Distance

[SimonC]

Can anyone on here genuinely say that they DON'T want to hit the ball further?

No not me, I'd happily take another 5, 10 or 15 yards. Do I need it, no probably not but it doesn't stop you from wanting it.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Yes - honestly. I'm absolutely happy with the distance I get. I played for 20yrs using a 3 wood off the tee and got down to 6hcap - NEVER used a driver. For me accuracy and consistency come way ahead of further distance. I get EXTRA distance from time to time by hitting the ball better. Great when it happens - not bothered when it doesn't.

So if you had the opportunity to be able to hit your drives 20 yards further you wouldn't take it? Seriously?

No not me, I'd happily take another 5, 10 or 15 yards. Do I need it, no probably not but it doesn't stop you from wanting it.

I agree Simon. In my opinion golf is a distance game and always has been, not that I'm in any way playing down the importance of the short game.

 

[SimonC]

So if you had the opportunity to be able to hit your drives 20 yards further you wouldn't take it? Seriously?



I agree Simon. In my opinion golf is a distance game and always has been, not that I'm in any way playing down the importance of the short game.

No having a good short game counts for a lot in this game, unfortunately mine is not what it used to be but being as I don't put in the hard work then what can I expect.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

So if you had the opportunity to be able to hit your drives 20 yards further you wouldn't take it? Seriously?

But you don't just get these opportunities do you? If someone came to me and said 'take this club - no cost - keep it, you'll hit the ball 20yds further every time with the same accuracy from the word go' then yes I'd take it - but golf doesn't work like that.

I'm absolutely happy with my driving distance (I seem to be fairly consistent around 260yds on the level with what many would judge to be a three-quarter swing) and I'm pretty accurate off the tee. No point in me spending time and money trying to improve on that when there are so many other aspects of my game I want to improve upon.

So yes - I am seriously not really interested in getting another 20yds off the tee.

 

[Migs]

Been thinking about getting a new driver and wondered how many of you take your old driver with you when you go testing to get a like for like comparison on how you're swinging that particualr day / conditions?

 

[SimonC]

Been thinking about getting a new driver and wondered how many of you take your old driver with you when you go testing to get a like for like comparison on how you're swinging that particualr day / conditions?

You should always do this when you get fit for a new driver, otherwise how do you know if it suits you more than your current driver.

 

[Piece]

But you don't just get these opportunities do you? If someone came to me and said 'take this club - no cost - keep it, you'll hit the ball 20yds further every time with the same accuracy from the word go' then yes I'd take it - but golf doesn't work like that.

I'm absolutely happy with my driving distance (I seem to be fairly consistent around 260yds on the level with what many would judge to be a three-quarter swing) and I'm pretty accurate off the tee. No point in me spending time and money trying to improve on that when there are so many other aspects of my game I want to improve upon.

So yes - I am seriously not really interested in getting another 20yds off the tee.

I can see this view point as I'm similar. For years, I used to mash a driver or 3w off the tee. Sometimes it went a long way, but more often it was in the cabbage. I took the decision early last year to retire ALL my woods (driver, 3w and hybrid) and just hit irons. I now have 2 irons off the tee for the accuracy. I can hit a ball a fairly long way, so on almost all courses I play, I don't need that extra 20 or so yards.

Would I like an extra 20y? I can get the extra distance easily with the driver but I can't guarantee it's going to be on the short stuff. So, until I learn to hit woods properly, I'm happy with my lot.

 

[MadAdey]

Can anyone on here genuinely say that they DON'T want to hit the ball further?

Yes I can genuinely say that. Why do I need to hit any further? Just come from the course after shooting 5 over that included my usual 3 3 putts and missing another 3 6 footers. Do I need to hit it further? the answer is quite simple NO! I need to putt better to lower my scores. I already hit a smooth 9i from 150 and happily stand all day hitting 280+ from the tee.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Adey, Piece and Hogan... I suspect that you're in the minority of golfers

 

[SimonC]

Yes I can genuinely say that. Why do I need to hit any further? Just come from the course after shooting 5 over that included my usual 3 3 putts and missing another 3 6 footers. Do I need to hit it further? the answer is quite simple NO! I need to putt better to lower my scores. I already hit a smooth 9i from 150 and happily stand all day hitting 280+ from the tee.

You're in a similar boat to me Adey but I'm just plain greedy and have already said yes to the extra distance. However if I could take 2-3 putts of my round instead then I would snap your hand off as that is what I really need.

 

[MadAdey]

Who can honestly say that hitting it 20 yards further will definately help them shoot lower scores. Remember the further you hit it the straighter it needs to go. Look at what happens now when you push one into the R/H rough, now take the ball on the same line but 20 yards further, are you now in trouble or even OOB?Look at it another way. If someone could give you a driver that would hit it 20 yards straighter(narrow down your despersal by 10 yards left and right) would that be of more help? So if you take out the spannered drive that we all hit and look at a normal dispersal for different golfers. The high handicapper is less likely to hit it OOB and it would keep it out of the trees so you are more likely to be in the thick rough with a bad one. The mid handicapper is now is the light rough instead of the trees. The low handicapper is hitting the fairway everytime giving them more chance to get it close for more birdie opportunities. Remember that statement is only taking it hypothetically on the average golfer in those handicap ranges.But going on the above statements which do you think would benefit you more?

