posting (down from a 5.3 at beginning of season and play on moderately difficult courses. One of common ones I play is the Woodlands with rating/slope of 74.4/143 from the tips of 7014yds.

My other yardages are in the other thread.

[Letitroll98]

Here, here! Just what some of us smart alecs were trying to say over there. However listing scores could prove just as much of a p***s contest as the club length postings. And it doesn't matter what course you hit a 136.57yd nine iron on, it could be the par three pitch and putt, but I sympathize with the intent of your post. Finally, cudos to all the folks who listed their true yardages to the best of their ability, there were quite a few that did this.

Although great to practice on a range, if you are serious about nailing down your distances, it would have to be from the sprinkler heads. You could get one of those fancy laser rangefinders from Bushnell or Nikon for $250+, but I think we all play most of our rounds at our home course and you just make a yardage book. Even if you play twice a month and never visit the course at other times, you could have a good yardage book put together from casual play in one season. I use to have one at my course in Pittsburgh, thanks for reminding me to make one for New Jersey.

[PA Jayhawk]

To steal Letitrolls wording, this sounds like a "Train Wreck" waiting to happen. An awful lot of damage just to crush a penny.

I think I'll pass on this one, just as I did on the first Distance one.

Just a quick FYI, the first distance one was revived from about 6 months ago, I have only seen 1 or 2 of the original poster even post on here since coming around in May. It would be hard to even speculate the original intention behind the thread. Although I did not post my distance, I did finally pick up a range finder and verified my distances to be accurate to with 2 yards of you original estimations. I would highly recommend the device to anyone who wants to get an accurate grasp on their distances.

[Horseballs]

One more thing about this average distance with each club. And mind you, I didn't post on the previous thread because it looked like a bunch of crap to me.
There was a recent article in Golf Magazine or Golf Digest that measured the average length of drives for amateur golfers compared to their "estimated length". I don't have the details but I'm sure one of the more frequent posters (i.e. people with more time to kill) can find it and attach. The average for a male was just around 200 yards, while the estimated distance was around 260. My brother sucks horribly at the game but would always pull crazy clubs. He would hit wedge from 160. Sure it would absolutely never get there, but if he were to post, he'd say he hits his wedge 160.
The bottom line is, everyone overestimates. We're all putting our yardages down for when we absolutely make perfect contact. What about the other 6 out of ten that were slightly fanned, fatted, thinned, off the toe, heel, etc.?
Here's my yardages...
Lob wedge 135
Driver 400 yards

The lob wedge was sculled out of a greenside bunker.
The driver bounced into a moving golf cart.

[ce_me_golf]

In a previous thread a lot of the people here were asked to submit the distances they hit certain clubs (driver, 3-wood, 5-wood, 2 iron, etc., etc.). There were some really long distances submitted, some of which were hard to believe as being the "average" or "normal" distances a person hit various clubs, nor did the folks who responded mention anything about how straight and/or accurate the hits were for the clubs described. Personally, I think any discussion regarding how far you hit a driver, or any other club, should include how the distances were measured. Were they lasered? Did you use distances from sprinkler heads in the fairway to help in measuring? Were the distances from driving ranges? Just exactly how did you arrive at some of these hard to believe distances? Also, it might be helpful in determing if one should believe these distances if you also included what your average score is for 18 holes on a moderately difficult course, say one with a slope rating in the 120-125 range. Otherwise, all this talk about how far you hit a golf ball is meaningless drivel, meant to do nothing but exercise egos. By the way, the name of the game isn't how far you hit a golf ball, but how accurate you are and what you score you shoot.....everything else is adolescent crap.

I really don't see what the big deal is. I don't think it's particularly unusual given the equipment available for a person with physical tools and the swing mechanics to hit a drive 280 to 300 yards. Also the whole distance thing isn't about being longer than the next guy it's about finding out what works for you. Also distances will vary based on wind conditons, temperature, elavation, humidity, the lie of the ball etc. As another poster has mentioned when it comes to distance there is no rule of thumb. Find out what works based on YOUR GAME and apply it on the golf course.

[Cubfanbob]

Even if one is honest, course yardages are not always close to accurate. Seems like the yardages at a nine-hole muni near me are wildly overstated - in part, I think, to pump up the egos of the mostly retired army guys who play there. It has one hole listed as 375 where I regularly hit my drive past the 100 yard marker - not likely.

