Increasing Distance

[bill reed]

Re: Increasing Distance

hi
i think i could hit 300+ yards with a 40 mph gale behind me???
i did notice that they measured drives of the fairway and normally they don't include them in there stats so only drives that are on the fairway that count.
i know that B Watson could not reach the par 5 in two on three of the days out the four.
B Watson's average for the year is 304.30 and he is the leading player in distance. Freddy Couples is at number 13 with 299.30.
hitting fairways B Watson is rated at 79th.
that the 2008 thats from the PGA site and also the golf channel.
i would take it that Watson and co average would drop after the open as there drives were mostly shorter than normal with such strong winds mostly against or coming across and i think there was only two holes that it was behind then and one of them was a par 3.

Tim Petrovic has the longest recorded drive on tour and it stands at 439 but his average drive is 283.
cheers
bill

[BrianW]

Re: Increasing Distance

I am talking about people posting on this site. I have played golf for many years and have seen very few people that hit 300+ yards with a drive and the ones that do don't very often. I have hit some myself but the conditions are normally favourable: you hit it out the screws, the wind is behind, it is down slope, the ground is hard and carries well. I would risk saying that the average club golfer drives around 200/240 yards.

[bill reed]

Re: Increasing Distance

hi Brian
i would go along with what you say as in my 35+ years of golf the average good player seems to be about 250 yds and you get them hitting the odd really long one, but i have seen often a player going to the range and hitting 100 balls and getting 5 to go 300 yards and the rest about 250 or less but they then say they hit the ball 300.
yes 300 yards in 5 balls out 100.
i know how far i hit my drives and i think i'm hitting a good distance hitting 255 to 265 yards and thats carry and roll.
the players i have played with over the years never hit more than 50 yards past me and most of the long hitter are about 25 to 30 yards in front of me and thats the guys that say they hit 300+.
i sure we all have them at our club that say how far the can drive but no one ever sees them do it, it always there having a bad day when you play with them.
cheers
bill

[BrianW]

Re: Increasing Distance

I am not sure what tour you are referring to, as i am sure you are aware of the U.S. National Seniors Open Championship and Mike Austins's 515 yard drive.

But that cannot be considered as average, even for him. How far does the average senior tour player hit?

[ogallalabob]

Re: Increasing Distance

The Champions Tour the leader is around 290 the 80th place is around 250, most right around 270-280.

Now I think the champions tour course set up is also a lot easier to hit the fairways and they do not usually have the deep rough so the numbers may be a little inflated when comparing them to PGA tour stats.

[bill reed]

Re: Increasing Distance

hi Golfinguy
if you look up PGA tour stats on there web page and you look up longest drive and average drive it gives you ever player on tour in the PGA. according to them the longest is T Petrovic. i have never heard of him.
also the golf Channel has the same stats on there site.
Ping had B Watson down as averaging 304.30 same as the PGA tour.
cheers
bill

[bill reed]

Re: Increasing Distance

hi Golfinguy
yes i have heard of Mike Austin. mostly on here but never seen him playing on tour, but we don't get the Champions tour over here on TV.
i thought he was better known as an instructor and his books about power driving. sorry but i have never read any of his books or seen any of his instructions on power driving. and you are right that i don't know much about him only read what members like yourself write on here.
like you say Austin was not on the PGA list but the did have Freddy Couples listed but maybe he plays some PGA tour games as well as the over 50s tour.
when i said i had never heard of him i meant Tim Petrovic not Mike Austin.
cheers
bill

[cyc53870]

Re: Increasing Distance

You guys are all very informed and sharp indeed (especially Brian and Bill) and I learn a lot... Thanks

[bill reed]

Re: Increasing Distance

thanks golfinguy
i really have not heard that much about Austin other than on here and i did not realize he was so old and had passed on.
thanks for putting me on the right track about him.
and thanks cyc for your kind words.
cheers
bill

[BrianW]

Re: Increasing Distance

Driving can make or break a game, if you are hitting long but in the trees or deep rough then you have to dig yourself out of trouble, often you can dig yourself deeper into it.

A drive that carries a fair distance and hits the fairway or first cut will take off the pressure allowing your next shot to be a good one.

It's good to hit them long but better to get them on target.

[MaxxC]

Re: Increasing Distance

Tom I'm not a teaching professional. However if your hips are parallel to the target at impact and not opening up your weight can't be shifting properly to the front foot. The hips open up as a natural reaction to the proper weight shift.

Take a lesson or two and find out what is impeding a weight shift from back to front foot. With your hips parallel at impact your still hitting with the majority of your weight on the back foot. No way to get power.

Good luck

[HytrewQasdfg]

Re: Increasing Distance

You either can or you can’t hit a long ball

I disagree with this 100%.

If you don't mind, I'm going to digress into another sport for an example.

Growing up, I was considered a power baseball hitter, but I was not a powerful guy nor did I attempt to hit the ball hard. I have good technique and I consistently hit the ball solidly on the sweet spot of the bat (and I've always excelled at hand/eye coordination sports like handball and racketball.)

Back to golf. IMHO, the typical golfer has enough physical strength to hit the ball long (not long ball competition long, but closer to 300) IF they learn the proper technique, and can execute it consistently.

[BrianW]

Re: Increasing Distance

I disagree with this 100%.

If you don't mind, I'm going to digress into another sport for an example.

Growing up, I was considered a power baseball hitter, but I was not a powerful guy nor did I attempt to hit the ball hard. I have good technique and I consistently hit the ball solidly on the sweet spot of the bat (and I've always excelled at hand/eye coordination sports like handball and racketball.)

Back to golf. IMHO, the typical golfer has enough physical strength to hit the ball long (not long ball competition long, but closer to 300) IF they learn the proper technique, and can execute it consistently.

I can understand what you are suggesting: Just about every average Joe can swing a golf club very fast, maybe 120 mph. The issue is can you control contact with the ball at that speed. Most golfers will get better results if they work within their own limitations.

As I get older I realise that most things in life relates to wrist action

[bdbl]

Re: Increasing Distance

As I get older I realise that most things in life relates to wrist action

And as a high handicapper I've learned to change hands at 99

I'll get my coat, taxi for bdbl.

[Scragger63]

Re: Increasing Distance

As a high handicapper pretending to be a low teens handicapper I've learned that length isn't everything....

Funny thing is, my father also said that exact same thing to me at my 16th birthday......

Still don't know what he meant, he has never played golf...

Move over bdbl, I'm sharing that taxi.....