SPY VIP GolfSpy_X Posted June 5, 2012 SPY VIP Share Posted June 5, 2012 PGA Tour Driving Distance Averages (1980-2011) #TruthDigest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG STU Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Thanks spy It goes to show the advances in equipment because at age 54 I am just about as long as I was at at 24 Honestly i have only lost 10 yds or so I just wish they had the equipment then that they have now I actually think it is in the balls because I still hit antique blades and I have only lost as previously stated only 10 yds or so over the years Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56* Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBones Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 When did Tour players start using metal woods? I know when I started playing in 1986 that I had persimmons. Follow @GolfspyBones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG STU Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 When did Tour players start using metal woods? I know when I started playing in 1986 that I had persimmons. I may be wrong but it was probably around 90 91 the first metal drivers were about the size of your average persimmon head drivers Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56* Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoverRick Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 When did Tour players start using metal woods? I know when I started playing in 1986 that I had persimmons. Origin Gary Adams founded TaylorMade Golf in 1979 after realizing that the new two-piece golf balls flew farther and straighter when hit by metal-headed clubs than by those made of wood. Adams hired two employees for his plant in McHenry, Illinois, and they filled $47,000 worth of orders in their first year. Early Success Ron Streck won the 1981 Houston Open using the first TaylorMade driver. Nicknamed the "Pittsburgh Persimmon" for its steel construction, the driver also helped Jim Simons win the 1982 Bing Crosby National Pro-Am. Other pros noticed, and by 1985 more PGA and LPGA pros used TaylorMade than any other kind of driver. Technological Advancements in the 1980s In 1983, TaylorMade improved clubhead aerodynamics by adding dimples to its Burner driver. Two years later, the Burner Plus featured a stainless-steel head filled with foam measuring 144 cubic centimeters in size. Advancements in the 1990s The Burner Bubble, with its distinctive bubble shaft and copper-colored head, arrived in 1995. A year later, a titanium version, the Ti Bubble 2, allowed the size of drivers to nearly double to 285 cc. Advancements in the 2000s In the new century, TaylorMade focused on matching clubs to golfers. The 300 Series provided three different drivers to match golf's three main swing types. The r7 quad featured movable weights. By 2009, TaylorMade offered drivers with adjustable shafts and loft angles. TaylorMade drivers rank as the best-selling drivers worldwide and the most popular drivers on the PGA Tour. Read More: The History of TaylorMade Drivers | GolfLink.com http://www.golflink.com/facts_15135_history-taylormade-drivers.html#ixzz1wwB2Eho1 G430LST 10.5° on T P T POWER 18 Hi Driver G430MAX 3w on T P T POWER 18 Hi Fairway G425 3H on T P T POWER 18 Hi Hybrid G425 4H on TGH 80S i525 5-U on TGI 90S SM8 54 & 60 on Wedge DF2.1 on White ProV1 Precision Pro NX7 Pro All Iron grips are BestGrips Micro-Perforated Mid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revkev Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Great thread - thanks!!!!!!!!!! I also appreciate the etomolgy of the metal driver - I had one of those original burners although I didn't bag it until the mid-80's - I also had the tour spoon that I could hit a mile and used it as my primary club off the tee into the mid-90's or whenever it was that I bought my Titleist 907 D - man I loved that driver. Two thoughts on the arc of driving averages The first I thought of the other day and it's great that the Brittany Lincicome thread is right below this one - her current driving average is 283 which means that her average drive is longer than anyone on tour in 1980 - consider that for a moment - Brittany Lincicome and for that matter several other LPGA players are longer on average than Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf and Greg Norman were when they were winning golf tournaments. (Those are the three longest guys that I remember) The second is given the arc of driving averages and their increase in the 2000's one can argue that the ball has made a bigger difference in distance than golf club technology and fitness. I've made this argument before and been shot down but the modern ball made it possible to gain all that distance via high launch and low spin numbers. Lots of fodder for discussion here beyond a doubt Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60 Aldila R flex - 42.25 inches SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft Ping G410 7, 9 wood Alta 65 R flex Srixon ZX5 MK II 5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex India 52,56 (60 pending) UST recoil 75's R flex Evon roll ER 5 32 inches It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK in TEXAS Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Cool. I'd be awesome with my driver if this was 1980 MENTOR, L4 COACH & TRAINER FIRST TEE GREATER HOUSTON HDCP: 8.3 (GHIN: 3143312) In my bag, April 2023 TS3 Driver & 4 Wood Hzrdous Smoke Shaft (Stiff Flex) TS2 Hybrids Mitsubishi Tensei Shaft (Stiff Flex) MP-59 5-PW; KBS Tour (Regular Flex) SM8 Wedges EVNROLL ER2 Putter SRIXON Z-STAR DIAMOND BALL Sun Mountain Cart Bag 4.0 Push Cart (I'm walking 9 outta 10 rounds!