[PA Jayhawk]

Seems like the yardages at a nine-hole muni near me are wildly overstated - in part, I think, to pump up the egos of the mostly retired army guys who play there. It has one hole listed as 375 where I regularly hit my drive past the 100 yard marker - not likely.

I went to a Golfsmith that was like this. I actually found it to be kind of disgusting in a sense. Made it more difficult to make a decision. I had to hit about a dozen shots with my own clubs just to know how far off the machine was. After about a dozen shots the guy goes "man, you really hit the ball far" I went "Man, this machine is off by about 28 yards", he just kind of smiled. I guess they figure if you hit it 28 yards further then you own club, it is easier to make the sell. Problem was, I needed a club to hit within a certain range and it took me twice as long and a lot more thinking to figure that out. After trying to figure all of the stuff in my head for about 5-6 clubs, he finally figured out how to do the averages on the monitor. Had he not, they probably would have lost the sale.

It is amazing that a professional golf place can be that far off.

[mpkelley20]

Don't forget that most club manufacturers are juicing their clubs nowadays by adjusting the standard lofts for each club. I remember when I first started playing golf 17years ago, a standard pitching wedge was 50 degrees. I bought a set of 845's and the wedge was 48 degrees. I was a half club longer with these than my older clubs. I wonder why? ;) Now, most club makers sell sets with a standard wedge loft of around 46 degrees. So whenever I hear "these clubs will add XX yards to your game", I just laugh. Maybe they will but wedges are what 9 irons used to be 20 years ago!

[College Golf]

Don't forget that most club manufacturers are juicing their clubs nowadays by adjusting the standard lofts for each club. I remember when I first started playing golf 17years ago, a standard pitching wedge was 50 degrees. I bought a set of 845's and the wedge was 48 degrees. I was a half club longer with these than my older clubs. I wonder why? ;) Now, most club makers sell sets with a standard wedge loft of around 46 degrees. So whenever I hear "these clubs will add XX yards to your game", I just laugh. Maybe they will but wedges are what 9 irons used to be 20 years ago!

Also the "standard length" has become longer too.

[Cubfanbob]

I think this is a good discussion on the topic:

http://www.leaderboard.com/LOFTINFO.htm

[AJW]

I tend to take peoples claims about how far they hit it with a large pinch of salt but there are some real freaks out their who can kill it.
I vaguely know this fat Irish guy. I was in the group behind him when he hit a 6 iron to the green on the 217 yard par 3 tenth. And I saw him fly the green on the 335 yard par 4 sixteenth which is steeply up hill three quarters ol the way.
The reason I know what club he took is because his a braggart and announced it very loudly for all to hear. In fact how far he hits the ball is his chief topic of conversation.

[Brent Nadeau]

I'll toss in my 2 cents here just frot he hell of it. Now please, keep in mind that I may actually be lying about this, and am a circus midget, but my physical stats are as follows:

I am 6"3, 235 lbs. I play muni league hockey..shoot, should have said NHL...somone might be gullable enough to believe it...I play a pretty serious softball league, and I play volleyball (played varsity in college). I have a mid 80's slap shot in hockey, I am a power hitter in softball (sounds like a contradiction, I know), and I smash out of power in volleyball. Far from a super athlete, I get by. Now, while I am admittedly no great golfer, I do have pretty good hand eye coordination, and a considerable amount of strength. As such, I am able to smack a golf ball a considerable distance.

I am not saying this to brag...hell, I don't have the game to brag, because I will be the first to admit that I am not great...I pointed out very clearly in my profile...mid to high 80's...that will go up now because I haven't played in about a month. I will reiterate a very insiteful comment from another poster, however; given that this is a golf forum that will attract people who are serious about the game, is it so inconceivable that there would be a reasonable number of people who are able to hit the ball a significant distance? I am not a power hitter in golf. I try to swing with control to shoot a better round. I average around 280 yards of carry with the driver...some rounds I can't hit anything, some I can't seem to miss. I frequently play with an uncle who is a scratch golfer...I love watching him play because he has a great swing and is a meticulous course manager. He often laughs and teases me about some of the stupid things I try to do on the course, but also openly wishes he could hit the driver as far as I do...especially when I really get a hold of one and knock it out in the 300's.

