Average Drive

[Rusty1885]

My thought off the tee isn't about how far can I hit my tee ball, but how far do I want to hit it so my next shot is to my strength?

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This^^

 

Im not afraid of spray and prey long bombers off the tee in match or skin game, I'm terrified of this type of players. They are usually very hard to kill.

[Honest Wes]

Golf Digest got their hands on some data on how long people really drive the ball. I think the MGS crowd is pretty realistic but the general public may be a bit surprised!

Drives

My son worked night order desk at Golfsmith years ago. A Dad called and wanted to improve 14 yr. old son's driving. My son asked what he used now, distance, trajectory, etc. The Dad responded, "290, high and dead straight." Goldsmith rep responded, "Don't change a thing."

 

 

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[Canucklehead]

Hey now...

 

I'm the proved that you don't need long drives to score well. Playing the high percentage shots may not feel heroic but it helps me avoid big numbers. I do dedicate a one or 2 pure ego round(s) a month to flush it out of my system. Some says those are my sandbagging rounds.

 

It's not a patented secret, if I can do it anyone can. Avg LPGA carry their drives 218 yards, that's what I'm comparing my game against, not the PGA.

 

Thanks, I'm trying to get there. It was easier to do when I was playing 4-5 round a week dropping down to 2-3 is much harder to keep the touch sharp enough for scratch golf.

Just bustin' ya up! I'm taking some lessons in the next few weeks to hopefully straighten out. I've heard you have a better chance of getting close from the fairway. Would like to find out if it's true or not 😀 this winter I decided I should be comparing myself to the LPGA as well. Much more realistic numbers. A lot of those PGA guys are almost super-human

 

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[chisag]

... I have never been short, especially for my age but I am also not a long hitter. I can get it out there 280 but usually around 260-270 when swinging well. I have hit some monster drives that were at least 325 on courses I was unfamiliar with and every time I came up just short of the magical 300. 

... My son is a 25 yr old 1st team all conference college DE and at 6'3" and now down to 235 he routinely drives it over 300. It really lets me know how average my drives are. He is still new to the game and the nuances give him the same trouble they do all beginners and he shoots in the mid to low 90's but can carry it 270-290 and hit it pretty darned straight. So I know there are those amateurs that find 300 an easy target, but they are few and far between. 

[EthanSterlingPrice]

I'm just happy to be around average

 

 

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[Shankster]

Today was a good drive day for me. The 2 holes I used my driver on (played 9), I hit it 280 and 272. My back has been really stiff the last few days. I put the driver shaft back in it, and choked down about a inch.

 

I did hit the 3 wood with the driver shaft.... WOW. Talk about a whip! Moon balls probably 250ish. But no good here, the wind picked up again, and I had to play knock downs.

 

Beginning to play more tactful and I think I am going to see scores drop.

 

 

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[Keyser]

I used to play with a welder from work. He was in his mid 60s and I was in my mid 30s. I would out drive home by 50-60 yards consistently and he would beat me every time. He would tell me every time. It's not how far, it's how many.

 

 

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[McaseyM]

What's the expression, "drive for show.. putt for dough"? I really don't care how far I hit, but how accurate I can be. If a 220 drive puts me in position to hit a better shot into the green I'll go that route every time. What kills my score, you got it. PUTTING.

 

planet earth

How dare you introduce logic and scoring into this discussion , this is loooooong ball only.

Love to see people hit 40 balls with their driver at the range, when they really should only use it 6-10 at most in the course.

As you said, it's all about the short game

 

 

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[mrsmith123]

I see way too many people wanting to improve their handicap but going around the course in a really inconsistent manner. If more guys would understand that your handicap could be so much lower by just playing to strengths off the tee their scores would easily drop 5-10 automatically.

 

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[Shankster]

I see way too many people wanting to improve their handicap but going around the course in a really inconsistent manner. If more guys would understand that your handicap could be so much lower by just playing to strengths off the tee their scores would easily drop 5-10 automatically.

 

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My 4 iron is like throwing darts at 220 + roll in the fairway. Bad driver shots are 260 in the woods. What's 40 yards and a penalty though?

 

 

- Alan

[HeathS16]

 

Hmmmmm... they may have a point...

 

 

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[The Dansome]

Somewhere in the 200-247 range.

[Rusty1885]

In addition to all of the great comments and advices, I also want to add that pros do not swing with 100% of effort/power. Probably close to 80% they rarely reach back any further. Plus they use higher lofted driver 9.5*-10.5*. I notice the one time long long time ago I was asked to caddy for a pro at a local events, no big names I know.

 

Same goes with irons, I was expecting to see some hogan blades, mizuno blades but most I saw played cavity back irons. I saw a lot of the original big bertha irons remember those, circa 1996? I asked why? they said they need to make a living, they want the highest percentage shots. From what I experienced that day they are all hits shots that are well within their abilities, the type of shots I could have hit. I thought I'd have shoot at the flag all day if I have their abilities.

 

Compare that to many of the tournaments and club meets I participated, we were all hitting shots like we see on TV.

[poprocksncoke]

All my drives are average 

[poprocksncoke]

Agree. people like to pounds their drives at the range. Golfers has not changed. Most people still likes their driver, hence most golfers are still 15+ handicap. I'll take up your invitation and brag about the short game.

