How far do YOU drive it?

[Rick Sides]

Brian,
I believe that you may hit the ball that far, but I bet you that if you surveyed 10 golfers, 8 of the 10 will almost always overestimate their driving distance.  I can't begin to tell you the number of times people will say to me, "I hit the ball 270 or so only to see them on the course hit barely hit it 240 at best.  That's not to say that under perfect conditions, with a great swing, downhill that the average guy can bust one out 270, but lets be real.

[Kalen Braley]

Tom,

I was just thinking the same thing.  Anyone who isn't a beleiver, just invite Mr. Moore to your neck of the woods.  He's got his little handy dandy sign that he carries around in his bag at all time.

"Will play golf and hit prodigious drives for food"   

[Tom Huckaby]

Brian,
I believe that you may hit the ball that far, but I bet you that if you surveyed 10 golfers, 8 of the 10 will almost always overestimate their driving distance.  I can't begin to tell you the number of times people will say to me, "I hit the ball 270 or so only to see them on the course hit barely hit it 240 at best.  That's not to say that under perfect conditions, with a great swing, downhill that the average guy can bust one out 270, but lets be real.

Rick - my experience was that 8 out of 10 was a little strong... more like 6-7.  But yes, most do overestimate their drives.  I think Brian's point was just that disbelieving ALL who post in here because of this, well... you just can't do that.  Oh you'd likely win MOST bets, but you would lose a few.

TH

[Rick Sides]

I didn't say all who post, because I have seen some guys kill the ball and they are 160 pounds soak and wet, but I'm just saying that most guys overestimate their average drives- average being when they account for the slice in the woods or hook onto the ladies tee- both of which I have done at times!

[Jeff_Brauer]

JK,

Its pretty hard to fool myself since I have the scale aerials.  But using those same aerials, I have checked some golfers and they do tend to overestimate.  

I remember buying my first Big Bertha and teeing off.  I knew it went further than my old drives and went back to the office to see just how far.  It was long ago so I can't recall the numbers but it seemed like I went from 250 to 270.  I felt like I was hitting it 300.

I am not sure I made it clear in my first post, but what amazes me is the difference in distance when I am swinging well and when I am not.  I suppose that accounts for my inconsistency, but when my reverse weight shift kicks in and my timing is off just a wee bit (all as a result of swinging even close to parallel at the top) it really costs me at least 30 yards.

I recall Tom Doak saying that the pros have similar deals - if TV shows the leaders, its a given they are grooved and playing well and probably hitting it 20 yards further than what might be their average.  I went to the Masters a few years ago and followed Jack, Arnie and Gary.   They were hitting it about 225-245 tops based on the yardage book I bought.  Except on 13, Jack grooved a hook around the corner and got nearly 300 out of it, again, according to the yardage book.  It proves what he says about going for the big drive only a portion of the time when it will really do some good.

[Tom Huckaby]

I didn't say all who post, because I have seen some guys kill the ball and they are 160 pounds soak and wet, but I'm just saying that most guys overestimate their average drives- average being when they account for the slice in the woods or hook onto the ladies tee- both of which I have done at times!

Rick - understood and I totally agree.  I'm just not sure I'd call bullshit on anyone here until I saw them hit it in person.  Not that you called bullshit... but you did draw out big Brian!

 

TH

[Brian Noser]

I didn't say all who post, because I have seen some guys kill the ball and they are 160 pounds soak and wet, but I'm just saying that most guys overestimate their average drives- average being when they account for the slice in the woods or hook onto the ladies tee- both of which I have done at times!

Understood. I was just clarifying that there are peple who may not be liying...

[TX Golf]

250 carry

[Carl Rogers]

I play in tidewater Virginia no higher than 100 ft above seal level.  I carry the ball 220.

o/t maybe
Jeff, In designing a hole, wouldn't 1 approach to be indentify a landing zone of plus or minus 30 yards andthen work back to locate teeing areas relative to a player's distance profile?