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revkev Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Don't know who here has seen it and who here has not but it would be good to check out the blog on perceived distance in conjunction with this thread. I could hit my driver 250 in 1980 and when I lived in Wisconsin a flush drive under ordinary conditions went 251 (always). That's equipment for you - 25 years and I was able to maintain my distance because of across the board technology. In Florida and all the way until I get into North Georgia I'm shorter because we're at sea level and the ground is normally soft from rain plus bermuda grass is very strong and doesn't allow for much roll in the summer months - I'll average in the low 240's on a great day and had a round a couple of weeks ago (right after heavy rain) where I averaged 236 and shot 73. (That reminds me that I have to change my handicap a 73 and a 72 dropped it from 2.5 to 1.9 - whoopie I think) We generally over estimate the distance we drive the ball between 10 and 40 yards - but remember that even when the pros were averaging 260 they were still shooting in the 60's. Even on courses that measured 7,000. That's amazing to me - courses are much longer today on tour than then but still on long courses they were able to score. They have way more going for them than great length. Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60 Aldila R flex - 42.25 inches SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft Ping G410 7, 9 wood Alta 65 R flex Srixon ZX5 MK II 5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex India 52,56 (60 pending) UST recoil 75's R flex Evon roll ER 5 32 inches It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG STU Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 Yep rev we have the same deal here in the grand strand area. We are also at sea level with bermuda fairways etc. I get paired up with a lot of visitors sometimes One of the first things i ask them is where they are from and explain to them we are at sea level and that in most cases the ball does not go as far here as perhaps it does at their home course Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56* Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revkev Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 And how often do they listen Big Stu? Or they'll come in March when its dry and then they say oh there's really not that much difference - yeah try being here in July and see what you think or right now when it's rained every day for two weeks - the ball is going no where fast here right now - played yesterday for the first time in ten days - thought I had moved back a set of tees. :angry: I've given up telling people until they notice it first themselves - I even remember why - I played with a guy from upstate NY about three summers ago - I told him, as always, on the first tee that he'd find he'd need more club here than up there. So on the second hole he hits his drive, couldn't understand why it was so "short" but never the less he was at the 150, an 8!!! Yeah right I told him don't forget the ball won't go as far that he needed a 7 (he really needed a 6 but at least I could get him to the front edge with the 7.) No chance and on and on and on it went and after the round he said, "I normaly hit it much better than this." That was the end of it for me unless someone asks or makes a comment I just let them do there thing and I do mine, they hit 8 from 150 I hit 7 sometimes 6. They shoot 88, I shoot 75 but they're "longer" than I am. I buy them a beer or a gatorade. We all go home happy. Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60 Aldila R flex - 42.25 inches SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft Ping G410 7, 9 wood Alta 65 R flex Srixon ZX5 MK II 5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex India 52,56 (60 pending) UST recoil 75's R flex Evon roll ER 5 32 inches It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG STU Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I agree with you Rev I dont say anything out of the box but after a few holes when I hear the all too common complaint that "the yardage markers are not right down here " then I tell them. Like you said sometimes they listen sometimes they dont. Also down here in the summer like Fla the air gets dense hot and heavy in the late afternoon and they dont know how to compensate for that either Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56* Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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