Re: The Great Distance Debate

Like I said, it's like when you blokes compare length .

Anyway, back to golf. These yardages people talk about - are they on the fly or after roll?

Re: The Great Distance Debate

Hi VP,

The standard assumption is that most people's yardages include roll. Also, most peoples' driving distances are exaggerated. Most folks calculate their driving distance by subtracting their approach from the hole yardage - regardless of the hole setup.

Re: The Great Distance Debate

Thanks Low Post,

Accuracy is far more important than distance. In order for the golfer to have accuracy he must know how far he consistently hits each club on the fly.

Re: The Great Distance Debate

I'm new to the forum so first things first "Hello" . Bit of a long first contribution but I have this debate a fair bit lately.

Distance has become a bit of a curse for me. I haven't been playing long and am trying to develop a repeatable swing at the moment to string a half descent round together.

I play with my brother usually who is at least twice my size and to him power is everything. Now I fell into this trap almost straight away trying to thump the cover off every shot - now it is very hard not to do it to the detriment of everything I try and do.

I think it has a lot to do with not embarrasing yourself when you start playing - usually you start out with someone who is already striking the ball pretty well - so you really want to see that ball soar off but without the technique to do it brute force appers to be the only answer. Which of course does not work at all so the answer is - even more brute force - the vicious cycle is established.

This seems to get ingrained very quickly as it satisfies some primal urge in some of us and is difficult to get rid of. My head says "swing" my instinct says "beat". My swing without a ball feels great - driving through with my hips etc but put a ball down = red mist.

So where I'm at now is to go back to the basics and try to get a swing that will get the ball somewhere near where I need it more times than not. I practice a lot without a ball as I figure if I can form it into a habit it is more likely to work when a ball is there. I am convincing myself that the mechanical advantage the club gives only requires speed not weight/force to make it work.

I think distance is great for the ego but accuracy is where the low score is at. For sure you need to get it out there within reason but I'm starting to appreciate seeing it on the fairway more than 30 yards further on in the trees etc.

... and finally I wish someone had explained to me the blindingly obvious fact that when you start out you need to give yourself a chance - beating the hell out of the ball and getting in trouble is great for Tiger and the likes - but I just don't have the skills to pull off these recovery shots - it is now so obvious - I need to make my next shot as easy as possible because I'm not that good yet!

Re: The Great Distance Debate

Great thread

I played in a medal last week at my new club with 2 other guys. One was your all the gear type, said he played off 5. All mouth and Ping trousers The other was an middle aged chap, quiet, little glint in his eye. I knew he'd be trouble

Anyhow so I went first, swung a 3 wood nice and easy to about 210 yards. The older guy goes next and does about the same. Next the mouthy one pulls out some custom fitted R7 with a fujikara shaft and slams it 300 yards into the trees on the right. Says nothing and re-tees. Slams it 300 yards into the trees. Now he got a 4 iton out and hit it about 200 but with a nasty fade and it just hit the side of the fairway

Anyway needless to say the old guys short game was dynamite and if he got within 30 yards of a flag in 2 he'd get up and down. I was doing OK but the first fella is now swinging even more out of his shoes and is all over the course. Clubs are getting thrown and all sorts

Anyway come the back 9 he's clearly given up (or run out of steam). The old fella politely suggests that he just throttles back and swings a lot easier. Bloke promptly birdies the next 3 holes and finsihes the back 9 in level par

Youd have though he'd have learnt his lesson but apparently he went out again in the afternoon and spent the first 9 holes doing exactly the same thing getting himself more and more upset

Theres a lesson for us all in here somewhere and im sure you all have similar stories

Re: The Great Distance Debate

The other I see people do (on other boards) is always give their distances as the best shots they ever hit

I know I can hit a 7i between 150 and 165 depending on all sorts of things. Weather, good contact, wind etc. So I would put my distance down at 150 since I KNOW that I can comfortably swing to that distance. If I put down 165 and was challenged to it then id have to try and swing out of my socks or hit that 1 in 5 shot which comes straight out of the middle with an easy swing

Someome else can take the long drive prize. I'll take the stableford money.

Shots win games, not distance

Re: The Great Distance Debate

The lesson I get from this is dont give advice to others on the golf course as its a breach of the rules!

