Long and curly or short and straight?

[Woobie]

No, not your girlfriends hair, your driver!

As a young fella I always admired how the older blokes could still play off quite low handicaps. I quickly realised there secret to success was hitting fairways.

 

While I found it hard as a teenager not to try and “smack the crap” out of it, when I did I found I hit more fairways and scored better.

 

In a conversation with my local pro yesterday he was telling another guy he need the driver that gets him as close to the target regardless of where it goes.

 

My local course has 12 holes where I hit driver. My average would be 8-9 fairways hit per round with my best at 11 average driving distance 230-240m.

 

While I understand the concept of the closer the target the shorter shot you have to play and the closer to target you should get, but what good is length if poor direction puts you 20m in the bushes?

 

So what do you all think, long and curly or short and straight?

 

 

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[Canucklehead]

Short and straight. Because the extra little bit of distance I get, isn't worth the trouble I get in

 

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[cnosil]

I prefer straight but would be happy with known curly and long. The two way miss is horrible

 

Strokes gained research has shown that the shorter the club you play on the next shot the better your score will potentially be. Curly doesn't have to mean in the woods; it just means missing the fairway.

[DaveP043]

My local course has 12 holes where I hit driver. My average would be 8-9 fairways hit per round with my best at 11 average driving distance 230-240m.

 

If you're hitting that many fairways AND truly averaging 250 to 275 yards (converting from meters), you're both plenty long and more than straight enough.  The goal, as has been said before, its long and "straight enough".  Long and in the woods, long and OB, long and in the water, those are bad.  Long and in the light rough is just fine.  You don't need to be pinpoint accurate with your driver, just accurate enough to be consistently in play.  This might be long and wavy, but not curly.

[STUDque]

Is it too much to be long and straight? That's what I want.

 

Currently, I'm long and curly so I've gotten used to hitting punch shots through the trees. I can be long and straight but not consistently.

 

 

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[ddryan]

Lost more matches to those who hit it short and straight (Hey Wahoo, I am talking to you!!!) as they often have "higher handicaps" but shoot lights out around the green...

[Reesedw]

OK a definition of short needs to be included.. as does long and curly... If short is 230.. and Long is 250.. I'll take short, if Long now becomes 320, and curly means 20 yds right or left... Long and curly.. But is all subject to definitions... 

 

I'd love to hit it about 250 and consistently only have it move 20 ish Rt or Lt.. that will make most par 5's reachable in 2 and leave me short irons into most par 4's... 

[Kor.A.Door]

I prefer straight but would be happy with known curly and long. The two way miss is horrible

 

Strokes gained research has shown that the shorter the club you play on the next shot the better your score will potentially be. Curly doesn't have to mean in the woods; it just means missing the fairway.

For some of us, anything curly means that it is in the woods. It has to be straight. It just means that you have to get comfortable hitting 6, 7, and 8 irons into some greens.

[Kenny B]

Obviously, it depends on the course. I'm short and straight which works for me most everywhere. However, at the wide open courses out here in my area, I wish I were longer and I could accept a little curlier.

[hckymeyer]

I'll pick long and curly all day long.  It's much easier to teach strait than it is to teach long.  A long hitter can dial back and learn to hit it straighter, and still be long.

 

A short hitter is going to have a very hard time picking up 50 yards.

[Kenny B]

I'll pick long and curly all day long.  It's much easier to teach strait than it is to teach long.  A long hitter can dial back and learn to hit it straighter, and still be long.

 

A short hitter is going to have a very hard time picking up 50 yards.

When you're 70, you don't get to pick and choose.  

[fortysixandtwo]

I play long and intermittently curly.

 

The one advantage I have over most guys in my group is not having to worry about obstacles in the landing zone, fairway bunkers, water hazards, well placed trees, pinched in fairway, etc.

 

Most courses I play are wide open which lets me take a rip at the ball without fear of getting into trouble. Put me on a tight and narrow course and I will leave the driver in the bag and go for straight.

[ole gray]

Short and curly with a draw. My long ball is long gone

 

 

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[hckymeyer]

When you're 70, you don't get to pick and choose.

I'm 38 and I don't get to choose

 

But given the option that's what I'd pick

 

 

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[bullldog]

Heck, I WANT my length 5~10 yrs ago back!!!!

[PlaidJacket]

I don't think I could say it any better than Dave.

[Berg Ryman]

I would say I'm medium plus and straight. Given the high end of what we are discussing as long at 250-260, I average like 235-245, but if I catch one I'm long or past long. Also very straight, which is nice.

 

I used to be long and curly, but I've dialed back some of that speed for accuracy.