I used to find it so funny when I was working at the golf course, guys would show up for their 7am tee time, head to the range and first club they pulled out of their bag was the driver 

[TheWahoo]

My drives are like what my wife always has said to me--I'm short but safe.

[Jay_nick1]

Agree. people like to pounds their drives at the range. Golfers has not changed. Most people still likes their driver, hence most golfers are still 15+ handicap. I'll take up your invitation and brag about the short game.

Has game golf improved that much since the 1st edition? Do you still need to tap the device prior to each swing?

 

 

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[Rusty1885]

Has game golf improved that much since the 1st edition? Do you still need to tap the device prior to each swing?

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It has improved quite a bit. Yes you'd still need to tag each shot. After the first few rounds, I have not missed a tag. It's kinda my pre-shot routine now.

[PMookie]

Looked at my average from my 9 holes last night, distances recorded with the Skycaddie Linx GT watch I'm reviewing. Averaged 291. High of 309, low of 278.

 

 

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[Shankster]

So I changed my angle of attack slightly.... holy cow! I am yet to test on course, but today at the range I felt like that Bubba commercial when he was waiting for the ball to land. Easily gained 15-20 yards carry just by changing angle of attack to a more upward strike!

 

 

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[Canucklehead]

So I changed my angle of attack slightly.... holy cow! I am yet to test on course, but today at the range I felt like that Bubba commercial when he was waiting for the ball to land. Easily gained 15-20 yards carry just by changing angle of attack to a more upward strike!

 

 

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I'm still struggling to find that upstrike without going too low on the face

 

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[Shankster]

I'm still struggling to find that upstrike without going too low on the face

 

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I use 2 3/4" tees.keep them just over the top of the crown. I'm hitting center or just above. When I get them just above they sail!

 

 

- Alan

[Rtracymog]

I used to be one of those guys who thought they hit it 300 consistently... not even close.

 

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It seems that you should be able to delete some of those drives. If you have one out at 311 and some shorter ones at 195, that's a pretty big dispersion. So is your average drive around 248 or does it lean more toward the 311 or the 195? Depending on how many drives this is, a couple of outliers could throw your data drastically.

 

 

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[Rusty1885]

So I changed my angle of attack slightly.... holy cow! I am yet to test on course, but today at the range I felt like that Bubba commercial when he was waiting for the ball to land. Easily gained 15-20 yards carry just by changing angle of attack to a more upward strike!

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That's what happened to me not too long ago. I was using 4more yards tee(blue), then I switched to green the tallest (green) one, I just added 20-25 yards carry. I no longer use the mid height, I'm sold on tall tee.

[scooducks]

My favorite are the guys that that go 195 off the tee, then wait for the green to clear on a par five when they are 260 out.

 

 

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[MDGolfHacker]

That's what happened to me not too long ago. I was using 4more yards tee(blue), then I switched to green the tallest (green) one, I just added 20-25 yards carry. I no longer use the mid height, I'm sold on tall tee.

 

 

Ahhh green tees!  No wonder my drives aren't that far...I've been using RED tees! ha ha ha

 

MDGolfHacker

[Shankster]

My favorite are the guys that that go 195 off the tee, then wait for the green to clear on a par five when they are 260 out.

 

 

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This Effing dude!!! Today!

 

 

 

- Alan

[Canucklehead]

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This Effing dude!!! Today!

 

 

 

- Alan

He had to recover and make that eagle

 

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[djahubes]

I really like the was arccos 360 displays distances and gaps. Doesn't use just averages, takes into account good and bad shots to give you a range on what to expect out of a club.

 

 

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[revkev]

As much fun as it is to pump a drive 250+ yards down the fairway say 50% of the time. I'd take going 20 yards less for being in the fairway a lot more. It's amazing how much easier the game is when the ball is in the short grass. Seems like common sense, but way too many times have I gone out with friends and we spend more time look for long drives in the woods then actually enjoying putting up good scores.

My father in law has a average drive of about 210 up to 230 on a good day, but he's straight as can be. He's tough to beat when his short game is working because he's always has relatively easy shots into the greens.

Distance so often dominates headlines, but could you imagine how much better golfers in general would be if they just focused on putting decent drives down the middle rather then hit the ball as far they can?

 

 

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I couldn't disagree more - every available stat reveals that the biggest difference between a pro and an Am is driving distance.

 

There are no stats that argue in favor of driving accuracy or putting or any other factor for that matter.

 

I'm very straight - whoopy for me. It's easy to be straight when you only hit it 230. I'm also tough to beat for an average player. Very tough. When I'm playing enough golf I shoot in the mid 70's so of course I'm tough. But I'm a joke of a golfer to a tour player who averages 289. He may not be as straight as I am but his strokes gained driving over me will be astronomical and easily the biggest difference in our games even though he will be better than me in every category other than driving accuracy.

 

Most folks dislike numbers when they provoke contrary to what they think or believe. Drive for show putt for dough is as ingrained as the myth of the average players driving distance.

 

It's 210 - it will be longer here because most of the guys on a golf forum will be above average players but it's 289 for only a very few rare exceptions.

 

Distance is also a separator for touring pros. The average top ten money winner is in the upper third in driving distance on tour. He will be middle pack for driving accuracy and putting and top third for strokes gained tee to green.

 

It's about how you hit the ball.

 

 

 

 

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