[Mike Benham]

These things I know:


-  In the air, I hit it farther then Huckaby ...

-  Huckaby has a lower ball flight, he gets more roll ...

-  In the air, I don't hit it farther then Noser ...

-  In the air and with roll, I don't hit it farther then Noser ... (except for a couple, ok, maybe one at Rustic Canyon).


-  I did out drive Jordan Wall with the first swing of the day on the first hole at Bayonet at the Kings Putter.

- I have come close to being even with Jon Spaulding, whether he hit his on the screws or not is irrelevant.

- Last month, on my home course, I hit driver, pitching wedge on a 433 yard par 4 and made birdie.  Two holes later, I hit a solid driver and then 4 wood on a 440 yard par 4.

- At my home course, at two famous dogleg par-4s, both holes measuring over 440 yards, I use 3 wood because driver is too much club.


So how far do I drive it?

[Tom Huckaby]

Mike:

Damn farther than most people, and VERY far for a man so long in the tooth.

Hey, you asked.....

TH

[Pat Burke]

268 carry yardage
Side note  I am a poster child for the equipment advances.  At my best when I played competitively, I carried the ball 260.  Re-built wrist, never play, and enough extra weight on me that every putt breaks towards me, and I carry EVERY club in my bag further, including with the old Cleveland Tour Action blades I used in the 90's

[Charlie Goerges]

I don't know how everyone knows the answer to this without using some distance measuring device. I would guess that I carry a driver about 230-240 on average based on tales of over-estimation here. On another thread at some point I think I said about 250-260, though I might have been including roll.

I do know that if a course has carry information posted on the teebox (i.e. 250 yards to carry the bunker at the corner) and it reads as my example, I'll hit driver and carry it half the time+/-. (If it's water though, that number needs to be down around 220 for me to risk it...I hate losing golf balls). So if I'm over-estimating it's because the course is over-estimating, and for that matter, most courses must be over-estimating.

[John Kavanaugh]

Last year, while in the hospital, a nurse informed me that if I could not urinate on my own she would return and insert a catheter.  When I realized I was not going to be able to go on my own I did my best to get myself to that point right between soft and hard commonly known as chub.  It's kinda like driving distance in that far too many factors come into play to measure on any given day.  What really is funny is that Noser must think any of us care.  Some are showers and some are growers.

[Brian Noser]

Last year, while in the hospital, a nurse informed me that if I could not urinate on my own she would return and insert a catheter.  When I realized I was not going to be able to go on my own I did my best to get myself to that point right between soft and hard commonly known as chub.  It's kinda like driving distance in that far too many factors come into play to measure on any given day.  What really is funny is that Noser must think any of us care.  Some are showers and some are growers.

Someone cares, there was a thread started, 63 posts in a little under 2 hours..... Just stateing the facts John.....

[Matt_Ward]

Just to second what Brian N said -- there ARE people who can bust the ball off the tee.

I don't doubt there are plenty of fish tales and wannabees who think they are long - these are the same types who give you the equivalent speech of  "how long my dick is."

The problem is not total length -- but who far one can CONSISTENTLY CARRY the ball in the air.

When you take clubs today with 46 or more inches in length -- heads of 460cc -- and people who are athletic and can generate 110+ clubhead speed -- you are talking about some serious length. Not everyone can do it for sure -- but far too often there are some short bunters who take offense to what some of these folks can do.

[Phil McDade]

Roughly 180-200 yards, but I haven't played much this year.

That makes me either the only honest guy on this board, or the worst golfer. Maybe it's both.

[John Kavanaugh]

At least once a day I seem to be forced to the back of my chair wondering how much worse can the state of the game get.  What amazes me it that the people on this site so often claim to "get it" when the average Joe does not.  63 posts in a little under 2 hours about how far they hit it...What a bunch of uninformed douche bags driving this game right into the ground.