 

[MadAdey]

You're in a similar boat to me Adey but I'm just plain greedy and have already said yes to the extra distance. However if I could take 2-3 putts of my round instead then I would snap your hand off as that is what I really need.

I just looked at this with regards to how I played today. If I had hit it further would I have shot lower? The answer to that is no as a couple of drives that went inot the r/h rough would have gone into the trees and maybe cost me a couple of shots. With better putting I would have shot level par easily.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I just looked at this with regards to how I played today. If I had hit it further would I have shot lower? The answer to that is no as a couple of drives that went inot the r/h rough would have gone into the trees and maybe cost me a couple of shots. With better putting I would have shot level par easily.

Indeed - with you on that MAdey

 

[User 105]

I think an extra 20-30 yards round my place could be an advantage. It's relatively open, so you can get away with spraying it a bit.

A couple of the par 5's are just out of range for me in two, they not long, just very well protected which means unless I bomb one, under normal conditions it's a lay up then a PW onto the green. Get me 30 yards closer and I can reach with a 5i or 6i without too much risk involved.

There's also a few holes where the bunkering is in the area where mine, and most others' drives will get to. So if you're a bit left or right it's a long 150-160 bunker shot to the green. Give me 30 yards and I'm past those and have a much easier shot from shortish rough.

But on a tighter course where your probably penalised more for wayward drives then that extra 20-30 is going to get you in more trouble.

 

[cookelad]

My course is relatively short, 20 yards would do very little as most greens are hit with a wedge or short iron! I'd take in improved short game every time!

 

[patricks148]

Who can honestly say that hitting it 20 yards further will definately help them shoot lower scores. Remember the further you hit it the straighter it needs to go. Look at what happens now when you push one into the R/H rough, now take the ball on the same line but 20 yards further, are you now in trouble or even OOB?Look at it another way. If someone could give you a driver that would hit it 20 yards straighter(narrow down your despersal by 10 yards left and right) would that be of more help? So if you take out the spannered drive that we all hit and look at a normal dispersal for different golfers. The high handicapper is less likely to hit it OOB and it would keep it out of the trees so you are more likely to be in the thick rough with a bad one. The mid handicapper is now is the light rough instead of the trees. The low handicapper is hitting the fairway everytime giving them more chance to get it close for more birdie opportunities. Remember that statement is only taking it hypothetically on the average golfer in those handicap ranges.But going on the above statements which do you think would benefit you more?

I'll have the extra 20 yards please, and yes i think it would lower my scores. I'm pretty straight with irons and driver, but 20 yards further up the fairway on half a dozen of our holes puts me into short iron rather than long or even a wood, so yes please. either that or wilson fatshafts are a must

 

[MadAdey]

I'll have the extra 20 yards please, and yes i think it would lower my scores. I'm pretty straight with irons and driver, but 20 yards further up the fairway on half a dozen of our holes puts me into short iron rather than long or even a wood, so yes please. either that or wilson fatshafts are a must

That is sort of what I was asking Pat. There are people on here that are pretty straight with the driver, I would take that extra 20 yards just for the fun of it, but I am not hung up on it as I am lucky enough to be long anyway, so would prefer to hit a 20 yard better dipsersal, or would benefit far more from better putting. I am sure that if we had an honest vote, a majority of people on here would benefit far more from being able to hit a tighter dipsersal, than hitting it 20 yards further into trouble.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I have a m8 who plays off 2. He hits his driver a country mile. Every Par 4 is driver wedge. He honestly is Bubba long.

But when his driving goes off, which it does occasionally, it's an absolute train wreck.

Because he has such a high swing speed, he doesn't need to be much off at impact and he's reloading.

The tough bit is when I play with him is keeping my swing speed down and trying not to complete.

When my driver is off it isn't pretty either, but I don't hit it a country mile. Getting into trouble isn't reserved for those who hit it a long way. If I could hit it 20yds further with my current accuracy I'd take it all day long.

 

[SimonC]

I just looked at this with regards to how I played today. If I had hit it further would I have shot lower? The answer to that is no as a couple of drives that went inot the r/h rough would have gone into the trees and maybe cost me a couple of shots. With better putting I would have shot level par easily.

A fair and valid point. However you could just take a 3 wood if you had the extra distance and would therefore more than likely hit more fairways due to having the extra loft. On the other hand you would still probably end up hitting the driver as most of us amateurs do ending up as you previously said in the trees.

 

[SimonC]

That is sort of what I was asking Pat. There are people on here that are pretty straight with the driver, I would take that extra 20 yards just for the fun of it, but I am not hung up on it as I am lucky enough to be long anyway, so would prefer to hit a 20 yard better dipsersal, or would benefit far more from better putting. I am sure that if we had an honest vote, a majority of people on here would benefit far more from being able to hit a tighter dipsersal, than hitting it 20 yards further into trouble.

Yeah I'm with you here, I hit it plenty far enough too. I'd like to be more accurate than I currently am so if there was a choice of the 2 I'll take the dispersion.