Are there some distances that seem a little unbelievable...sure. My opinion on this is that there are those who are either embellishing from time to time, and those who simply do not know better. Anyone embellishing...well, I hope that the confidence boost you are trying to give yourself works in your next round. Anyone who doesn't know better...well, if you put some time and effort into doing so, finding your actual distances will dramatically improve your game. For those who do hit the long ball...congrats. For those who play well, but are jealous because a hack can outdrive them...suck it up.

[garcia is god]

Don't forget that most club manufacturers are juicing their clubs nowadays by adjusting the standard lofts for each club. I remember when I first started playing golf 17years ago, a standard pitching wedge was 50 degrees. I bought a set of 845's and the wedge was 48 degrees. I was a half club longer with these than my older clubs. I wonder why? ;) Now, most club makers sell sets with a standard wedge loft of around 46 degrees. So whenever I hear "these clubs will add XX yards to your game", I just laugh. Maybe they will but wedges are what 9 irons used to be 20 years ago!

Absolutely spot on. My Titleist 990s PW is, I think, 49 degrees! What manufacturers are doing is very, very clever. What's to say they haven't secretly reduced driver lofts either (from what is stated on the club)?

[SDB1]

Absolutely spot on. My Titleist 990s PW is, I think, 49 degrees! What manufacturers are doing is very, very clever. What's to say they haven't secretly reduced driver lofts either (from what is stated on the club)?

The manufacturers are messing with the lofts of their irons so that a wedge from one company is the same loft as a 9 iron from another. They aren't however, lying about it! They only post the lofts on their websites so the average person won't know what loft they're hitting, only the club. They're not changing the lofts on their drivers though, that would be fraudulent. Plus, that wouldn't provide any distance benefit anyway so what would the point be?

[SDB1]

Now isn't it conceivable that out of millions of golfers playing, there are a few who can regularly hit their long irons in the 200-235 range. I know I've been paired up with three or four people in the last month that hit those distances and everyone in my foursome can also hit those distances. Isn't it even more believable considering that you're in a golf forum and the only people that would likely frequent a forum such as this are people that take their golf a little seriously and who are perhaps a little more accomplished as golfers than the rest of the people out there? I don't understand why this is such a stretch!

Same response different thread!

[hubijerk]

i second sbd1's post, while i do think there are quite a few people who post here trying to boost their golf chat room status with some of their distance claims, the game has come a long long way, i dont want to come off as a braggart, but i really dont think people realize how much some people commit to improving, i want to try and give people an idea of what serious competetive golfers are doing as far as improving, and why the game is changing so dynamicly....

i'm 24, play college golf and i hit the ball a long way with accuracy (though not the longest on my team), im in the gym nearly every night lifting for about an hour, and swimming laps at least 3 times a week for at least an hour, after work (11pm) i usually run a few miles before bed, nutrition wise i eat clean and take an array of vitamin supplements (none from balco labs though), i'v been in summer school all summer and i work full time so i have 2 days a week to spend at the course working on things, these days im usually at the course for no less than 6-8 hours, i dont hit range balls, all my practice comes on course, when its not busy ill hit more shots from different areas of the course (all pro v1x for consistency). ill spend hours around the putting and chipping green after i've finished playing/walking 18 holes or more, i have grooved, changed, and regrooved a swing that i have developed after countless hours of practice, watching, listening, and studying playing pro's and teaching pro's and im putting the finishing touches on a simple, powerful swing that will stand up to whatever pressure i may find myself under, i have and continue to study the teachings of psychologists and eastern philosophy to sharpen my mental strength as well, my biggest improvements have come from focusing on this area. after lay offs from the game i've realized how much i do love it, and how much it is a part of me, and my goal is to continue to improve and compete on the highest levels i can reach.

i recieved the best compliment i have ever recieved on the course the other day, it was from a guy in his 40's, good player, we were finishing up the front 9, he said to me : "your playing a game that i am unfamiliar with" i modestly said thank you, but what i thought to myself was: "this is my game now, whos coming with me?"

i currently have a handicap of just under 4, but 3 of my last 5 rounds have been under par, these are my distances, all carry:
driver: 280-290
3 wood: 265
2: 230
3: 215
4: 200
5: 190
6: 175
7: 165
8: 150
9: 135
pw: 120
sw: 95
lw: 70