Yesterday I had to read about people who think it is great to go to a resort and practice.  How warming up, getting in your car and driving to the first tee is not a problem and should be encouraged if it benefits the view at the range.

Just imagine for yourself if some wealthy developer who had never seen a golf course came on this site and built based on what he reads here.  It would be the exact same crap that is killing the game today.  Even the architects who build crap themselves will often say that they only give what they and the owners perceive the public wants.  Hey pubs, why not smart up and drop the pretense of having your own opinion.  I wish Ran would grow a set and eliminate your jelloish opinions before one more piece of crap is built under the guise that it is what you want.

[Rich Goodale]

"Douche Bag" ranking for this post, by number of posts:

1. John Kavanaugh, 7 posts out of 69
2.  Who cares........

[John Kavanaugh]

Yesterday I hit five wood into 14, 17 and 18 on holes each measuring near 400 yds.  Earlier in the year I hit wedge into each hole.  Numbers mean nothing.

Why don't we start a thread about the longest drive you have hit on the best course.  I need a brag fix.

I know Rich...I can't believe no one has started the "Longest drive on the best course" thread yet.

[Bill_McBride]

At age 61 and weak, I can't reliably carry a tee shot 200 yards these days.

On the courses I play in KS, that means I rarely get it past 220. The last time I played, I didn't hit one 8 or 9 iron.

On the other hand, given a fast course, I can still hit a low draw that carries 180+ and ends up out there at 240, smetimes more--which explains why I want to move to Scotland.

<G>

Ken

Ken, that's me too.  At Elie in June I actually drove an uphill blind 256 yard par 4!  Boy was that fun.  That's one reason to love playing links golf.  I'm 66 now and can tell you that extra five years does not deduct five yards, it's more.......

[John Kavanaugh]

There was also a time in my life that I felt disdain towards the UAW.  Today I have compassion for their plight.  I hope someday to feel the same way about the American golfer.

[John Kirk]

At least once a day I seem to be forced to the back of my chair wondering how much worse can the state of the game get.  What amazes me it that the people on this site so often claim to "get it" when the average Joe does not.  63 posts in a little under 2 hours about how far they hit it...What a bunch of uninformed douche bags driving this game right into the ground.

Yesterday I had to read about people who think it is great to go to a resort and practice.  How warming up, getting in your car and driving to the first tee is not a problem and should be encouraged if it benefits the view at the range.

Just imagine for yourself if some wealthy developer who had never seen a golf course came on this site and built based on what he reads here.  It would be the exact same crap that is killing the game today.  Even the architects who build crap themselves will often say that they only give what they and the owners perceive the public wants.  Hey pubs, why not smart up and drop the pretense of having your own opinion.  I wish Ran would grow a set and eliminate your jelloish opinions before one more piece of crap is built under the guise that it is what you want.

Bad kitty, no!

[Lou_Duran]

Carry: 220, +/- 10
Roll: 0-10%

I've lost 35-40 yards on my driver, maybe 10-15 on the 3 metal and 3 iron, about 3/4 of a club on the mid-irons, and half club on the rest.

It's been a few years since I've played with Matt Ward, but he was then longer than Jon Spaulding is today.  Young Bryon Vincent is long, in the same range as JS.  Jon and Bryan are long, but not extraordinarily so in today's age.  There a bunch of young guys out there who can flat out overpower a course.  

I've played with a couple of Tour pros, one that was a long hitter by their standards, the other is probably in the mid range.  The long one could easily fly the driver 275 and probably averaged around 280-290.  He hit the ball high with a tiny fade which reduced his roll, but there wasn't a par 5 that we played he couldn't reach.  The other guy probably hit it 250-270 in the air, and with a lower flight, he could roll it out there 290-300.  The amazing thing about these guys is just how solid and straight they hit the ball.  

[archie_struthers]

 

230-255 carry depending on the day ...knowing that the top of the net at the range I practice at is a little more than 230 and on good days I can fly it pretty easy


however ...its not enough ...not near enough


lol