Re: The Great Distance Debate

I dont think the giving of general advice is against the rules, for instance you can quite properly ask how far it is to the hole because thats common knowledge anyone with a yardage chart can tell you that. If you quietly suggest to someone that they stop pulling the ball into the trees or something like that its not specific advice such as telling them to weake their grip or to hit a 5 iron. As far as I can tell the old guy was just making a suggestion not giving actual advice. I think it comes under the same heading as non participants looking for a ball for you.

Go on then folks whats the furthest you have ever hit a club in relative terms. Now dont count wedges that you thinned 170 yards on a baked fairway or things like that, it has to be an intended shot on a proper trajectory to an actual target that you overshot by many yards.

I have 3 options here

3. A 9 iron (my ill fated graphite shafted big bertha irons experiment) that went 165 yards, at least 30 yards longer than I attempt with a 9 iron now so thats about 20% increase
2. A 360 yard drive using a Taylor Made Ti Bubble driver at the 8th at my course to 3 feet from the pin, my first eagle at that hole.
1. But probably the most impressive was my drive at the 8th hole at The Glen Golf Club in North Berwick, 378 yard hole old 10 degree timber driver with an S300 on it, using an old Titleist Tour 100 ball, playing a foursomes match, my partner was a 15 handicapper and we were 6 down after 7. Smoke coming out of my ears after our horrid play and I said to my partner 'Where do you want it?' He jokingly replied '20 feet from the flag'. I looked him straight in the eye and said 'Do you want me to take the risk cos I can hit that shot' (understand I was playing down a 2 club wind and its slightly downhill) He looked at me and chuckled, 'Go on then Grizzly (I was a very hirsuite 19 year old)' in that indulgent way that the over 40's have. Our opponents, who were in the same little club, were having a chuckle too. So up I steps, a couple of horridly fast swings and what I think still rates as the hardest I have ever hit a golf ball, followed. It rockets off into the distance and the other three are watching it, it pitched 30 yards short of the green and ran on, at one point it was only a foot from the hole and nestled on the back fringe about 15 feet away. My partner burst out laughing and dammit didnt he hole the putt, we won 8 of the last 10 to win 1 up on the last hole!!!

D.

Re: The Great Distance Debate

Mizunoman is right - you can ask what is common knowledge (pin position, yardage, etc). You cannot ask things like "what club are you hitting/did you hit", "how can I stop slicing", etc.

If it's rules related, you can ask penalty free, as well (like where do I drop, how many strokes is that, what are my options).

Re: The Great Distance Debate

yeah thats fine, I never said you cant ask for factual information that is available to all.
Asking "why do I keep hitting into the trees" is advice.
You CANNOT ask for or give advice on the golf course (unless to a team member or by a caddy) Rule 8.

Telling someone to swing easier is advice plain and simple.

"If you quietly suggest to someone that they stop pulling the ball into the trees or something like that its not specific advice"
That is advice and as such is illegal dude.

Re: The Great Distance Debate

I disagree Gree, specific advice would be 'stop pulling the ball into the trees by hitting out to one o clock' just saying 'stop hitting into the trees' is just stating the obvious. By your reckoning, saying 'Score lower' is advice as well when clearly its just stating the ain of the game (for some people of course).

D.

Re: The Great Distance Debate

Actually it IS advice to offer to a player how to make a stroke. If you offer advice on how to make a stroke, add 2 strokes to your own scorecard.

Re: The Great Distance Debate

I believe that golf is definitely a game of the second shot. If pounding a drive 290 gets you in a better position to hit the green then go for it. If there is no benefit or lurking danger then whats the point in smashing it??

Sooner or later the penny will drop that it's often better to play the course with your brain not your muscles.


Mike

Re: The Great Distance Debate

By all means disagree, but you are wrong
Try it in a comp, matchplay between two clubs for example when there will be rules boffins all over the place and see how far you get.

Its as plain as tending the flag when you are off the green or cleaning a marked ball thats not on the green.
Bang -> penalty.

Re: The Great Distance Debate

We need a rules official type guy in here, I still fail to see how simply saying 'stop hitting your ball into the trees is offering specific advice. Does anyone have the 2004-2007 rulebook? If so have a quick check and see if they make a distinction about what constitutes advice.

We've made a lot out of that point.....

D.